Collapsing Public Confidence Sees Vast Majority of Scottish Crimes Go Unreported
More than eight out of ten violent, property, and fraud crimes in Scotland are failing to be reported to police, amid what critics describe as collapsing public confidence in the SNP's single police force. The alarming figures emerge from a comprehensive Scottish Government survey of approximately 5,000 adults, which exposes the true extent of offending across the nation.
Staggering Scale of Unreported Crime
The research estimates that nearly 1.2 million crimes, including assaults, housebreakings, and fraud, took place during the 2024/25 period. This total encompasses around 199,000 violent offences. However, only a tiny fraction of these incidents were officially logged with police authorities. The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) indicates that a mere 17 per cent of these crimes came to the attention of law enforcement.
Breaking down the statistics further, the survey reveals that 70 per cent of violent crimes were not reported, alongside 73 per cent of property crimes. In a particularly stark finding, only 5 per cent of fraud crimes were recorded by police. These numbers represent a slight increase from the previous year, where 1,185,000 such crimes were estimated in 2023/24.
Plummeting Trust in Police Effectiveness
Accompanying the surge in unreported crime is a dramatic decline in public faith in Police Scotland. The survey found that 39 per cent of adults lack confidence in the police's ability to catch criminals. Moreover, only 45 per cent now believe the force is doing an excellent or good job, a sharp fall from previous assessments.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr responded forcefully, stating: ‘The huge number of crimes going unreported is terrifying and speaks volumes for the collapsing public confidence in the SNP’s soft-touch justice system.’ His comments were echoed by Scottish Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill, who added: ‘It’s clear from these figures that the SNP’s soft-touch approach to justice has consequences and that this tired and out of touch SNP government has no answers.’
Context of Controversial Policies and Strategies
The findings arrive in the wake of several contentious developments within Scottish policing. Police Scotland recently implemented a ‘proportionate response’ strategy, which has faced allegations of leading to thousands of crimes being effectively written off. Additionally, a row erupted over an inflation-busting pay hike for Chief Constable Jo Farrell, who received £134,000 from taxpayers to assist in purchasing a second home.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance acknowledged the impact, remarking: ‘I am acutely aware of the impact on the very small proportion who fall victim to violent crime.’ A Police Scotland spokesman defended the force's direction, asserting: ‘We have been clear about the importance of strengthening frontline policing.’ Former superintendent Martin Gallagher emphasised the need for resources, stating: ‘The police need to be allowed to focus on crime, and be given the resources to do so.’
Comparative and Demographic Insights
The SCJS provides further troubling comparisons and breakdowns. In 2024/25, the proportion of adults in Scotland estimated to have experienced the types of crime covered by the survey was higher than in England and Wales (20.8 per cent compared to 17.1 per cent). The survey also uncovered that 46 per cent of all violent crime occurs in the victim’s workplace, with 28 per cent of such offences committed by individuals under the age of 16.
Meanwhile, 11.5 per cent of adults were victims of at least one crime of fraud or computer misuse during the same period. These figures paint a picture of widespread criminal activity affecting diverse settings and age groups across Scotland.
Linked Crisis: Soaring Drug Deaths
In a related blow to the SNP government, the number of suspected drug deaths in Scotland soared by 8 per cent last year, undermining the party's national mission to curb addiction. Official statistics show 1,146 people were suspected to have died from drugs, up from 1,065 the previous year.
The SNP has faced criticism for funding initiatives like The Thistle, a heroin shooting gallery in Glasgow where addicts can inject hard drugs under medical supervision. Scottish Tory drugs spokesman Annie Wells described the death toll as ‘harrowing’, accusing the Nationalists of ‘adding fuel to the fire’ with policies she labelled as state-sponsored drug-taking. Drugs Minister Maree Todd offered condolences, stating: ‘Every drug death is a tragedy, and my condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one.’
Together, the crime and drug death statistics highlight profound challenges within Scotland's justice and health systems, raising urgent questions about government strategies and public safety.
