Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser says the SNP Government needs to be “tougher on crime” following shocking statistics published by Police Scotland.
The data, which shows both recorded and detected crimes by Police Scotland for Council areas reveals that the number of recorded domestic abuse incidents in Perth and Kinross increased from 1,504 in the 2022/23 financial year to 1,561 in the 2023/24 financial year.
And the total number of crimes (groups 1 to 5) recorded during this period also increased from 4,518 to 4,924 in the region, with the number of detected crimes during this time also rising from 2,254 in 2022/23 to 2,477 in 2023/24.
Broken down, these crimes included recorded non-sexual crimes of violence which rose from 285 in 2022/23 to 308 in 2023/24 in Perth and Kinross, with recorded crimes of dishonesty increasing from 2,035 to 2,394 during this period.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “These crime figures for Perth and Kinross are very concerning, and will no doubt be replicated all over Scotland. In addition to crimes of domestic abuse and crimes of dishonesty, the data also shows there was a rise in the recorded number of serious assaults, which increased from 73 in 2022/23 to 107 in 2023/24. I was also alarmed to read that the number of recorded robbery and assault with intent to rob crimes increased from 38 to 40 during this time.
“We know the pressures that our police force face under this SNP Government, and the Scottish Conservatives have highlighted the impact of cuts to police numbers and the closure of some police stations. These decisions all have consequences and unfortunately many affect our residents.”
Mr Fraser continued: “Our Party have consistently said that the SNP Government are soft on crime, and these figures combined with the fact that 57 criminals who were let out of prison early over the summer have been found to have reoffended, reinforce this view. These criminals were released from Scottish prisons under an emergency release system.
“People will be shocked by these figures and must be reassured that anyone committing a crime must face the required punishment. It is obvious that the SNP Government need to be tougher on crime.”
