We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger
Why is this National Outcome important?
Communities can only flourish when people feel safe - from crime, antisocial behaviour and from the threat of major incidents. Bad things do happen, so we must be as prepared as possible to deal with them.
Crime causes damage - be that physical, economic or social. While recorded crime levels have been broadly static over the past ten years, the damage caused to each individual and to the wider community by crime is unacceptable. Crime causes fear - which reduces confidence and resilience in communities. We all have the right to live our lives free from that fear. By tackling crime we improve the lives of offenders, their families and the communities in which they live. We can turn lives around - to make a positive contribution. By reducing the fear of crime and antisocial behaviour we help build strong, resilient communities, in which people can thrive and reach their potential.
Dealing with criminals effectively is crucial. While clear-up rates for crime are at an all-time high we must understand why people commit crimes in the first place. We will only build a safer and stronger Scotland by tackling the root causes - deep-seated issues such as Scotland's relationship with drink, drugs, violence and deprivation. We must understand why people commit crime and what we can do to prevent it. Why do so many of those in prison come from our most deprived communities? We want all of Scotland's people to be able to realise their aspirations, playing a positive role in a community that they feel a genuine part of. And we want all of Scotland's people to understand that getting involved in crime or behaviour that leads to crime is unacceptable.
In addition to the dangers posed by criminals we need to be able to deal swiftly and effectively with major incidents - be that fire, flooding or terrorism. We need to have confidence in those who will respond to those incidents, so that we can continue to live our lives and plan for the future.
What will influence this National Outcome?
A wide range of agencies are involved in ensuring that the criminal justice system operates effectively. The police, prosecutors and courts are involved in the detection and prosecution of crime. Speedy and effective enforcement can deter reoffending. A strong and well-targeted police presence can also reduce the fear of crime. Where someone has been found guilty our prisons and those managing community penalties must deliver effective punishment - which prevents reoffending. Low level offending and antisocial behaviour must be swiftly and effectively dealt with - as they have a corrosive effect on communities. And there needs to be a distinct approach to tackling serious and organised crime - recognising its complexity and meeting that with an effective response.
Tackling the underlying causes of crime calls for a broader and longer term approach - addressing the challenges of drink, drugs and deprivation that blight parts of Scotland. We know that some children are at greater risk of becoming offenders because of the circumstances into which they are born. These risks can be reduced by effective intervention, equipping young people to make good choices and offering positive alternatives to offending. Alternatives that will create a sustainable, more cohesive society where everyone can take advantage of the opportunities available and enjoy a better quality of life.
Our capacity to deal with emergencies (most recently underlined by the response to incidents at Glasgow Airport in 2007) must continually become more flexible, so that it can respond to the unimaginable as well as to the day-to-day.
What is the Government's role?
We will lead efforts to create a safer, stronger Scotland, working with a range of partners to ensure that enforcement is effective while seeking to address the deeper, underlying causes of crime and disorder. We will fund the recruitment of 1,000 additional police and develop opportunities to improve retention and redeploy officers onto the frontline - providing an effective and visible police presence that will help tackle offending and reduce the fear of crime. We will conduct a major review of anti-social behaviour strategy, giving all those involved in dealing with anti-social behaviour the opportunity to have their say on how the current regime can be improved. We will come down hard on serious and organised crime through the newly-created Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and use seized criminal assets to benefit communities through our innovative 'Cashback for Communities' initiative.
We will ensure that the systems we have in place for dealing with offenders are as effective as they can be, continuing with reforms to speed up the criminal justice system, improving the way it processes cases and ensuring that justice is swift for both offenders and victims. We will invest record resources in replacing and modernising prisons - but we must recognise that prison is not always the answer - and will develop a coherent penal policy which aims to minimise reoffending and maximise public safety. We will work with Community Justice Authorities, local authorities and other service providers to develop the use of community penalties as a more effective alternative to prison in appropriate cases.
The Government will look hard at what needs to be done to tackle the underlying causes of crime - we will develop a national strategy on how to tackle drug misuse, drawing on expert views and delivering the strategy in partnership with those who provide services on the ground. We will work with the national Violence Reduction Unit to find long-lasting solutions to violent crime and continue work on tackling violence against women, domestic abuse and improving services for victims. We are reviewing the national antisocial behaviour strategy and will report to Parliament by the end of 2008. Our work will be backed up by significant resources - £85 million will be invested over the next three years to reduce harm caused by alcohol misuse and to challenge current attitudes towards drink. And, in conjunction with Community Planning Partnerships, we will use the annual £145 million Fairer Scotland Fund to tackle deprivation.
Through the development of our early years strategy we will focus on strengthening prevention, early intervention and effective multi-agency responses to children and young people who offend, or are at risk of offending. And through the development of 'Scottish Resilience' we will bring together professionals from central and local government, and health and emergency services to provide practical advice and support on emergency planning.
Related Strategic Objectives
Safer and Stronger
Wealthier and Fairer
Greener