18/12/2007

Safest Scottish Place To 'Live' Is Dumfries and Galloway

There are more and more people being murdered in Scotland - although individual areas vary considerably, with Strathclyde - which includes the greater Glasgow area - being the worst area to 'live'.

The country's homicide rate has risen by 27% according to the latest figures released by the Scottish Government.

The statistics show that 119 people were unlawfully killed in the year ending April 2007.

Knives or other sharp instruments were used in almost half of the killings and 84% of victims were male.

This is an especially negative move as figures for the previous year (to April 2006) saw homicide in Scotland at its lowest level in 15 years, with 93 killings - compared to 137 in 2005.

On detection rates, there have been 167 people accused of the 119 homicides recorded in the year 2006-07, an increase of 19% on the previous year.

Drink or drugs have featured strongly as almost half of the accused were reported to have been drunk or under the influence of drugs at the time, also most of those charged were male (92%).

The worst area was in the Strathclyde police force area, with last year, 64% of all homicides taking place there.

However, six out of the eight Scottish forces all reported an increase.

Best place to 'live' is in Dumfries and Galloway, where there were no cases of homicide and also looking positive is in Tayside, where figures fell.

However, statisticians point out homicide accounts for a tiny proportion - 0.2% - of all violent crime and the figures are still lower than the 134 homicides recorded in 2004-5.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill commented: "These depressingly familiar statistics show the long-term challenge we face."

(BMcC)


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