Crime? Most people never experience it, says justice minister
Fury as he dismisses rise in violent and sex offences
‘Criminals welcome SNP complacency’
JUSTICE Secretary Michael Matheson was ridiculed last night for claiming most Scots have no experience of crime and believe police are doing a ‘good or excellent job’.
The minister was accused of being out of touch with ‘real people’ when he made the comments at a police conference.
They came after Police Scotland figures this week showed a rise in violent and sexual offending, including an increase of nearly 20 per cent in reported rapes in the past year.
The statistics also indicated an average of more than 900 anti-social behaviour incidents a day amid claims a ‘softtouch’ approach by the criminal justice system is fuelling public disorder.
But yesterday Mr Matheson told delegates at the annual meeting of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents that most people never encountered crime.
At the conference at the corporate headquarters of the single force at Tulliallan, Fife, he said: ‘To respond to the needs of our communities, one of the main themes of the 2026 strategy [outlining the future of policing] is that of localism.
‘Police Scotland should be seeking to strengthen their approaches to community engagement and participation, ensuring local services are effectively planned in the local communities in which they serve.
‘But even though we recognise more work needs to be done strengthening those ties in local communities, the majority of people in Scotland believe local police do a good or excellent job.
‘We should not forget that the vast majority of people in Scotland experience no crime.’
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘The SNP’s complacency, coupled with its soft-touch approach to crime, will only be welcomed by criminals.
‘The facts paint an altogether more concerning picture, with rises in anti-social behaviour and violent and sexual crime, all of which have enormous impacts on victims and communities.
‘These statements clearly demonstrate the SNP has no understanding of the experiences of real people in Scotland today.
‘The SNP must listen to the victims of crime and ensure Police Scotland has enough resources to respond effectively to the real increases in crime people in Scotland are experiencing.’
Scottish Lib Dem justice spokesman Liam McArthur said: ‘While our police officers do a fantastic job in keeping communities safe, the Justice Secretary must not get casual about the challenges communities and officers face, especially when figures show antisocial behaviour on the rise.’
The Police Scotland figures showed the total number of crimes rose by 3.4 per cent, from 236,398 to 244,504, in the past year.
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