Figures reveal one fifth of victims of crime in Scotland are from ethnic minorities

Figures reveal one fifth of victims of crime in Scotland are from ethnic minorities

People of ethnic minority backgrounds in Scotland are more than twice as likely to be victims of crime as others, according to new police figures.

Statistics obtained by The Herald under the Freedom of Information Act reveal approximately one in 20 victims of crime are from ethnic minorities, despite the fact they make up just one in 50 of Scotland's total population.

Last year in Strathclyde, of the total 130,363 victims recorded for all crimes by the police, some 4.5% were from non-white backgrounds and a further 2493 (around 2%) were from "other" white backgrounds, including countries such as Poland.

All eight police forces in Scotland are meant to monitor ethnic minority victims and perpetrators, yet only five were able to provide the figures. Morag Patrick, senior policy officer for the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) in Scotland, said: "Good policing can only occur if the police know what is going on in the community. The fact only some police forces can provide information about the types of crime ethnic minority groups are more likely to experience is a major concern. Without this information it is impossible for police and policymakers to take the actions needed to reduce everybody's chance of experiencing crime."

Minorities twice as likely to be victims of crime (The Herald, 23 July 2007)