This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2003
27/10/2004
Figures released by the Scottish Executive today show that firearms offences decreased by nine per cent last year.
The statistical bulletin, Recorded Crime and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, shows that in 2003 Scotland's police recorded 970 offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been used. This compares to the revised figure of 1065 in 2002 and is 50 per cent lower than the peak of 1959 in 1992.
Other main findings include:
- The use of firearms in criminal activity constituted only a small and decreasing proportion of all offences recorded by the police in 2003; three per cent of recorded attempted murders (24 offences), three per cent of recorded robberies (113 offences) and two per cent of recorded homicides (2 offences). Less than 0.5 per cent of recorded assaults (187 offences) and vandalism offences (331 offences) involved the alleged use of a firearm.
- The number of offences involving the alleged use of a shotgun remained at historically low levels, increasing from 23 in 2002 to 24 in 2003. The number of offences involving the alleged use of a pistol/revolver was at its lowest since 1990, down 17 per cent from 35 in 2002 to 29 in 2003.
- The number of offences in which a firearm was fired and used to kill or cause injury fell by nearly a quarter from 335 in 2002 to 255 in 2003.
- Only five of these cases involved a shotgun or rifle; none involved a pistol or revolver.
- In 2003, 48 per cent of all offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been used were cleared up, a slight decrease compared with 49 per cent in 2002.
The figures for 2001 and 2002 have been revised due to late returns of information from Strathclyde police. The 2001 and 2002 figures published in the previous bulletin indicated that there had been a two per cent decrease between these two years; the revised figures show an increase of one per cent.
The bulletin Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2003 details crimes and offences recorded by the police in which a firearm was alleged to have been used and also the theft of firearms.
The bulletin explains that changes in the number of crimes and offences involving firearms recorded by the police do not necessarily reflect changes in the volume of crime committed involving firearms. For a variety of reasons, some crimes and offences involving firearms may not be reported to the police or may not be recorded by them, although the extent of under reporting is likely to vary considerably according to the type of offence. For example, armed robberies are much more likely to be reported to the police than malicious damage caused by the firing of an air weapon.
Throughout the bulletin the reference to the 'use' of firearms should be interpreted to mean the 'alleged use'.
In Strathclyde, prior to 2001, and Lothian and Borders, prior to 2002, if a weapon was not seen or seen but not established, an assumption was made about what type of weapon it was. It was usually assumed to have been an air weapon and was recorded as such in the statistical return.
However, there has now been a change of this recording practice and if a weapon is not seen or seen but not established, it is recorded as such and no assumption is made about the type of weapon. This has increased the number of incidents involving an unidentified firearm and reducing those involving an air weapon.
To enable meaningful comparisons to be made over time, the tables' previously covering offences involving firearms other than an air weapon (which included those involving unidentified firearms) have been revised to cover offences involving identified firearms other than an air weapon.
This is a Scottish Executive National Statistics publication. National statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.