This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Community Safety: A New Vision for the 21st Century - Henry McLeish
16/06/1998
Scots have been given a blunt reminder that they all have a role to play in making communities safer, be it from crime, fire or road accidents.
In his opening address to the Scottish Grand Committee debate on Community Safety in London today, Home Affairs Minister Henry McLeish said that the Government was acting positively on a number of fronts but that action could be in vain if the public did not play their part.
On crime, the Minister said that the vast majority of Scots were fed up with crime and anti-social behaviour in their cities, towns and villages. The Government was determined to deal with this through the triple approach of protection, prevention and support.
On fire, Mr McLeish said that far too many lives were lost each year and this toll of tragedy had to be reduced through safety measures adopted in partnership between fire brigades, local authorities, other housing providers and householders themselves.
And on road safety, the Transport Minister said that while Scotland had experienced a recent drop in the number of deaths and injuries, complacency, especially in regard to excessive speed, would not be tolerated.
The Minister also announced publication of two reports on community safety - A Strategy for Action on Community Safety, which flows from two recent conferences and a Report on Repeat Victimisation, which follows a conference held in January to brief the Scottish police on the problem and encourage the adoption of a strategy which uses prior victimisation as a measure of need for local policing.
Mr McLeish said:
"We must protect people's right to live in confidence and without fear for their own safety, or the safety of other people. That is the working definition of community safety.
"Crime is falling in Scotland, but too many people are still fearful of crime. The recent Scottish Crime Survey showed that nine in ten people rated crime and drug misuse a serious problem, and half described them as 'very serious'. It is crime in their local communities that cause most anxiety and that is the challenge we must face - involving co-ordinated action on a broad front including education, health, employment, social work and of course the police.
"Where crime happens we must catch the offenders, and the police, with help from communities, are increasing the percentage of crimes cleared up. When criminals are caught, we must have a system which deals with cases quickly and efficiently. Improving efficiency in the criminal justice system is an area of priority for the influential Criminal Justice Forum.
"Part of the 'tough' approach also requires us to do all we can to prevent reoffending. Sentencing must be consistent and honest. It must relate to the offence. It must mete out tough penalties to serious and repeat offenders. But we must get out of the mindset of just putting people in prison as the response to a wide range of offending.
"That is why we are taking action on a number of fronts - £800,000 for pilot 'diversion from prosecution schemes'; the development of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders to break the cycle of drug-related crime; and pilot tagging of offenders. These are in addition to the well-proven methods of carefully-supervised probation and community service orders.
"It is not only crime prevention which is relevant to community safety, however. Road safety also matters to local communities.
"Driving related deaths and injuries are falling and speeding offences are also on the decrease. While this is welcome, excessive speed is believed to have been a factor in one-third of all fatal accidents - much too high a figure. Many of these accidents are in 30mph built-up areas - precisely the kind of communities we are thinking about today. We are piloting 20 mph schemes in a number of areas in a bid to deal with this particular problem.
"The term community safety covers fire safety improvements, and they are much needed because tragic fatalities are all-too-common. The Scottish house fire death toll last year at 74 was 12 per-cent of the UK total - completely unacceptable when you consider our population is less than nine per-cent of the UK's.
"Of specific concern is the apparently needless loss of most of these lives - and the wrecking of families that is an inevitable consequence. Discarded cigarettes and matches, unattended pans and faulty or misused heaters - common causes but so easily avoided. Alcohol and drugs are thought to have played apart in well over half of fatal house fires last year.
"One of the biggest tragedies, however, is the lack of functioning smoke alarms. Though over 90 per cent of houses have a smoke alarm, these devices were fitted in less than half the houses where there was a fatal fire, and in those cases, only a third were working - normally because the battery had been removed. We must strengthen our resolve in this area and I hope will see further reduction in deaths, but this will only be achieved with partnership between fire brigades, local authorities, housing providers and householders themselves.
"Partnerships in all the above areas are vital to community safety, and I am delighted to announce publication of a Strategy for Action on Community Safety which flows from two community safety conferences I arranged - one, last October, with local authorities and voluntary bodies, the other in March with the business community. This strategy is designed to improve community safety throughout Scotland through partnerships between public, private and voluntary bodies.
"In conclusion, I believe that The Scottish Office is in an excellent position to bring together a multi-faceted action which is necessary to promote community safety. Many of the wider policies which we are pursuing - in relation to health, education, employment and enforcement - will have a real impact on community safety and crime reduction.
"It is clear we have much to do in the years ahead to achieve the goals we all want. Let us make Scotland a country where there is no place for high levels of crime or other threats to community safety. No government can do this alone. But together, with the commitment which local authorities, the police, voluntary bodies and the business world have lately shown, we can make a difference."
News Release: 1240/98
16 June, 1998