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Daily Record
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Sex crime cops 'at breaking point' as one officer left handling 176 cases
Police teams investigating rape and serious sexual assault in Scotland are are being pushed to the brink – with one officer juggling a staggering 176 live cases. Shocking figures reveal just four senior detectives are currently handling 584 ongoing rape and domestic abuse cases in Glasgow alone. It's sparked fury from campaigners who say survivors are being 'devastatingly' let down, while the Scottish Police Federation has warned that frontline officers are 'broken'. The eye-watering caseload has been uncovered through a Freedom of Information request obtained through the 1919 Magazine, exposing the brutal strain on Scotland's sexual offences units. Rape Crisis Scotland Chief executive Sandy Brindley said: 'One officer, no matter how good they are, cannot manage 176 rape investigations properly. "Rape is already a notoriously under-reported crime. For that to change, survivors need to feel able to report what has happened to them to police. This setup falls devastatingly short of offering any of that.' The crisis comes as rape cases across the country have soared by a third over the last decade, with more victims finally feeling able to report what happened to them. But while reports are up, resources haven't followed – and frontline units are buckling under the pressure. Figures show that from April to September last year alone, rape reports rose by almost 20% compared to the same period in 2022. And with an average of six rapes recorded every day in Scotland, campaigners say the justice system is failing to keep pace. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A police source told 1919 Magazine: 'Around 70 per cent of all High Court trials relate to sexual offences and yet the resources Police Scotland put into investigating rape are a fraction of the overall investigative resources they've got 'It's a massive issue that officers working in sexual offences investigation have been flagging up for years. It is significantly under-resourced." The four detectives leading Glasgow's rape investigations – all detective inspectors – are classed as Senior Investigating Officers. They're expected to oversee every aspect of a case from the moment a report comes in. But with each managing more than 100 cases, and one handling 176 alone, even basic oversight is becoming impossible. Scottish Police Federation boss David Kennedy said the impact is hitting hard: 'The service is breaking them – and some are already broken. We can't continue to have a police service that does more with less. 'We are spinning workloads like spinning plates and that ultimately only ends one way." Police Scotland's Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson insisted steps are being taken to address the problem. He said: "The significant increase in reporting of rape and sexual crime indicates a growing confidence in victims to come forward knowing they will be listened to, supported and that their case will be fully investigated. 'Work is ongoing across the organisation to support our vision of policing, which includes strengthening the frontline. 'We are also reviewing the workloads of SIOs nationally to develop an approach which ensures every report receives the best investigation and that SIOs are supported in dealing with the increase in demand. 'Preventing rape and sexual crime is our ultimate goal and we work closely with a range of partners and across communities to tackle violence against women and girls.'
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow police dealing with hundreds of rapes and sex crimes
Officers from the rape and domestic abuse unit in the city are dealing with 584 live cases, it has been revealed. With just four Senior Investigating Officers, who are Detective Inspectors, police officers' representatives have said it is not sustainable and is taking its toll on the staff. READ NEXT: Keir Starmer pledges to raise defence spending but won't rule out other cuts The figures are reported in the latest edition of 1919 police magazine. David Kennedy, Scottish Police Federation general secretary, said: 'The service is breaking them and some of those officers are broken. 'We can't continue to have a police service that does more with less. 'We are spinning workloads like spinning plates and that ultimately only ends one way.' The magazine revealed the details obtained under freedom of information. It reported police sources stating the highest number of cases handled by one SIO was 176. The source said: 'Figures show around 70% of all High Court trials relate to sexual offences and yet the resources Police Scotland put into investigating rape are a fraction of the overall investigative resources they've got'. READ NEXT: Inspections at 7 Glasgow homeless hotels reveal 'defects and issues' 'The force would rather spend money on the organised crime side of the business. 'It's a massive issue that officers working in sexual offences investigation have been flagging up for years. It is significantly under-resourced.' The total number of cases recorded by Police Scotland between April and September last year was 1400, 19.5% higher than the 850 in the same period the previous year. Sandy Brindley, Rape Crisis Scotland chief executive, said: 'Despite a rise in the number of reported rapes in Scotland, support for survivors remains desperately under-resourced and under-funded. 'We know that from our own work, but these figures are a stark reminder of how this extends to policing too. 'One senior officer, no matter how skilled they are, cannot possibly oversee 176 live rape investigations properly. READ NEXT: 10 firms in the Glasgow area named for not paying National Minimum Wage Steve Johnson, Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable, said: 'The significant increase in reporting of rape and sexual crime indicates a growing confidence in victims to come forward knowing they will be listened to, supported and that their case will be fully investigated. 'Work is ongoing across the organisation to support our vision of policing, which includes strengthening the frontline and ensuring we have the right people in the right places to meet this increased demand. 'We are also reviewing the workloads of SIOs nationally to develop an approach which ensures every report receives the best investigation and that SIOs are supported in dealing with the increase in demand. 'Senior Investigating Officers provide oversight to large teams of specialist detectives who carry out a range of different roles as part of these detailed investigations. 'Preventing rape and sexual crime is our ultimate goal and we work closely with a range of partners and across communities to tackle violence against women and girls.'
