This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Minister condemns weekend violence
09/09/2002
The knife attacks in Glasgow over the weekend have been described as 'unacceptable' by Scotland's Justice Minister.
Speaking to an international audience in Glasgow to mark the opening of a three day conference on violence, 'Towards a Safer Society', Jim Wallace said:
"Over this weekend Glasgow has witnessed two murders and four attempted murders. All of these attacks were with knives.
"I have spoken to Strathclyde Police this morning and what they told me was all too familiar when it comes to the ingredients of violent crime in Scotland. Young men, alcohol and knives adding up to attempted murder and murder. The carrying of weapons is unacceptable. It has been a part of our culture for far too long.
"The Executive and the police are committed to tackling violent crime. There are more police officers in Scotland than ever before. The police have greater powers to stop and search those they suspect of carrying weapons than ever before and the number of convictions for possessing weapons is much higher than it was a few years ago.
"The message to those who carry knives should be clear. If you carry a weapon then your chances of being caught are greater than ever before. If you think that carrying a knife offers you protection then the truth is that you much more likely to be stabbed or to stab someone else.
"We will also continue to explore the other avenues that contribute to violent crime. We are currently reviewing the licensing laws and investing a large amount of money in campaigns to change attitudes to binge drinking and drug misuse.
"The police will continue to be pro-active in tackling this issue and they will have my full support in trying to end Scotland's unacceptable knife culture."
The Minister also outlined measures in the forthcoming Criminal Justice Bill to improve public safety and provide greater protection for the more vulnerable in society.
Orders for Lifelong Restriction for the lifetime control of violent offenders and risk management plans for those who present a high risk to the public are part of a package of measures for the management of high risk offenders.
Mr Wallace said:
"Feeling safe is a basic human right. We must ensure that we create a feeling of safety by tackling both crime and the fear of crime. People have a right to feel safe both in their homes and when they are out and about on their daily business.
"Tackling crime is one of our key priorities and as such it is important that we can improve both our understanding of violent offenders and our ability to manage such offenders effectively.
"Our Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill will bring forward major changes in the assessment and minimisation of the risk posed by high risk offenders. We said we would review the law in relation to sexual and violent offenders and following the work led by Lord MacLean and Lady Cosgrove, I am delighted to now be able to bring forward these proposals in our forthcoming legislation.
"The latest crime statistics show that levels of recorded crime in Scotland have fallen for the second year running. The total number of recorded crimes are now down by a quarter on the level of ten years ago and while recorded crime has fallen, the overall clear up rate has increased.
"But there is no room for complacency. The Executive has brought forward a number of measures to deal with various forms of violence in our communities. We have invested record resources in the police with £900 million investment this year alone. We are working actively with police, fire services and local councils to promote community safety as well as actively encourage communities to identify projects best suited to tackling crime in their area
"We are also looking at a number of projects targeted at children and young people to change attitudes and divert children away from anti-social behaviour. By tackling offending behaviour at an early age, it offers an opportunity to break the cycle of crime and prevent progressing on to the adult criminal justice system.
"We believe the most effective way of minimising the damage caused by violence is to be tough on those who engage in violence and for those more serious offenders - to challenge their offending. We are determined to introduce new measures - ones we know work - to further strengthen the range of initiatives we have taken to tackle violence.
"I am pleased to be able to mark the opening of this timely conference and look forward to the conclusions which will influence the work for future generations."