Drop in crime statsis welcomed byJustice Minister

The Scottish justice minister said those figures were backed up by findings contained within the recently published Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2016-17 which state crime in Scotland has fallen by 32 per cent since 2008.

Mr Matheson said: “The official statistics show recorded crime in Falkirk district fell by 6 per cent last year – and it’s good to see this downward trend is also reflected in the findings of the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, which asks respondents about their experience of crime, whether or not it was reported to police.

“It’s also heartening that a growing number of people say police in their local area are doing a good or excellent job and public confidence in the force’s ability to catch criminals and solve crimes is rising.

“This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of police officers and staff in our communities.”

The survey also claims crimes of violence decreased by 27 per cent since 2008 and property crime was down 34 per cent.

According to the crime and justice survey, 77 per cent of adults feel safe walking alone in their local area after dark – which is the highest level ever measured and up from 66 per cent recorded nearly a decade ago.

Visit www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/03/9068 to view the main points of the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2016-17.