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Police handed positive verdict DESPITE rise in crime
Police Scotland received an overall “very good” verdict from the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), despite rising recorded crime, lower public confidence and longer waits for non-emergency calls. The assessment matters because the SPA’s own report highlighted worsening results in several areas, prompting criticism from Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr, who blamed the SNP government.
Recorded crimes and offences rose 7.7 per cent, from 472,976 to 509,464 in 2025-26. Shoplifting increased 19 per cent and domestic abuse crimes 12 per cent; public confidence fell from 38 to 36 per cent, while satisfaction among people contacting police dropped from 73 to 70 per cent. Average waits for 101 calls lengthened from four minutes and seven seconds to six minutes and 19 seconds, while overall detection remained at 67 per cent and the 999 answer time was eight seconds.
In short
- Police Scotland received an overall “very good” assessment.
- Recorded crimes and offences rose 7.7 per cent.
- Detection stayed at 67 per cent as 101 waits grew.
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The case for
The “very good” verdict may reflect Police Scotland’s overall performance, including maintaining a 67 per cent detection rate and answering 999 calls in an average of eight seconds, rather than overlooking weaker indicators. Recorded crime can rise for several reasons, and the assessment may reasonably weigh the breadth of police work and results alongside public confidence and service delays.
The case against
The verdict is difficult to reconcile with worsening measures that matter directly to the public: recorded crime rose, confidence and satisfaction fell, and waits for non-emergency calls grew substantially. With shoplifting and domestic abuse also increasing, critics can argue that an overall “very good” assessment risks understating operational shortcomings and the need for stronger accountability, including from the government responsible for policing policy.