Police Record Racist Crime Rise

Racist crime has soared by 13% with more than 5,000 incidents recorded by police last year. New Scottish figures revealed that 5,124 racist incidents were recorded by police in 2005/06 This was an increase of 588 incidents from 2004/05, according to statistics published on Tuesday.

The majority of victims were of Pakistani origin and most incidents took place in the street, with many occurring on Friday or Saturday nights. In 2005/06, the number of racist related crimes, which encompassed incidents such as writing racist graffiti during another crime such as housebreaking, was 6,439, up 12% from 5,732 in 2004/05 from 4,556 the year before.

Two specific crimes – racially aggravated harassment and racially aggravated conduct – accounted for over half of all racist related crimes. More than 20% of victims had suffered one or more previous racist incidents. About half of perpetrators each year are under 20, and 25% are under 16.

Officials said some of the figures may have been boosted by a new way of recording crime which came into force in April 2004. Until then, no crime would have been recorded if a victim did not want police to actively pursue it. The statisticians said the new system may have led to an increase in the number of crimes recorded with no real possibility of them being cleared up.

The Scottish Executive said the increase may have been due to several factors including increased public confidence with reporting procedures. Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said: “All crimes are an affront to the values we hold dear, but crimes committed against someone because of the colour of their skin or their country of origin are particularly sickening.

“I know that the police and other criminal justice agencies are working hard to provide reassurance and advice to our ethnic minority communities. That has led to more awareness within the police of racist crimes and better recording. In turn there is a greater willingness to report these incidents by the public – though I am sure we are not yet seeing the full picture.”

Communities Minister Rhona Brankin said: “We have to continue raising awareness of the issues, challenging myths and stereotypes and promoting understanding of other cultures, particularly among young people.”