# Crime and justice in Shetland Islands North Scotland. 22,710 people (mid-2025 estimate) in 1,469 square kilometres, the 4th most sparsely populated council in the UK. 6 layers about crime and justice for Shetland Islands, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) ## Is Shetland Islands safe? What police records show In 2025/26, the recorded crime rate in Shetland Islands was 20.3 per 1,000 people. That compares with 56.9 per 1,000 people across Scotland. Police recorded 470 crimes in Shetland Islands in 2025/26, 20.3 per 1,000 people. In 2025/26, the highest rates by type were for crimes of violence (6.1 per 1,000 people), damage and reckless behaviour (4.4 per 1,000 people) and sexual crimes (3.1 per 1,000 people). In 2024/25, the recorded crime rate in Shetland Islands was 17.9 per 1,000 people. Rates are per resident, so places that many people visit or work in, such as Glasgow and Edinburgh, can show higher rates than their residents alone would suggest. ## Recorded crime rate (Scotland) Shetland Islands: **20.3 per 1,000** (2025/26, council level, Scotland only). Source: Scottish Government. Published 13 August 2026. In 2025/26, the recorded crime rate in Shetland Islands was 20.3 per 1,000 people. That compares with 56.9 per 1,000 people across Scotland. - Against Scotland: 64% lower (56.9 per 1,000) [Map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-rate?place=S12000027) · [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/scotland-crime-rate) · [Ranking](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/scotland-crime-rate/scotland) · https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime#l-crime-scotland-rate ## Recorded crimes (Scotland) Shetland Islands: **470** (2025/26, council level, Scotland only). Source: Scottish Government. Published 13 August 2026. [Map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S12000027) · [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/scotland-crime-count) · https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime#l-crime-scotland-count ## Recorded damage and reckless behaviour (Scotland) Shetland Islands: **4.4 per 1,000** (2025/26, council level, Scotland only). Source: Scottish Government. Published 13 August 2026. In 2025/26, the recorded rate of damage and reckless behaviour in Shetland Islands was 4.4 per 1,000 people. That compares with 6.9 per 1,000 people across Scotland. - Against Scotland: 36% lower (6.9 per 1,000) [Map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-vandalism-rate?place=S12000027) · [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/scotland-vandalism-rate) · https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime#l-crime-scotland-damage-rate ## Recorded crimes of dishonesty (Scotland) Shetland Islands: **3.1 per 1,000** (2025/26, council level, Scotland only). Source: Scottish Government. Published 13 August 2026. In 2025/26, the recorded rate of crimes of dishonesty in Shetland Islands was 3.1 per 1,000 people. That compares with 21.3 per 1,000 people across Scotland. - Against Scotland: 85% lower (21.3 per 1,000) [Map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-theft-rate?place=S12000027) · [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/scotland-theft-rate) · https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime#l-crime-scotland-dishonesty-rate ## Recorded sexual crimes (Scotland) Shetland Islands: **3.1 per 1,000** (2025/26, council level, Scotland only). Source: Scottish Government. Published 13 August 2026. In 2025/26, the recorded rate of sexual crimes in Shetland Islands was 3.1 per 1,000 people. That compares with 3.0 per 1,000 people across Scotland. - Against Scotland: 3% higher (3.0 per 1,000) [Map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-sexual-crime-rate?place=S12000027) · [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/scotland-sexual-crime-rate) · https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime#l-crime-scotland-sexual-rate ## Recorded crimes of violence (Scotland) Shetland Islands: **6.1 per 1,000** (2025/26, council level, Scotland only). Source: Scottish Government. Published 13 August 2026. In 2025/26, the recorded rate of crimes of violence in Shetland Islands was 6.1 per 1,000 people. That compares with 13.6 per 1,000 people across Scotland. - Against Scotland: 55% lower (13.6 per 1,000) [Map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-violence-rate?place=S12000027) · [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/scotland-violence-rate) · https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime#l-crime-scotland-violence-rate ## More on this place - [Overview](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands) - [Housing](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/housing) (8) - [People](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/people) (15) - [Deprivation](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/deprivation) (2) - [Health](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/health) (4) - [Education](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/education) (2) - [Environment](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/environment) (5) - [Transport](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/transport) (4) - [Connectivity](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/connectivity) (5) - [Economy](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/economy) (4) - [Council tax](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/council-tax) (2) - [Elections](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/elections) (7) - [Local services](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/services) (1) - [Sources](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/sources) (22) The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S12000027/data?family=crime ## How to cite Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime#l-crime-scotland-rate. Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it. Snapshot 2026.10.8, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23508850. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands/crime