A new partnership has been launched to tackle crime affecting heritage buildings in Scotland.
The Scottish Heritage Crime Group (SHCG) brings together representatives from Historic Environment Scotland (HES), Police Scotland, Treasure Trove, City of Edinburgh Council and the Association of Planning Enforcement Officers.
The group said it would work to reduce the damage, impact and cost of heritage crime throughout Scotland including metal theft, vandalism, and intentional damage to both historic buildings and monuments.
It aims to raise awareness of the impacts of criminal damage and strengthening information-sharing between partners.
In partnership with the SHCG, Crimestoppers, the independent charity that supports the police to solve crimes, is launching a new campaign encouraging members of the public to speak up anonymously about damage to Scotland’s historic buildings and monuments.
Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “I am very pleased that the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime is the first in the UK to recognise heritage crime as a priority area in its new Rural Crime Strategy.
“Scotland is home to a wealth of cultural property and heritage, generating economic benefits of around £4.2 billion in 2017, supporting over 60,000 full time jobs and attracting over 18 million visitors in that year alone.
“As guardians of Scotland’s heritage, it is our responsibility to protect it from those who would seek to harm and degrade it through theft, vandalism or other forms of criminality.”
Alex Paterson, chief executive of HES, said: “Scotland’s historic environment spans a rich collection of unique sites of national and international significance, including six UNESCO World Heritage sites, over 8000 scheduled monuments, 47,000 listed buildings and 44 protected shipwrecks.
“It is vital that we ensure these precious historic assets are safeguarded and the Scottish Heritage Crime Group will enable us to work with our partners to tackle heritage crime more effectively.”
Heritage crime is identified as a key strand of the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) national rural crime strategy.
