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.
Heritage crime is defined as any criminal activity that causes damage to a heritage asset. This includes metal theft, vandalism, and intentional damage to both historic buildings and monuments. 聽
The group will work collaboratively to reduce the damage, impact and cost of heritage crime throughout Scotland by raising awareness of the impacts of criminal damage and strengthening information-sharing between partners.
The announcement was made today on World Heritage Day, the annual event celebrated across the globe to raise awareness of the importance of protecting and preserving cultural heritage.
In partnership with the SHCG, Crimestoppers is launching a new campaign encouraging members of the public to speak up anonymously about damage to Scotland鈥檚 historic buildings and monuments.
Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said: 鈥淚 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 拢4.2 billion in 2017, supporting over 60,000 full time jobs and attracting over 18 million visitors in that year alone.
鈥淎s guardians of Scotland鈥檚 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.鈥�
聽HES chief executive Alex Paterson said: 鈥淪cotland鈥檚 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.
鈥淚t 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.鈥�
Inspector Alan Dron, rural crime coordinator at Police Scotland and chair of the SHCG, said: 聽聽聽聽Scotland is rich in cultural property and heritage dating back thousands of years. Our heritage is diverse in nature, ranging from Neolithic standing stones to medieval castles.
"Heritage crime robs us of our history, and its cost and impact on communities is enormous - not just in monetary value but in social costs. Any damage caused denies future generations the opportunity to enjoy our heritage, and this is why the Scottish Heritage Crime Group, working as a sub group of the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, has been formed. It will play a vital role in protecting and preserving Scotland's heritage for generations to come."
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