Street Safety
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve street safety in cities at night. (S4T-00732)
The vast majority of Scotland’s communities are good places to live and work. Violent crime is down and is currently at a 38-year low. However, a minority of individuals inflict harm in our communities through crime and antisocial behaviour. The distressing sexual assaults that have taken place recently in the Glasgow area, including the incident last Sunday, are very concerning. I cannot comment on on-going cases, but action is being taken. Police Scotland immediately launched an extensive inquiry and deployed a large team of specialist investigators supported by local officers. Police Scotland has since deployed extra foot and car patrols in the city centre and in the areas where the other attacks took place.
The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of abuse or violence. We want a Scotland in which resilient communities, families and individuals live their lives free from crime, disorder and danger. Through partnership working with Police Scotland, local authorities and a range of wider agencies, a number of initiatives have been delivered in towns and cities across Scotland to help people to stay safe during a night out and to get home safely. Those measures range from SOS buses to closed-circuit television, street pastors and taxi marshals.
Last night, I took part in the midnight march that was organised by two astonishingly brave young women residents, marching in solidarity in Govanhill against the series of rapes and sex attacks that have recently taken place across Glasgow. I joined thousands of Glaswegians who want to reclaim their streets from sex offenders and who object to the idea that they should have to stay indoors for their own safety. Can the cabinet secretary detail the additional measures that have been put in place by Police Scotland to apprehend those responsible for the recent crimes? Further, can he advise me whether greater numbers of police officers will be on patrol on our streets in Glasgow until the perpetrators of those crimes are caught?
I join the member in paying tribute to those who organised and participated in last night’s demonstration. It is important that our streets should be capable of being walked on without fear by anybody irrespective of their gender, age or disability.
On the question of police operations, as I indicated, there has been an increase in the number of foot and car patrols not only in Govanhill but elsewhere where incidents have taken place, and the major investigation teams are there to provide additional specialist support in dealing with those who are being pursued. I do not think that it would be appropriate for me to go beyond that to operational matters, which are for the police. It would not be appropriate for me to compromise what is an on-going operation.
What I can say to the member, though, is that tomorrow I am meeting Rape Crisis Scotland, as I do regularly. If there are additional issues that that organisation feels should be taken on board by the Government or the police, I will happily feed those back.
I am grateful for that response, but I remain concerned that the number of police patrolling our streets has been negatively affected by the backfilling of administration and clerical roles following the introduction of Police Scotland. We know that, under this Government, there are at least 1,727 fewer police support staff than there were in March 2010. Current statistics do not take account of the increase in the number of backroom officers and the Government does not make information available on the number of officers who are patrolling our streets. Will the cabinet secretary work with Police Scotland to ensure that the number of police officers on our streets is accurately recorded? Further, will he commit to a permanent increase in the number of officers actively patrolling our streets after the perpetrators of these vicious crimes have been caught?
It is important that we allow the police to get on with the job of apprehending those who have carried out these appalling acts, so that they are brought to justice through law enforcement by the police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. I think that all of us in the chamber, irrespective of our political views, abhor what has taken place in Glasgow and give our full support to law enforcement. I am not going to bandy around statistics on who voted for what or on the 1,000 additional officers, because what we are here to do is to give our support to those who are carrying out the current investigations.
The benefit of having Police Scotland is that we now have a national rape task force and major investigation teams in geographical areas. That did not exist before. I appreciate that such expertise did exist in Strathclyde because of the size of its police force, which covered 50 per cent of Scotland, but the expertise is now available nationally. Equally, when there are abhorrent incidents such as the recent one in Glasgow it is appropriate that officers are deployed to the area from wherever to ensure that appropriate action is taken.
Much of what the member refers to is an operational matter for the police and the Scottish Police Authority, whose members are in the building as we speak at an event that is being hosted by Hugh Henry and Christine Grahame, so the member may care to speak to them. In the interim, what I can say is that the Government will give Police Scotland full support to ensure that the culprits are apprehended and the full weight of the law is used against them.
I, too, congratulate the many people who gathered last night to reclaim our streets. I represent and live in the merchant city, so I know how well policed it is, as is the centre of Glasgow with CCTV cameras.
I am sorry that Anne McTaggart chose to politicise such a horrific crime in some of her questions. The cabinet secretary mentioned—
Will the member take an intervention?
No, I am sorry, the member cannot.
The cabinet secretary mentioned the rape crisis task force. I have just been at a meeting with Christine Grahame, Hugh Henry and the Scottish police force. I asked a question about what specialist units are available to Police Scotland to react quickly to this type of crime. What other specialist units are now available to Police Scotland that were not, according to what I have been told, available before?
There is a variety of specialist units. Indeed, Sandra White and I were at a meeting in which her colleague Bill Kidd was advised about the dedicated aircrew; obviously, we pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Clutha tragedy.
It may be useful for me to explain about the specialist unit relating to sexual assaults. Glasgow, in common with all territorial policing divisions in Police Scotland, has a dedicated divisional rape investigation unit, which provides a specialist response to rape and serious sexual crime at a local level. From an investigatory perspective and where required, such units can be supported from other specialist areas, including the national rape task force and the major investigation teams. That broader support from business areas, including operational support division and SPA forensic services, is available when required.
I am not sure precisely which groups are involved at the moment—it is an operational matter—but I can assure the member that Police Scotland, both locally and nationally, is viewing this with the utmost seriousness. In fact, I discussed it with the chief constable when I met him at the serious organised crime task force yesterday, so I know that action is being taken.
Previous
Time for Reflection