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
'Scotland faces a new blade epidemic driven by teenagers'
But that hard work appears to be at risk, as Scotland faces a new blade epidemic driven by teenagers. There have already been two under-18s killed by stabbing in the past three months, including the tragic death of 15-year-old Amen Teklay in Glasgow earlier this year. And today it has been reported that police caught 91 children in possession of knives across the country throughout 2024 using stop-and-search tactics – the equivalent of one every four days. The issue has dominated the political scene, and even forced Jo Farrell, the chief constable, into the admission that she's worried about weapons in and around schools. And yet it wasn't that long ago that Glasgow was being held up as a beacon of how to reduce violent crime. Dedicated teams from London visited the city on a number of occasions to see what could be replicated there in the hope of having a similar effect. Policy leaders from across the world read up on the violence reduction work going on here, on education, and on the targeted interventions that were required to turn the tide in Glasgow, which once had the reputation as one of the most violent cities in the western world. But the new crisis we are facing is such that we clearly need something similar for the whole country, especially involving young people. Now when police find a knife on a person through a positive stop-and-search, there is a 30 per cent chance this will be a teenager. As the Scottish Police Federation say, these are young people who are making a conscious decision to pick up or acquire a blade, conceal it, and then take it out with them onto the streets. Maybe they have no intention of using it, and they see it merely as a deterrent. But they must realise the consequences, one of which is that it could be taken and used against them. The justice system of course has a part to play. The Scottish Government have been too soft for too long, especially on those under 25 who get an easy ride through the courts because it is deemed their brain isn't sufficiently developed yet to be a full-blown criminal. That has to change – slapping these offenders on the wrist isn't just an insult to victims and society, it doesn't do the offenders themselves any good either, as they go straight back onto the streets and continue in their reckless ways. However, we need to go further. Funding for youth clubs and community initiatives – so many of which have been allowed to close under successive governments – must be prioritised. We also need to get police back into schools and into the places where young people are to build relations. Savage cuts to the frontline have limited the opportunity for community officers to help get through to kids before they embark on a life of crime. Nothing can replace the bonds that can be formed in these moments. Glasgow has shown that it can come up with ways to tackle lethal violence in the past. Now the city should lead the charge again to help Scotland as a whole turn this brutal trend around.
