The Scottish Government works with the national police-led Violence Reduction Unit, the Association of Chief Police Officers, local Community Safety Partnerships and other partners to tackle violence in Scotland. As well as supporting tough action to punish those who break the law, we're investing in work to tackle the causes of violence.
Knife Crime
Everyone in Scotland should feel safe from the threat of violence and knife crime. Violence, and knife crime in particular, doesn't just affect those who are victims. It can have a huge impact on wider community confidence and safety. The Scottish Government works with the Police, Local Authorities, Community Safety Partnerships and others to tackle knife crime in areas where it is a problem.
There are two parts to our approach for dealing with knife crime;
Gun Crime
Enormous damage can be caused by the irresponsible and dangerous use of firearms and airguns. The Scottish Government is clear that it is not acceptable for communities to continue to suffer as a result of the selfish and stupid actions of those who treat guns as toys.
Violence Reduction Unit
The police-led Violence Reduction Unit helps Police Forces and the Scottish Government identify, develop and implement effective ways of dealing with the problem of violence. They have adopted a two stranded approach based on enforcement and prevention. This involves coordinated and sustained action by police forces to tackle the existing problems head on and longer term work to educate young people to prevent violence before it occurs.