responses to crime

• What are government responses to crime

  • Alcohol minimum unit pricing
  • Lowering drink driving limit
  • Alcohol etc Act (Scotland) 2010
• One government response to crime is the Alcohol etc Act (2010)

  • This means that there are specific hours to sell alcohol in shops and dedicated area to display alcohol in shops. This also banned deals on alcohol, eg 3 for £10
  • For example, Challenge 25 is something this act brought in, where if you look under the age of 25 the person selling you the alcohol has to ask you to show valid ID before they can buy the alcohol
• Another government response to crime is alcohol minimum unit pricing

  • Makes alcohol more expensive in hopes that people won't buy as much and reduce the crime rates which involve alcohol
  • For example, the Minimum Unit Pricing Act 2018 set the lowest alcohol could be sold for at 50p, but this was increased to 65p in 2024
• Another government response to crime is lowering the drink driving limit

  • Drivers have to drink less in Scotland compared to England and Wales in hope it will reduce traffic and road accidents
  • For example, the limit was reduced from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood in 2014
• What are the roles of the police

  • Protect the public
  • Prevent crime
  • Maintain Law and Order
  • Detect crime
• One role of the police is to protect the public

  • This means that the police will patrol the local community and ensure that the public are safe from anyone committing crime
  • For example, in June 2019 the Organised Crime Partnership raided a house in East Kilbride and seized several firearms, keeping the public safe
• Another role of the police is to prevent crime

  • This means that the police will patrol the local community and work with local agencies in order to stop crime in the first place
  • For example, some high schools in North Lanarkshire, including Coatbridge High, have a campus police officer to prevent crime from happening in schools
• Another role of the police is to detect criminals who have committed a crime

  • this means that the police will investigate crime by gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses to bring people to justice
  • For example, after the murder of 6 year old Alesha MacPhail, police investigated and found Aaron Campbell to be guilty
• Another role of the police is to maintain law and order

  • The police are expected to uphold laws and ensure society remains in order. However there are very important rules in place to stop either the police or government abusing power
  • For example, police officers Wayne Couzens was arrested and charged with the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by the police as he abused his power
• How are police effective in tackling crime

  • They prevent crime
  • they investigate crime
  • They protect the public
• One way that police are effective in tackling crime is that they are preventing crime

  • This means that police try to stop crime from happening in the first place. They do this by working with the local community and agencies
  • For example, the number of home break ins has decreased from 24000 to 16000in a year over the last seven decades, showing that the overall break ins has decreased
• Another way the police are effective in tackling crime is by investigating crime

  • Police gather evidence and interview people to try and bring people to justice
  • For example, major investigation teams in Scotland have solved every case since 2013, showing that police are effective in solving and investigating crime
• Another way police are effective is because they keep the public safe

  • This means that the police will control local community and ensure that the public are safe from anyone committing a crime
  • For example, 71% of victims of crime say that the police are doing enough to keep them safe
• How are the police ineffective

  • Are not protecting the public
  • Not investigating all cases
  • Are not preventing enough crime
• One way that police are ineffective in tackling crime is because they are not doing enough to prevent crime

  • Preventing crime is stopping people from committing the crime in the first place. However, some police officers see their main priority as catching criminals rather than preventing crime
  • For example, the number of sexual crimes in Scotland has increased by 5000 per year over the last decade, showing that police are not doing enough to prevent people from committing this crime
• Another way that police are ineffective in tackling crime is that they are not investigating all cases and not all cases end in a verdict

  • Investigating is finding evidence and interviewing witnesses to try and bring those to justice. However, many low level cases like theft have stopped being investigated
  • For example, 1 in 5 rape trials end in a not proven verdict, showing that police are not doing enough to investigate these crimes so they end in a verdict
• Another way police are ineffective in tackling crime is that they are not protecting the public

  • This means that police are not doing enough to patrol the local community and ensure that the public are safe from community crime
  • For example, police have been criticised for targeting people of colour which leads to people not feeling safe
• How do police tackle crime

  • Proactive policing
  • Zero tolerance
  • Community policing
• One way police tackle crime is by Proactive policing

