Key Insights - Acquisitive Crime

Utilising data from the end of Quarter 2 of the 2024 – 2025 reporting period, acquisitive crime continues to increase compared to the previous year (up 3.2%) and the five-year mean (up 13.9%). It should be noted that the five-year mean has been affected by the COVID-19 period where there was a significant decrease in the number of acquisitive crimes recorded. Comparing the first year before COVID-19 (2019/20) the current figures are slightly increased (1437 more, up 2.5%).

TABLE IN PAPER - RECORDED YTD COMPARISION 

TABLE IN PAPER - RECORDED FIVE-YEAR COMPARISION 

Although there can be no exact comparison to the rest of the UK given the different crime types and crime recording methods, according to the ‘Office for National Statistic – Crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2024’, police recorded theft increased by 3% when compared to the year ending March 2023.

Operation Opal data from their Quarter 3 report for 2024, which relates to specific crime types linked to Serious Organised Acquisitive Crime (SOAC), and excludes data from the Metropolitan Police, indicates that between July and September 2024, these crime types rose by 4.7% compared to the previous quarter and by 13.9% when compared to the same period in 2023. Therefore, there would appear to be similar trends for acquisitive crime across the UK.

In relation to the Police Scotland Quarter 2 data contained in the tables above, if Theft by Shoplifting is removed from the overall Acquisitive crime total there is a decrease of 1,779 crimes (down 4.8%) compared to the previous year. Aside from Theft by Shoplifting, which has risen by 18.8% compared to the previous year, there have also been significant increases in Attempted Theft of a Motor Vehicle (62 more crimes, up 24.7%) and Opening Lockfast Places (not motor vehicle) which increased by 135 crimes (up 20.2%).

Despite the overall increase in Acquisitive crime there were decreases in Overall Housebreaking crimes, which decreased by 782 crimes (down 17.0%), Opening Lockfast Places (motor vehicle), down 214 crimes (8.7%) and in Theft from a Motor Vehicle, insecure, which decreased by 213 (down 9.8%). This means 1,209 less people were victims of crime.

Detection rates for acquisitive crime have broadly increased, with only retail crime showing a slight reduction. This is clear evidence of Police Scotland’s commitment to pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice.

TABLE IN PAPER - RECORDED DETECTION RATE COMPARISION 

Vehicle Crime

Motor vehicle crime has decreased compared to the previous year (539 fewer, down 8.7%) and compared to the five-year mean (303 fewer, down 5.1%). There has been a significant decrease in motor vehicle crime compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, with 1,232 (down 17.9%) fewer crimes. The only crime under this grouping which has increased compared to the previous year is Attempt Theft of Motor Vehicle which has observed an increase of 62 crimes (up 24.7%). Detections for motor vehicle crimes have slightly increased by 1.1%.

To increase our understanding of vehicle crime in Scotland and use analytical products to inform future activity, intelligence analysis in the form of a national overview into the theft of motor vehicles between 1 April 2023 and 25 September 2024 was undertaken. This identified success in terms of the volume of this crime type (decrease of 4.9%), highlighting that proactive policing, community engagement and vital partnership working was key to the reductions.

The identified areas for future focus relate to organised criminals utilising the ‘keyless theft’ modus operandi, exploiting emerging technology to steal high value vehicles from driveways via a ‘relay’ device. Working with partners, including vehicle manufacturers will therefore be given due emphasis in the forthcoming period

The analysis further identified that while theft of vehicles had reduced, attempted thefts of vehicles had increased. One possible explanation for this is that continuous partnership working, public engagement and campaigns means members of the public are becoming more aware of deterrence tactics and are utilising tools such as faraday bags, surveillance systems such as ring cameras, and wheel locks that may be preventing offenders from successfully taking and driving off with the vehicle. Therefore, these campaigns will be enhanced and used in future years.

Lastly, it was identified that nearly half of all vehicle crimes were perpetrated by persons known to the victim, therefore continued focus on dealing with vulnerabilities and exploitation will be required.

Housebreaking

Housebreaking (including attempts) has decreased compared to the previous year (782 fewer, down 17.0%) and compared to the five-year mean (1102 fewer, down 22.3%).
Detections for housebreaking have increased substantially by 6.1%.

Despite these notable decreases in housebreaking crimes, the impact of this invasive and intrusive crime, means that supporting victims is a key factor, while providing positive outcomes in terms of detections, can go some way to giving victims peace of mind.

Through the NACG structures, the coordinated response to high tariff offenders and organised crime groups committing housebreaking crimes is managed and progressed. A range of intelligence-led national operations allow for the sharing of information, recognise specific modus operandi, pool resources and provide coordinated leadership to ensure a cohesive response to crimes committed across multiple local policing divisions.

Despite the successes these operations bring in terms of bringing significant offenders to justice, the key to public confidence and safety is to work with partners to prevent housebreaking crimes occurring in the first place. RAB-PT provide national products to assist with crime prevention materials and campaigns, while local policing divisions utilise their local TT&CG processes and associated analytical products to identify trends and hotspots and target preventative campaigns at the correct time, in the correct location and with the correct people. For example, divisions will have preventative campaigns in October / November when housebreaking crimes are more likely due to changing of the clocks and increased hours of darkness.

Rural Crime

The theft of rural farm machinery, tools, fuel and livestock can have devastating impacts for rural businesses that rely on the machinery for their livelihood. SPARC (the multi-agency partnership led approach to tackling rural crime in Scotland across 7 rural crime priorities) has developed extensive ties with northern English police forces and the UK Rural crime team to combat the transient nature of rural acquisitive crime and several operations and national preventions are in place to target this criminality from a pursue element.

Chaired by Police Scotland it involves over 20 organisations with aligned action plans to the 7 priorities to mitigate and reduce rural crime. The partnership meets in person quarterly to review national and regional prevention work and that the action plans in place remain effective and measurable.

As part of the ongoing partnership response, the following are examples of initiatives being undertaken:

• Operation Hawkeye is an intelligence led partnership between Police Scotland and several English Police forces sharing intelligence on those committing cross-border rural acquisitive crime, identifying offenders and recovering stolen property. The sharing of live time intelligence and bulletins has resulted in numerous offenders being arrested and property recovered.

• Rural Watch Scotland is a partnership with Neighbourhood Watch Scotland and through engagement and promotion with rural communities, via SPARC, has over 10,000 users across Rural Scotland who receive live time updates on rural crimes specific to their communities and alerts on crime trends and hot spots to allow fast track safeguarding.

• The National Rural Machinery Sticker Scheme provides rural community members with stickers, which when affixed to rural machinery directs Police resources when on patrol to stop/check rural machinery if seen on the road between certain hours, targeting the theft of machinery out with farming hours and their transport on the road networks cross border.

• Ongoing promotion of vehicle and machinery trackers via the Police Crime Prevention Initiative (PCPI) approved products within Secured by Design catalogue which is dovetailed with Police training on tracking and tracing rural machinery.