Recorded offences
4,779
Scottish Borders, in numbers
Crime and safety
Scottish Borders council area. Every figure carries its own date.
What the recorded figures show, and what they cannot tell us.
Recorded crime and population
A larger population can mean more recorded offences even when the number of offences per resident falls. Read the total and the rate together.
Scottish Borders · 2025/26 · Police Scotland All Crimes; offences excluded. Separate Scottish recording/classification system.
Offences per 1,000 residents
40.9
Population used for the rate
116,980
2024 mid-year population
Show the figures and workings
The rate is recorded offences divided by the population, multiplied by 1,000. Where the source rounds its population figure, we retain its published rate rather than recalculate it from that rounded figure. This counts offences, not the percentage of residents who were victims.
| Period | Offences | Population used | Per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 4,779 | 116,980 (2024) | 40.9 |
These figures match the source area for this period. That does not establish a comparable history for today’s council boundaries.
Official source and method →Can we test the population theory over 30 years?
Only where the offence definitions, recording practices and area boundaries are comparable. Changes in reporting, police recording and the types of crime matter too. We do not join incompatible series or invent missing years.
Only the latest independently checked observation is displayed. A comparable long-run crime-and-population trend has not been established.
- 2004/05: Scottish Crime Recording Standard introduced.
- 2022/23: Use supplied revised crime classification/back-series; crimes and offences are distinct.
A comparable 30-year crime-and-population trend has not been established for this area.
For example, if offences rose by 10% while population rose by 20%, offences per resident would fall by about 8%. This is an illustration, not a finding about this area.
People commuting or visiting can also affect offences recorded in a place. The resident population is a useful common denominator, but does not count everyone present.
What could help? Follow the types and locations of repeated problems, check residents’ experiences, and assess the response. Area population totals do not identify who commits offences.
Local issues and proposed responses →Official council-area annual series; ward-level Police Scotland crime is not available through the Police UK API.
Source and coverage explanation →
Police.uk street records do not cover ordinary Police Scotland crime. Scottish recorded-crime figures use their own definitions and are shown separately where available.
Crimes recorded by Police Scotland
1996/1997 to 2025/2026
Scottish Borders council area · recorded crimes
Reviewed figures: 1996/1997 to 2025/2026. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.
Shown on this chart: 5,531 recorded crimes in 1996/1997; 4,779 recorded crimes in 2025/2026. These are recorded counts; check the coverage notes before comparing periods.
The line joins consecutive published observations.
Hover or tap the chart for a value. Use the date slider with touch or arrow keys. Escape closes the chart label.
Data table and workings
Published Scottish annual recorded crimes, separately from offences. Different recording/counting rules from England and Wales; no UK crime ranking.
Council-area annual totals; not street-level mapped incidents.
Scottish crimes and offences are distinct categories. These figures are not directly comparable with England/Wales mapped crime.
The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.
| Period | recorded crimes |
|---|---|
| 1996/1997 | 5,531 |
| 1997/1998 | 5,557 |
| 1998/1999 | 5,941 |
| 1999/2000 | 6,445 |
| 2000/2001 | 6,190 |
| 2001/2002 | 6,578 |
| 2002/2003 | 6,668 |
| 2003/2004 | 7,042 |
| 2004/2005 | 6,955 |
| 2005/2006 | 6,756 |
| 2006/2007 | 6,528 |
| 2007/2008 | 5,467 |
| 2008/2009 | 5,583 |
| 2009/2010 | 4,914 |
| 2010/2011 | 4,495 |
| 2011/2012 | 4,556 |
| 2012/2013 | 3,803 |
| 2013/2014 | 4,082 |
| 2014/2015 | 3,926 |
| 2015/2016 | 3,718 |
| 2016/2017 | 3,870 |
| 2017/2018 | 4,177 |
| 2018/2019 | 4,615 |
| 2019/2020 | 4,539 |
| 2020/2021 | 4,608 |
| 2021/2022 | 4,893 |
| 2022/2023 | 4,563 |
| 2023/2024 | 4,593 |
| 2024/2025 | 4,554 |
| 2025/2026 | 4,779 |