This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Survey 'justifies' Executive stand against antisocial behaviour
21/12/2004
An increase in people's experience of petty offending in
a new crime survey demonstrates that Ministers were right
to listen to communities and take up the fight against
antisocial behaviour, it was claimed today.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson was commenting on
publication of the Scottish Crime Survey - a survey of some
5,000 ordinary people's experience of crime carried out
during 2002.
It shows an increase in crime experience compared with
the previous survey in 1999.
This survey indicates more significant increases in
vandalism, bicycle theft and 'other household theft' -
theft from a home, garage or garden which didn't require a
forced entry - than those recorded by the police.
Ms Jamieson said:
"Although the majority of statistical reports show crime
is decreasing in Scotland, we also know that not all crimes
are recorded - because the victim, for whatever reason, has
chosen not to report it.
"It could be because they feel there is no point, that
the police have 'better things to do', or that they simply
accept that some petty crime is an unavoidable fact of
life.
"However we cannot underestimate the impact that crimes
like theft and vandalism have on people's lives. That
despair and misery is often masked by recorded
statistics.
"So while the experience of serious crime in this survey
mirrors the level of serious crimes recorded in 2002, the
story appears to be different for less serious crimes.
"This Executive was criticised in some quarters for
making antisocial behaviour a priority - but the large
increase in estimated incidents of vandalism between 1999
and 2002 show that we were absolutely right to take
action.
"We listened to real people's views and, with the new
Antisocial Behaviour Act, we have now given more powers to
local authorities and the police to deal with it.
"Today's survey also highlights the continuing problem
of opportunistic theft - in many cases we would expect
these to have been committed by drug addicts desperate for
their next fix.
"One person's TV or bike becomes another person's
currency for drink or drugs. Again, we are sending out a
clear message to communities - we don't need to live with
this. If we can take people off drugs then we take away the
reason for the crime.
"We now have in place a range of disposals and
interventions that address drug misuse - for example Drug
Treatment and Testing Orders.
"DTTOs are having a positive impact on reducing
re-offending. Given that the type of person who receives a
DTTO has typically committed 20 offences, that means less
thefts and a lot fewer victims of crime.
"We are also investing in a significant expansion of
drug treatment services. If we get drug treatment right for
the addict, we also get less crime and fewer victims.
"Tackling crime and offending is a complex issue that
needs a co-ordinated response. We have a record number of
police officers across Scotland.
"We believe in serious prison time for serious crimes.
But we need more than that if we are to really reduce
repeat offending. That's what I set out earlier this month
in the Criminal Justice Plan - a clear vision for criminal
justice services to get a grip on persistent offending and
build the safe, secure communities we all want to live and
work in."
The Scottish recorded crime statistics for 2003,
published in June this year, showed that recorded crime in
Scotland decreased by five per cent last year - the lowest
level for nearly a quarter of a century - and that the
crime clear up rate rose to 47 per cent - an all-time
high.
Recorded cases of vandalism increased by five per cent
to total 100,036, reflecting improved recording of minor
incidents of such crimes throughout most police forces in
Scotland.
The statistics also showed that the number of violent
crimes (non-sexual crimes of violence) recorded by the
police decreased by seven per cent in the past year, down
from 16,461 in 2002 to 15,230.