News In Focus
17 February 2010
Grampian to pilot young offender measures
News ways of tackling young offenders, ranging from early intervention for low level offending to tough sanctions for serious offenders, are to be tested in Grampian, the Scottish Government announced today.
Part of the new approach will use tactics similar to those used successfully to engage with Glasgow gangs. These involve police identifying the most persistent and serious offenders and working with local agencies to offer an alternative to a life of crime. If the young offenders refuse to engage, say ministers, they will "feel the full force of the law".
The pilot will run for the next two years with Government funding before being evaluated.
Minority
Visiting the Tillydrone initiative, an existing programme that will be part of the Grampian pilot, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
"We all know that a very small minority of young people get involved in offending, and an even smaller minority of them that cause the most misery in our communities. We need to target them specifically and separate them from the rest of offenders. Quite often, these serious and persistent young offenders are deeply troubled and have complex problems - they can be harmful to both themselves and others. To stop these young people becoming trapped in a life of crime we have to act now.
"That is why we are working with local partners in Grampian to pilot an intelligence-led approach to dealing with our most serious and persistent young offenders which will be backed up with £1.2 million funding. This will enable local agencies to identify, target, challenge and support the most serious and persistent offenders in their area, using a model similar to the successful approach to tackling gangs in Strathclyde."
Derek Penman, Assistant Chief Constable of Grampian Police said the force welcomed the opportunity to pilot new ways of engaging with hard-to-reach young people in its communities.
He added: "Investing in services to intervene early and tackle the root causes of crime is far more effective than watching young people failing to achieve their full potential. But where young people do not respond to offers of help and support we cannot sit back. We will focus our efforts on the most challenging young people and use all the available resources to prevent them from causing chaos in our communities."
Sacro's Chief Executive, Tom Halpin said: "The Tillydrone Initiative is a prime example of voluntary sector involvement at its best. A small number of individuals are causing significant disruption to their community through their offending behaviour. Engagement with the target group is notoriously difficult but by taking a creative and flexible approach, Sacro has been able to make progress in building relationships and gaining their trust."