The Herald, reliably misleading at all times, ask the above question based on what one police officer said about one or two streets in Glasgow.

Is that a reliable measure? One person. Could we do better?

I know, lets ask 5 000 people instead. In the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey for 2026:

Most adults feel safe walking alone after dark. The SCJS found that three-quarters (75%) of adults said that they felt very or fairly safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark in 2023-24. This is an increase from 66% in 2008-09 but has been stable since 2016-17. https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-february-2026/pages/statistics-on-community-safety/

What might explain this improvement, contrasting with the front page reports of murder and stabbing and raping so loved by the media in Scotland? This:

Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2024-25/pages/non-sexual-crimes-of-violence/