PRESS RELEASE

July 22nd, 2010

Knife crime threat

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has called on the Scottish Government to re-think plans to spare another 160 people a year jail for knife crime.

In passing the Criminal Justice Bill last month, the Scottish Government secured powers to introduce a legal presumption against all custodial sentences of three months or less.

The will be applied indiscriminately and will mean people convicted of serious offences, including: serious assault, knife crime and domestic abuse, will be spared prison.

In the Strathclyde police area last year, sentences of under three months were given to:

- 161 people convicted of carry an offensive weapon
- 843 people convicted of crime of dishonesty, such as housebreaking (75) and car theft (34)
- 20 people convicted of violent crime such as serious assault and robbery

Under the SNP plans, those people would be given community sentence orders and still be on the streets.

Mr McNeil said: “Rather than lock up more people for knife crime like the people of this community campaigned for, they are actually sending less people to prison.

“Short prison sentences bring respite to communities and families from offenders and this legislation will prevent sheriffs from using this measure.

“This is another blow to a long-suffering public who rightly fear that the perceived rights of a criminal minority are more important than those of the innocent majority.

“I would urge the Scottish Government to listen to these people and re-think these reckless and dangerous plans.”

ENDS