4. To ask the Scottish Government what work it has conducted to ascertain the public’s perception of the frequency of police patrols in their local area. (S6O-02239)

Scotland continues to be a safe place to live—the current level of recorded crime is among the lowest levels since 1974. Research shows that people in Scotland are significantly less likely to be victims of crime than people who live in England or Wales.

The Scottish crime and justice survey regularly has well-established questions that ask respondents for their perceptions of safety in their local area and of local policing. In 2019-20, 65 per cent of respondents agreed that police in their local area could be relied on to be there when they needed them, and 73 per cent agreed that crime in their local area was either the same or lower compared with two years previously. The latest findings will be published in autumn 2023.

The Scottish National Party Government’s crime and justice survey confirms that there has been a significant drop in the proportion of adults who were aware of police patrols in their area. In the year before Police Scotland was formed, 56 per cent of people said that they saw police regularly patrolling their area; by 2019-20, that figure had fallen to 37 per cent.

A regular police presence reassures local communities and can often deter the committing of crime. Therefore, what action will the Government put in place to reduce the burden that Police Scotland is under and boost the police presence in our local communities?

Policing continues to be a priority for the Government and we have ensured that there have always been year-on-year increases in funding.

I remind the member that 96 per cent of adults rated their neighbourhood as very or fairly good to live in, and that 84 per cent of adults continue to trust the police. Of course, public perception and the presence of police is important, but we also have to recognise that, given that the nature of crime is changing, how we police matters sometimes has to change with the times, under the stewardship of the chief constable.

I know that our police officers work very hard and do their utmost to respond quickly and efficiently, and to have a very visible presence.

The results of the Scottish household telephone survey that were published last month showed that 84 per cent of respondents trust the police, as the Cabinet secretary just said, and that neighbourhood safety levels were rated highly. With that in mind, what steps is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that neighbourhood safety remains a priority?

Neighbourhood safety is a central priority for the Government. We work for a society in which people feel, and are, safe in their communities. To that end, we will continue with our transformative policies, including those outlined in “The Vision for Justice in Scotland” and our programme for government. In doing so, we will engage with a range of partners, including the emergency services and the wider community safety organisations to which I referred in an answer to Daniel Johnson, such as the Scottish Community Safety Network, Crimestoppers and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, as well as local community safety partnerships.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

Question 5 was not lodged.