This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fighting the fear of crime
20/05/2005
The effective use of new powers to support the police in
the fight against antisocial behaviour could help tackle
the underlying fear of crime, Justice Minister Cathy
Jamieson said today.
Ahead of a speech to the Association of Scottish Police
Superintendents, the Minister said it was generally
accepted that fear of crime was out of proportion to the
actual risk of becoming a victim but argued that it was
through fast, visible action against low-level yobbish
behaviour that greater confidence can be instilled in the
police's ability to deal with rarer, but more serious
violent crime.
Ms Jamieson said:
"People tell me that they want to feel safe in their
homes and communities, and that they feel safer when they
see the police. That's why we now have a record 16,000
officers employed throughout Scotland - backed by a record
pound sterling1b a year of investment. People also tell me
that if an offence is committed, they want to see the
person who committed it being caught and dealt with swiftly
and effectively.
"Provided they are used to their potential, the new
measures in the antisocial behaviour legislation give the
police and local agencies the power to take swift and
effective action - like the ability to impose closure
orders on premises at the centre of antisocial behaviour or
confiscate vehicles from boy-racers - they play an
important part in building communities' confidence.
"Indeed, if local communities start to see that blatant
low-level antisocial behaviour can and is being tackled,
this will help improve their trust in the police and their
overall sense of security. Action - not just words of
reassurance.
"Action that will become increasingly important given
the likely impact of the new Scottish Crime Recording
Standard, which while improving recording practices and the
consistency of crime recording across Scotland's police
forces, will in the short-term almost certainly result in
increases in the number of minor crimes being recorded by
the police in many communities. Increases in recordings -
not necessarily increases in offences.
"For our part, we will continue to push ahead with a
range of justice reforms to further support the police in
their fight against crime and the fear of crime in
Scotland. We have listened to the public's genuine concerns
about issues such as bail and remand, and early release -
and that's why the Sentencing Commission was asked to
examine these two areas as a priority. We are now
considering how best to take forward the Commission's
recommendations in relation to bail. And while we have
still to receive the report on early release, we have
already made clear that the current arrangements will
change.
"In the past six months, we have also set out how
radical plans to tackle Scotland's high rates of
re-offending through our Management of Offenders Bill. And
announced new proposals to be included in our forthcoming
police bill to further strengthen the powers of the police
to tackle knife crime and the shameful sectarianism and
violence that mars too many football matches across the
country. Practical steps that will increasingly show our
communities that we mean business."