This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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No 24 hour drinking - Minister
17/09/2003
Statistics published today show a two per cent fall in the number of offences involving firearms, bringing the 2002 level to 48 per cent lower than in 1992.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson today welcomed the drop in the number of firearm offences reported last year.
Ms Jamieson said:
"We are working to deliver a safer, strongerScotland. I welcome the fact that in the last ten years the number of crimes involving firearms has reduced considerably.
The total number of recorded crimes and offences involving the alleged use of a firearm decreased from 1,773 in 1993 to 1,014 in 2002, a decrease of 43 per cent.
The number of homicides decreased from eight in 1993 to three in 2002, and attempted murders nearly halved from 44 in 1993 to 24 in 2002.
In 2002, 20 incidents involved the alleged use of a shotgun, less than one tenth of the 255 such incidents recorded in 1993 and the lowest figure ever recorded.
Incidents where a firearm was fired and damaged property more than halved from 654 in 1993 to 312 in 2002, and the number of occasions when a firearm was used to threaten has decreased by two thirds from 594 to 195 between 1993 and 2002.
The percentage of crimes and offences cleared up has increased over the last 10 years, currently standing at 51 per cent of all firearm incidents recorded compared to 39 per cent in 1993.
"However, there is absolutely no room for complacency. There are still too many illegally held firearms in our society but thanks to police initiatives locally, the national gun amnesty and a significant tightening of the regulations on gun ownership we have made progress.
"Reducing violent and drug-related crime is at the heart of our drive to improve public safety. Cutting the number of illegally-held weapons will also contribute to that drive."
"Gun crime is a major cause of fear and distress and is a real problem in certain areas. We are committed to removing guns from our streets. It is time to reduce the threat posed by guns and makeScotlanda safer place."