LABOUR/TORY SENTENCING STANCE WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON REDUCING KNIFE CRIME

LABOUR/TORY SENTENCING STANCE WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON REDUCING KNIFE CRIME

AMENDMENT FORCED THROUGH IN OPPOSITION TO OVERWHELMING EXPERT OPINION

SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell has condemned Labour and Tory members of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee for forcing through an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill on mandatory prison sentencing for carrying a knife, despite overwhelming expert opinion that such a measure will not help and could hinder efforts to reduce knife crime in Scotland.

Mr Maxwell, a member of the Justice Committee, said:

“Labour and the Tories have engaged in the worst kind of political posturing by forcing this amendment onto the Criminal Justice Bill. They like to pose as being tough on crime, but all the evidence shows that imposing arbitrary jail sentences for carrying a knife will have no impact at all in reducing the toll of knife crime on Scotland’s streets.

“They might like to claim that they are representing victims - but Victim Support Scotland, an organisation which really does speak up on behalf of victims of crime, rejects their policy of mandatory jail terms.

“The professionals working at the frontline of tackling violent crime in Scotland are clear that the imposition of a mandatory prison sentence will not act as a deterrent to those who use knives. The real deterrence lies in effective policing, prevention and early intervention, all areas in which the Scottish Government is taking real action.

"The Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police told the justice committee that it was 'misleading' to try and persuade people that mandatory sentences will have a big impact. His counterpart from Strathclyde Police, the head of the Violence Reduction Unit and Victim Support Scotland are equally sceptical - what do Labour and the Tories think they know that these experts don't? Can they produce any evidence that mandatory sentences would reduce knife crime?

"Criminals prefer a small chance of getting a big sentence to a big chance of getting a small sentence. Our priority must be catching as many knife carriers as possible - that's why the SNP has invested in record numbers of police officers, and that's why the number of knife crime offences has fallen since the SNP took office.

"In reality it is Labour who are soft on knife crime. They continually claim that they doubled the maximum sentence for carrying a knife - but this was only down to the amendments that I lodged to the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice Bill that made this available in all cases.

“Both Labour and the Tories are trying to mislead voters with their tough talk, but talk is all it is; the real and effective action on violent crime is being taken by this SNP government.”