Question reference: S6W-17968
- Date lodged: 16 May 2023
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Current status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 May 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's proposed "immediate justice" approach to antisocial behaviour, which will reportedly require people who vandalise public spaces to repair the damage within 48 hours of being given an order, whether it is considering introducing similar measures in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government condemns all acts of antisocial behaviour, including vandalism, and we believe that our focus should be on preventing these crimes from occurring in the first place.
There are currently a number of provisions contained in the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 and Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 that specifically deal with the offence of vandalism and these include on the spot fixed penalties that the police can issue to those suspected of low-level statutory vandalism offences. Local agencies, such as Police Scotland and local authorities, are best placed to deal with these offences and it also open to them to undertake early intervention and diversionary work to prevent antisocial behaviour in their areas . We currently have no plans to replicate the UK Government’s proposals, but will monitor the development of this approach.