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The safety of our society and our communities is at the heart of the Government's social and economic policies. The Scottish Executive is committed to building strong and stable communities and has promised to tackle social exclusion so that families can raise children in safety and decency, not overshadowed by fear of crime.
We must create a climate where the most vulnerable members of our communities are protected on the streets and roads, in the home, and whilst enjoying their leisure. We have already introduced policies which will tackle crime and its causes and will enhance our committment to the broader aspects of community safety by investing in a range of measures which aim to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
In all of this, we recognise that no one agency or organisation has all the answers, so the formation of powerful yet practical partnerships provides the means for sustained involvement from all members of our communities and the agencies which serve those communities.
The Scottish Executive is determined to establish Scottish solutions to distinctive Scottish needs. We must support our communities in responding to their local concerns and ensure that public services are able to respond through the integration and co-ordination of community safety strategies and action plans.
This guidance for local community safety partnerships is part of a collaborative approach with our partners in local government and the police. It will assist partnerships to create the framework necessary to co-ordinate and resource solutions to a wide range of local concerns such as crime, safety on our roads and public transport, domestic abuse and drug abuse. As part of the process the Scottish Executive will expect partnerships to consult and involve local communities in the planning and implementation of community safety plans, to produce tangible results and to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions.
As we made clear in Partnership for Scotland we will continue to give priority to making Scotland's communities safer. Community safety partnerships will provide the means to achieving that aim.
Jim Wallace QC, MSP
Deputy
First Minister and Minister for Justice
Protecting people's right to live in confidence and without fear has been at the heart of CoSLA's community safety policy for a number of years.
Through our Council's interactions with local people we are well aware of the need to respond to community concerns around crime and public safety. We need to ensure that through the emerging community plans we reflect a co-ordinated approach to community safety.
If we are to build stronger, more confident and safer communities we must ensure public services reflect local concerns. CoSLA welcomes this guidance for community safety partnerships and through the development of community safety strategies will expect to see tangible results at a local level.
Norman Murray
CoSLA President
The Police Service in Scotland recognises the right of every individual to live in safety and without fear in a community free from threat, especially crime and social disorder.
We are committed to providing the best possible policing to the communities we serve to ensure this is achieved. We appreciate, however, that it is only through working with others that the concept of the 'safe community' can become reality.
As such, we are determined not only to maintain and strengthen our many succesful partnerships, but also to establish new ones which respond effectively to community concerns and which can produce tangible results. This is the basis upon which community safety will be achieved.
Bill Robertson QPM LLB MPhil
President, ACPOS
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