STV News
2 days ago
- STV News
Police caught 91 under-18s with bladed weapons in 2024, figures show
A ten-year-old child was among 91 cases of under-18s found by police to be in possession of a bladed weapon last year. The new figures, which come in the wake of the deaths of teenagers Amen Teklay and Kayden Moy, have prompted concerns of a 'youth violence epidemic'. The two teenagers both died after allegedly being stabbed in separate incidents this year. Now analysis of Police Scotland stop and search data by the justice and home affairs magazine 1919 showed that in 2024 teenagers accounted for almost a third of positive knife searches across all age groups. The 91 cases of a person under the age of 18 being caught with a bladed or pointed weapon equate to around one case every four days. The data revealed a ten-year-old was caught with a knife in the east of Edinburgh in July 2024. Meanwhile, 12-year-olds were caught with bladed weapons in the capital, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, the magazine reported. In addition, more than a dozen children aged 13 – including two girls – were also found to have such items when searched. David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation said: 'Each one of the truly shocking statistics is a justifiable and evidenced-based reaction by the police to an increasingly concerning societal trend we now see emerging among younger members of our communities in Scotland.' He added: 'Each of these statistics is a real situation which created significant risk for my colleagues, as well as potentially life-changing consequences for the perpetrator, and sadly – as we have seen so tragically across Scotland recently – the victims of knife crime, their families and friends.' Mr Threadgold said that the 'solution to this problem cannot rest alone with the police', arguing for 'much greater and more effective preventative strategies' to be put in place across Scotland. Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: 'These shocking figures are yet another sign that there is a youth violence epidemic emerging in Scotland.' She added: 'Each one of these 91 cases is very serious for our communities and potentially for those actually carrying the weapon. 'The only way to tackle this effectively is to have early intervention schemes that get to the root cause, and without this we will fail our communities.' Calling for 'urgent action', she insisted the Scottish Government had 'created a perfect storm by cutting youth work services, letting police officer numbers fall, and mismanaging CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and education'. First Minister John Swinney has already warned youngsters against carrying knives, insisting this is 'dangerous' and 'damaging'. But Scottish Tory community safety spokesperson Sharon Dowey insisted it was 'high time nationalist ministers woke up to the gravity of this situation'. The Conservative MSP said: 'These alarming figures lay bare just how drastically knife crime has spiralled out of control.' She said there needs to be 'meaningful punishments for those who use a knife' along with 'expanded stop-and-search powers for police to act as a deterrent'. However, she claimed: 'The SNP's soft-touch attitude towards justice represents an abject dereliction of duty by John Swinney's government.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Stop and search powers should be used where lawful, necessary and proportionate. Their use in individual cases is an operational matter for Police Scotland. 'Police do use stop and search, and it is one tool to tackle violence alongside a range of other measures such as prevention and education.' Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland of Police Scotland meanwhile said: 'Victims of crime and people right across the country expect us to use all powers at our disposal to keep them safe. 'Stop and search is just one of those powers and one in every three searches leads to the recovery of illicit or harmful items, safeguarding our communities.' Mr Sutherland stressed that 'intelligence-led stop and search is a valuable and effective policing tactic in detecting and preventing crime when it is used lawfully, proportionately and in line with the code of practice, which was introduced in 2017'. This code has a 'dedicated section for children', he added, which provides officers with guidance to be used when when making a decision to stop and search a child. He said: 'We recognise that stopping and searching people is a significant intrusion into their personal liberty and privacy and we remain committed to ensuring that people are treated with fairness, integrity and respect. 'It is also a tactic that enables the service to keep people safe and assist in ensuring the wellbeing of our wider communities.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Child, 10, among 91 under-18s caught with a knife in Scotland
It sparked fears that a 'youth violence epidemic' is sweeping the country TEN & TOOLED UP Child, 10, among 91 under-18s caught with a knife in Scotland A CHILD aged just ten was among 91 under-18s caught with a knife in Scotland last year. The shocking stats come in the wake of the alleged stab deaths of Amen Teklay and Kayden Moy, both 16, in Glasgow and Irvine, Ayrshire, this year. Advertisement 1 Mr Threadgold, of the SPF, said these stats show a "concerning" societal trend emerging in Scotland's youth Credit: Alan MacGregor Ewing And they have sparked fears that a 'youth violence epidemic' is sweeping the country. Police stop and search data, published by justice and social affairs magazine 1919, shows the ten-year-old was nabbed in Edinburgh. Other cases include 12-year-olds caught carrying blades in the capital, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. And more than a dozen kids aged 13 — including two girls — also had such weapons. Advertisement David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said: 'Each one of the truly shocking statistics shows an increasingly concerning societal trend we now see emerging among young people.' Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland said: 'People expect us to use all powers to keep them safe. 'Stop and search is just one — and one in every three searches leads to the recovery of illicit or harmful items, safeguarding our communities.' We told previously how a schoolboy was threatened with knives in a playpark by two classmates aged just nine and ten. Advertisement Cops were called after one of the P5 kids brandished a lockback blade at the ten-year-old, leaving him petrified. Elsewhere, a boy of seven took a blade into a school to attack a classmate. Police swarm Scots street amid disturbance after two men spotted armed with knives The P3 pupil is said to have brandished a kitchen knife at Heathfield Primary in Ayr. Furious parents hit out at school bosses as cops confirmed they are investigating a 'report of a child in possession of a knife'.
