Crime detected by Police

A crime is regarded as ‘cleared up’ where there is a sufficiency of evidence under Scots law to justify consideration of criminal proceedings.

In 2023/24, clear up rates for total recorded crimes increased from 53.3% to 54.1%. The large decrease seen between 2020-21 and 2021-22 likely reflected the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the types of crime recorded, with the volume of those crimes that have relatively lower clear up rates falling more sharply in 2020-21 than those with relatively higher clear up rates.

The fall to 54.0% in 2021-22 from 59.3% in 2020-21 reflected a partial return to the volume of different crime types recorded prior to the pandemic (2019-20). Clear up rates have remained relatively stable in 2023-24, increasing slightly from 53.3% to 54.0%. Crimes against society (91.4%), Non-sexual crimes of violence (68.0%) and Sexual crime (57.2%) continued to have higher clear up rates in 2023-24 than Crimes of dishonesty (33.1%) and Damage and reckless behaviour (29.6%).

More information can be found in the Recorded Crime in Scotland publication. 

The police will charge a person if they believe they have enough evidence. At this point, the police might: – release the accused person on an ‘undertaking’, meaning the person can go home until the first court hearing – release the accused person until the procurator fiscal decides whether the case will go to court, or – keep the accused person in custody until they are taken to court for a hearing (this will be the next day unless it’s a weekend or public holiday) You can find out more information about being charged with a crime here. 

At a first court hearing, the accused person might be remanded in custody, meaning they will be held in prison until they are sentenced. You can find out more here.

Alternatively, a person may be granted bail and can return if the judge is satisfied that they can be trusted to adhere to certain conditions. In some cases, a person will be subject to bail supervision, a social work or third sector service whereby individuals who would otherwise be held on remand are released on bail on the condition that they meet with a supervisor a specified number of times a week. You can find out more information here.