Rise in low-level crime
13 Jun 05
New recording method said to account for much of 20% rise
Over the past year low level crime in Scotland has risen 20%, according to new figures, with 221,682 criminal incidents of vandalism, fireraising, drunkenness and breach of the peace.
In Strathclyde alone, there were 55,091 incidents of vandalism recorded by the police in the yearly figure, up 35% on the previous year.
However much of the rise is thought to be as a result of a new method of recording crime and the raised public and political profile of such behaviour. The new National Crime Recording Standard was introduced last April, and is much more victim-orientated.
Under the new standard, crimes that would previously have been recorded as "incidents" such as the theft of a mobile phone, are recorded as a crime.