Scotland leads way in fighting violence

IN 2005, Glasgow was named Western Europe’s murder capital by the World Health Organisation.

In the same year, the UN said Scotland was the most violent country in the developed world.

So we’ve come a long way when last week, Glasgow was praised by the World Economic Forum for tackling violence effectively.

Strathclyde Police established the Violence Reduction Unit after concluding that conventional methods were simply not working.

Instead, they looked at the root causes of violent crime such as poverty, alcohol abuse and inequality.

By drafting in doctors and social workers and working with the education sector, Strathclyde Police became the only force in the world to adopt a public health strategy towards violence.

Since then, violent crime in Scotland has been in decline.

Figures released this year show Scotland led the biggest decrease in homicide figures across the western world.

Funded by the Scottish Government, the Violence Reduction Unit have had their remit expanded to look at all forms of violence, such as domestic violence and bullying in school.

Scotland’s problems with violence were not unique but when it comes to tackling them effectively, we’re leading the way.