Police claim on-the-spot antisocial fines success
19 May 06
Chief constable says Tayside pilot "hugely popular" with officers and public
Tayside Police's chief constable has said that on-the-spot fines for antisocial behaviour should be extended to the whole of Scotland, following a "hugely popular" pilot scheme in his force's area.
John Vine's police force has been issuing the fines since April last year, mainly for minor public order offences such as vandalism, breach of the peace, urinating in public and noise disturbance. Approximately 3,000 fines of £40 have been handed out, with 65% of people paying up.
Speaking at the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents' annual conference, Mr Vine said he would like to see the scheme extended to cover other offences such as shoplifting and minor drug possession. The pilot had been popular with police officers, he went on, because it cut down on the amount of paperwork they had to complete.
He claimed the penalties were particularly effective for young offenders as they do not result in a criminal record.