The performance of Police Scotland officers rated in major Scottish Government survey, as sharp fall revealed
Confidence in the police in Scotland has fallen over the past decade.
Fewer than half of Scots believe the police in their local area are doing a good job, according to a major survey.
The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey found just 45 per cent said the local force was doing an excellent or good job, compared to 61 per cent a decade ago.
Meanwhile, more than one in ten (13 per cent) said the police were doing a poor or very poor job in 2023/24, which is the latest year covered. A total of 36 per cent thought the police were doing a ‘fair’ job.
Since 2012/13, confidence in the police has fallen across all demographic groups covered by the survey. But the largest decline was observed among those aged 60 and over, from 64 per cent in 2012/13 to 43 per cent in 2023/24.
Most adults expressed confidence in the local police force's capability across various measurements of 'effectiveness,' including their ability to deal with incidents as they occur and solve crimes. However, just 42 per cent had confidence in the police’s ability to prevent crime.
Around two in five adults (42 per cent) thought police presence in their local area was “about right”, while half (50 per cent) felt it was insufficient.
Elsewhere, the 2023/24 survey found almost one in five adults in Scotland was a victim of crime last year.
It found 19.9 per cent of adults were estimated to have experienced at least one crime, and this included property offences (10.3 per cent), violence (2.9 per cent) and fraud and computer misuse (9.5 per cent).
Fraud and computer misuse are estimated to account for more than two-fifths (44 per cent) of all crimes in the latest year, with almost half of these offences (47 per cent) being bank and credit card fraud.
However, the majority of adults in Scotland said they felt very or fairly safe walking alone in their local area after dark (75 per cent) and when in their home alone at night (95 per cent).
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Crime continues to be down significantly over the long term, though the survey does highlight areas of concern and the need for continued action from governments and justice partners.”
She added: “Overall, and importantly, this survey shows most people do not experience any crime and only a very small proportion are affected by violent crime, but I have been consistently clear that any incidence of violence is one too many.
“That is why we are taking forward a wide range of actions to prevent, reduce and tackle violence, funded with more than £6 million invested over the past three years on top of our record funding for police.”
The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey is based on 4,970 face-to-face interviews with adults aged 16 and over in Scotland, conducted between July 2023 and April last year.
Tory MSP Liam Kerr said: "The SNP has consistently cut police funding, leaving them forced to sideline the investigation of certain crimes.
“SNP ministers must urgently show some common sense, ditch their soft-touch agenda, get tough on criminals and properly fund our police so they can keep the public safe.”