SNP urged to protect policing budget as car thefts go unpunished
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Liam McArthur
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have urged the Scottish government to protect the policing budget and enhance community policing after it was revealed that 57 per cent of all car thefts during 2021/22 did not result in criminal proceedings.
A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request has found that while there were 4,076 car thefts recorded in 2021/22, only 1,751 of these were detected. This means that in just 43 per cent of cases there was enough evidence to report the offence to the procurator fiscal, which may result in criminal proceedings being brought.
Police Scotland defines detected crimes as those “where there exists a sufficiency of evidence under Scots law to justify consideration of criminal proceedings”.
Justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said: “These figures show there is a real problem in tackling car thefts and ensuring that victims get justice.
“This situation is not helped by the SNP’s continued squeeze on policing budgets. Officers have consistently warned that cuts to budgets threaten a loss of skill and experience from the service, potentially limiting investigations and undermining access to justice.
“To cut crime and ensure cases progress effectively through the system, the government must protect the policing budget, enhance community policing and give officers the resources they need to do the job.”
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