Scottish Government response to rise in crime

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Published: 07 September 2007

Scottish Government response to rise in crime

Scotland's new government will take action to tackle deep-seated problems of violence, alcohol and drug abuse, alongside enhanced policing, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said as the latest figures revealed a 7,000+ rise in crimes and offences last year.

The number of crimes rose from 417,785 to 419,257 over the 12 months ending March this year, with increases in four of the five crime groups, including non-sexual violence and indecency - both up 3%:

· Crimes of dishonesty reduced again, with fraud down 16%.

· The number of offences rose from 599,888 to 605,600, with minor assault up 8% and breach of the peace up 4%

· Motoring offences were down 2%

Mr MacAskill said:

"The figures show there were over 7,000 more crimes and offences committed in the 12 months up to March than in the previous year.

While figures can fluctuate from year to year, the bulletin shows that levels of the most serious crimes have barely changed in ten years.

Police are dealing with a greater volume of crimes involving serious assault, handling offensive weapons and drugs than in 1997/98.

Scotland's government is determined to turn the figures around - taking action for the long term, on many fronts and beginning with the next generation of adults.

That means early intervention to support young parents and their children, giving them hope and instilling a culture of personal responsibility. Health, education and other services will form a key part of our early years approach.

In many of our communities families are crying out for action to rid their streets of weapons, so we will work to free up our Parliament to free these communities from the scourge of airguns and other weapons.

There will be no let up on the blades menace. An increasing emphasis on prevention and changing attitudes to knife carrying and its associated levels of violence will be a priority and we will look to the national Violence Reduction Unit to lead the way.

While challenging the all too common acceptance of violence, we will also tackle the three 'd's of drink, drugs and deprivation.

Figures last week revealed the stark toll of drink and drugs in our communities, in terms of lives lost. Many more lives are ruined.

So I remain determined to crack down on the irresponsible promotion, sale and consumption of alcohol.

We are also taking a fresh look at how to tackle drug misuse - building on what has worked in the past, while building a new consensus on what could work in the future.

We must improve access to effective treatment and wrap-around care, while providing support and protection for those affected by their parents' habits.

We will place renewed focus on education, tough enforcement and new emphasis on diversion and prevention by offering more young people opportunities in sports and the arts to build self-esteem.

At the same time we will build on the SCDEA's success, bringing together all the expertise and skills in the Serious Crime Taskforce to lead the fight against drug gangs and their associates.

Dealing with crime and the fear of it requires effective frontline policing - a visible police presence that deters and detects crime and reassures communities.

That's why we will deliver additional policing capacity - working smarter and more efficiently where most needed - in the heart of our communities.

Of course, most areas of Scotland are great places to live and work. But this inevitably means that much of the crime and antisocial behaviour is concentrated in hard-pressed communities, where sustained work must be targeted.

If we're to bring about long-term solutions, action against crime and antisocial behaviour to build safe communities must be matched by work to promote positive behaviour that builds strong communities.

In that way we can offer hope over fear to those communities who have suffered from crime and lawlessness for too many years."

Mr MacAskill also commented on the figures for crimes of indecency, which rose 3% last year, with police recording 10% more reports of indecent assault last year than the year before.

He added:

"While the number of rapes recorded fell last year, there was a further rise in the number of indecent assaults reported to police.

Our police and prosecution services have rightly made considerable efforts in recent years to encourage victims of such crimes to come forward and report them, even where they have been committed decades before.

These are despicable crimes and those who commit such acts deserve to be convicted and punished, and society protected.

No victim should be dissuaded from coming forward due to fears the law is unclear or that their experience won't be taken seriously.

The Scottish Law Commission is examining the law on rape and other sexual offences and will soon recommend reforms.

We are also committed to ensuring that when giving evidence, rape victims are protected from unnecessary lines of questioning and that's why we await the results of an independent review of the laws of evidence in sex offence cases.

The Crown Office has published the findings of a landmark review of the investigation and prosecution of rape and serious sexual assault which, once implemented, will enable victims to have increased confidence in the quality of both investigation and prosecution."

One should of course remember that the SNP minority government has no reason to defend the previous Labour Administration’s record on crime, or to massage them into a more favourable light.

Further Information

Recorded crime statistics in Scotland 2006/7

Scottish Government - Justice

Risk Management Authority

Smarter Justice, Safer Communities: Summary Justice Reform - Next Steps

Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006

Victim Support Scotland

Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA)

National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (Scotland)

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