Chamber and committees

The police will take all necessary steps to prevent and deal with offending, including offending by people on bail. That is why our courts dealt with 29,000 offences committed while the offender was on bail and 7,500 other bail-related offences in 2006-07.

Admitting a person to bail is a decision for the court. Since December 2007, the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform)(Scotland) Act 2007 requires the court to state its reasons whenever it grants or refuses bail. Furthermore, where a person is accused of a violent or sexual offence or a drug trafficking offence and has a previous conviction for same, bail will be granted only if there are exceptional circumstances justifying bail.

Information covering offences committed by people on bail and other bail-related offences is published annually under the title Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts. This can be found on the Scottish Government website at the following address:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/02124526/24.

We have no plans to collate any further information.

The Scottish Government is aware of the potential impact on crime of the current economic situation and that is why we are working with all the key partners including Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (ACPOS) and the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC) to ensure there is an integrated approach to crime prevention and community safety.

There is already activity underway with recent events such as Risky Business, a conference organised by the SBCC and Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, seeking to highlight some of the emerging threats and recommend practical action. We have already agreed with ACPOS and other partners to develop a crime prevention information resource for practitioners and the public, and that again will provide clear, direct advice to householders and others on how to take practical steps to protect themselves and their property. The first stage of this was published by the SBCC in December and we expect the remainder to be available in summer 2009. We will ensure this resource meets the needs of vulnerable people.

The Scottish Government is aware of the potential impact on crime of the current economic situation and that is why we are working with all the key partners including Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (ACPOS) and the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC) to ensure there is an integrated approach to crime prevention and community safety.

We have already agreed with ACPOS and other partners to develop a crime prevention information resource for practitioners and the public that will provide clear, direct advice to householders and others on how to take practical steps to protect themselves and their property. The first stage of this was published by the SBCC in December and we expect the remainder to be available in summer 2009.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-20613 on 25 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-20613 on 25 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

As part of the CIRV (Community Initiative to Reduce Violence) project “ our groundbreaking anti-gangs initiative that is working with over 700 young men in Glasgow “ a range of materials are being produced for parents which will help them support their child leaving the gang and prevent any other children joining a gang. This includes a document similar to Gangs: You and Your Child. In addition, we are currently considering what further support we can offer parents and carers to prevent their child joining a gang or carrying a knife and are working closely with the Violence Reduction Unit and other partners to take forward this important issue.

The Scottish Government is aware of the potential impact on crime of the current economic situation and that is why we are working with all the key partners including Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (ACPOS) and the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC) to ensure there is an integrated approach to crime prevention and community safety.

We have already agreed with ACPOS and other partners to develop a crime prevention information resource for practitioners and the public that will provide clear, direct advice to householders and others on how to take practical steps to protect themselves and their property. The first stage of this was published by the SBCC in December and we expect the remainder to be available in summer 2009.

As part of this joint-working we will of course consider good practice from local, national and international sources.

The Scottish Government is aware of the potential impact on crime of the current economic situation and that is why we are working with all the key partners including Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (ACPOS) and the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC) to ensure there is an integrated approach to crime prevention and community safety.

We have no plans to hold a summit, however, the National Community Safety Strategic Group (NCSSG), which is chaired by the Minister for Community Safety and brings together partners such as COSLA, ACPOS, Chief Fire Officers Association (Scotland), Violence Reduction Unit, and Scottish Community Safety Network (SCSN) focuses on crime prevention as a key issues for its joint work. This Group discussed the response to the economic downturn in December 2008 and will do so again at its next meeting in March. In terms of wider discussions, Scottish Government officials met Home Office colleagues on 26 February 2009 to discuss a range of issues including crime prevention and this will be fed back to the NCSSG for their consideration. We will respond directly to the views expressed by the NCSSG so that if there is consensus that more needs to be done then we will act.

There is however already activity underway with recent events such as Risky Business, a conference organised by the SBCC and Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, seeking to highlight some of the emerging threats and recommend practical action. We have already agreed with ACPOS and other partners to develop a crime prevention information resource for practitioners and the public, and that again will provide clear, direct advice to householders and others on how to take practical steps to protect themselves and their property. The first stage of this was published by the SBCC in December and we expect the remainder to be available in summer 2009.

It is the responsibility of the Chief Constables to decide what technology to use for police operations. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is currently considering the introduction of data enabled breath screening devices as well as the IT and training issues associated with the use of the devices. A timetable for a decision has not yet been set.