Police handed positive verdict DESPITE rise in crime

Résumé détaillé

Police Scotland has been handed a 'very good' verdict by its watchdog despite rising crime, falling public confidence and longer waits for non-emergency calls.

Published: 11:45 GMT, 12 November 2026 | Updated: 11:45 GMT, 12 November 2026

Police Scotland has been handed a ‘very good’ verdict by its watchdog despite rising crime, falling public confidence and longer waits for non-emergency calls.

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) reached the upbeat conclusion even though its own annual performance report highlighted damning evidence of deteriorating performance.

It acknowledged a rise in recorded crimes including shoplifting and domestic abuse – while public confidence in policing has fallen.

Nevertheless, the SPA, the civilian oversight body for policing, concluded ‘the overall performance of policing and forensic services in Scotland remains very good’.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said officers were being ‘badly let down by the SNP’ who ‘have presided over a systematic deterioration of the force since centralisation’.

He said: ‘Officer numbers are down, local police stations have shut their doors and custody capacity has reduced at an alarming rate.’ The SPA’s performance summary report for 2025-26 found recorded crimes and offences increased by 7.7 per cent, from 472,976 to 509,464.

Shoplifting rose 19 per cent, from 44,894 to 53,424 offences, while domestic abuse crimes increased 12 per cent, from 39,682 to 44,594.

Public confidence in policing fell from 38 per cent to 36 per cent and satisfaction among those contacting Police Scotland dropped from 73 per cent to 70 per cent.

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