  • This means that police target known criminals and use intelligence and technology to gather evidence on them to stop them committing crimes
  • For example, CCTV is used as it allows the police to record the actions of the public in identify and charge offenders
• Another way police tackle crime is by zero tolerance

  • This means that the police will deal with all crimes strictly and with high police presence
  • For example, Police Scotland have a zero tolerance policy approach to drug and drink driving
• Another way police tackle crime is by community policing

  • This means that the public get to know the police as there is a high police presence, trust is built up, so problems are solved more easily
  • For example, the police will educate people by visiting schools and handing out leaflets in the community
• How is police tackling crime effective

  • low and decreasing levels of overall crime in Scotland
  • Decreasing numbers of murders in Scotland
• How is police tackling crime ineffective

  • Rise of sexual crime
  • Rise in violent crime
• What are powers of the police

  • Power of arrest
  • Power to stop and search
  • Power to enter your home/private property
• One power of the police is the power to arrest

  • This means that the police can arrest someone who has committed a crime or someone they suspect of having committed a crime
  • For example, Aaron Campbell was arrested for police after the murdered 6 year old Alesha MacPhail
• Another power of the police is the power to stop and search

  • This means that a police officer can stop someone suspected of committing an offense or they have a warrant to stop and search him
  • For example, if the police believes you are in possession of illegal drugs or dangerous weaponry they have the power to stop and search you to see if it is in your possession
• Another power of the police is to enter your home or private property

  • This means that police officers can get a warrant to enter and search your house or property if they believe there is suspicious activity
  • For example, in June 2019, the Organised Crime Partnership raided a house in East Kilbride and seized several firearms
• What is a non custodial sentence

  Alternatives to prison
• What are examples of non custodial punishments

  • Electric tagging
  • Community payback order
  • Fines
• One non custodial punishments is electric tagging

  • This is an electric tag which is placed around the criminals ankle so the authorities can see where the criminal is at all times to make sure they are not committing more crimes
  • For example, in November 2023, Jordan Bonner was given an electric tag and community payback order after being found in possession on cannabis
• Another non custodial punishment is community payback order

  • This is when the criminal has to complete a mandatory amount of time in unpaid labour to give back to the community after committing a crime
  • For example, in 2023, Tracie Curry was given community payback order of 180 hours after being found guilty of racially abusing Humza Yousaf during his leadership campaign
• Another non custodial sentence is fines

  • This is when the criminal has to pay a certain amount of money as a punishment for the crime they have committed
  • For example, all three levels of courts can give a fine and the High court can give an unlimited fine as a punishment for a crime
• What are the purpose/advantage of prisons

  • Protection
  • Punishment
  • Deterrence
  • Rehabilitation
• One purpose of prisons is punishment

  • Crime needs to be punished; people should know society will punish serious offences
  • For example, the high court can sentence a person to life in prison for committing a serious crime
• Another purpose of prison is to deter people from committing crimes

  • Prison is a tough sentence and deters crimes. As it is a punishment, it stops people from committing crimes
  • For example, Wayne Couzens received life in prison for murdering Sarah Everard. This long sentences deters other people from committing crimes
• Another purpose of prisons is rehabilitation

  • Courses are offered in prisons to improve education and employability after serving their time. Prisoners are also given a chance to work- this gives them a sense of purpose and wellbeing
  • For example, around 12500 prisoners in the UK have jobs in prison to prepare them for life after prison
• Another purpose of prison is protection

  • Dangerous offenders and people who are a threat to public safety should not be free to live amongst the law abiding citizens
  • For example, convicted killer Aaron Campbell's long custodial sentence ensures that he cannot murder anyone else
• How are prisons not effective

  • High re-offending rates
  • Very expensive
  • Overcrowding
• One reason why prisons are not effective is because they have high reoffending rates

  • A lot of time and money is wasted in convicting criminals and housing prisoners the first time let alone the second. The fact that so many criminals reoffend suggests that prisons are not effective as criminals are learning from other criminals
  • For example, 57% of people who were released from a custodial sentence less than a year reoffend within the year
• Anther reason why prisons are ineffective if because it is very expensive to keep a criminal in prison

  • Over the years, prison lifestyles have improved, therefore more of the taxpayers money is going into prisons instead of other services such as healthcare and education
  • For example, it costs an average of £40,000 to keep a person in prison for a year