This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Police Bill before Parliament
02/02/2006
The new Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill will support the police in creating safer, daily lives for people, Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson pledged today before a debate in Parliament.
As well as measures to reduce on knife crime - such as doubling the maximum penalty for carrying a knife in public from two to four years - the Bill will also:
- Introduce football banning orders to tackle violence, sectarianism, racism or hatred, at both football grounds and other flash points associated with games
- Improve the organisation of marches and parades, and enable local authorities to take account of a wider range of factors, such as the local community's views, when considering notifications for these events
- Encourage those accused of crimes to give information to prosecutors and the police about acquaintances involved in more serious and organised crime, helping get even more serious organised criminals off Scotland's streets
- Introduce mandatory drug testing and referral, upon arrest, for anyone aged 16 or over, who is suspected of a drugs or drugs-related offence such as theft and shoplifting, to encourage them into treatment earlier and tackle their levels of drug dependence and drug-related crime
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said:
"Scotland now has more than 16,000 police officers - record numbers, supported by record investment. This legislation will play an important part in ensuring that those police officers have the tools they need, and the right support, to help create safer, daily lives for the people of Scotland.
"Key measures such as football banning orders will help us take action against the small minority of individuals who seek to ruin our national sport through violence, sectarianism and racism - behaviour which has no place in a modern, progressive Scotland.
"The Bill will also give the police a range of new powers for use in their day to day work such as the unconditional power of arrest if they suspect someone has been carrying a knife, and authorisation to take fingerprints out on the beat.
"It will also enable us to take more effective action against those involved in serious and organised crime - both by strengthening the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency in its quest to tackle all those evil individuals peddling drugs to Scotland's young people - and by encouraging those accused of crimes to give information and evidence to the police and prosecutors about those involved in serious crime in return for reduced sentences.
"Scotland's communities are already receiving a high standard of service from the police. This Bill will encourage the police to build on that work and support officers in doing what they do best - preventing and clearing up crime. It will also help them face the challenges of policing in a modern Scotland so that we can create safer, stronger communities for all."
Other measures contained in the Bill include:
- Enhanced powers for the police such as the ability to prevent the anti-social use of fireworks and to identify suspects more effectively by authorising them to obtain a person's date of birth and to take fingerprints while on the beat.
- Placing the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (formerly the SDEA) on a statutory footing under the direction and control of its own Director. For the first time, there will also be provision for police officers to be directly recruited to serve in SCDEA - until now, it has had to depend entirely on officers being seconded from Scottish police forces
- Establishment of the new Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA), which will be directly responsible for providing a range of common services to Scottish police forces on a national basis, including the development of a new national forensic science service. This will replace the Scottish Police College and the Scottish Criminal Record Office
- Enabling incentive payments to be made to special constables who undertake an agreed number of duties in a 12-month period
- Establishment of an independent police complaints commissioner to investigate non-criminal complaints against the police and make the police complaints system more transparent and accountable
The Bill followed an Executive consultation paper - Supporting Police, Protecting Communities: proposals for legislation published on February 9 2005.