Law & Crime

Law & Crime

Types of Crime
1. non-sexual crimes
  1. homicide
  2. attempted murder
  3. robbery
  4. down by 17% between 10/11 & 11/12
2. sexual offences
  1. attempted/rape
  2. sexual assault
  3. prostitution
  4. increased by 10% between 10/11 & 11/12
3. Crimes of dishonesty
  1. housebreaking
  2. shoplifting
  3. fraud
  4. down 1% in 11/12
4. fire-raising, vandalism etc
  1. decreased by 8% in 11/12
5. Other crimes
  1. drugs
    1. up 2% in 11/12
  2. handling an offensive weapon
  3. crimes against public justice
Knife crime
1. strongly linked with gang crime and booze culture
  1. some carry them to fight other gangs
    1. some feel safer
    2. peer-pressure
  2. some carry them out on friday/saturday when binge drinking.
2. Statistics
  1. Glasgow accounted for 1/3 in 09/10
  2. 35 killed in 2010, representing 44% of total homicides
  3. 09/10, 2949 occupied days in acute hospitals
  4. Secondary costs
  5. criminal justice costs
3. Mandatory sentencing for carrying a knife
  1. FOR: 1.Education campaigns on their own won't work. 2.Act as a deterrent. 3.Suitable punishment
  2. AGAINST: 1.Prisons will become too full. 2.Will lead to further crime. 3.Not all circumstances are the same.
Alcohol
1. costs of alcohol abuse '10
  1. crime = £727.1m
  2. health-care = £268.8m
  3. social care = £230.5m
2. Legislation
  1. Alcohol (Scotland) Act
    1. banned quantity discounts in off-sales.
    2. People buy more
    3. Restrictions on where promotions can be placed
  2. Alcohol and Minimum Pricing (Scotland) Act
    1. 50p minimum price per unit of alcohol
    2. estimated 5.5% cut in drinking
    3. some 'problem' drinks will not increase in price e.g.buckfast
  3. Reasonableness Test
    1. no responsible person would assume someone is over 18
    2. ask for ID
    3. Failure can mean £5000 fine/3 months prison
  4. Test purchasing scheme
  5. Licensing (Scotland) Act
    1. If prices are reduced they must remain the same for 3 days
3. Young People
  1. 35% drink to excess by early teens
  2. binge drinking
    1. peer drinking
    2. rebelliousness
    3. school performance
    4. age
    5. sibling drinking
  3. risks of underage drinking
    1. underage sex
    2. drug-taking
    3. hepatitis
    4. obesity
    5. cancer
Causes of Crime
1. Individualist theory
  1. lack of ones own values
  2. Individuals choose to commit crime so should face the consequences.
  3. Deterrence
2. Collectivist theory
  1. social issues must be addressed
  2. celebrity culture and dropping out of mainstream society
3. Greed
  1. white collar crimes
  2. serious organised crime
  3. Human Trafficking
4. Poverty
  1. Glasgow most deprived & highest crime rate
5. Family Life
  1. substance/alcohol abuse
  2. neglectful parents
Police Scotland
1. branches
  1. specialised departments (underwater,dogs)
  2. uniformed
  3. Criminal Investigation CID
  4. Traffic
    1. enforce road traffic laws, traffic management & road safety
  5. community relations
2. crime prevention
  1. Physical presence
  2. Public education
3. duties
  1. maintaining public order
    1. football etc
  2. Counter-terrorism
    1. work with Westminster
  3. Emergencies
  4. evidence in courts
4. UK Wide Bodies
  1. British transport police
  2. Ministry of Defence
Courts
1. High Court
  1. serious crimes
    1. murder, rape
2. Sheriff Court
  1. solemn/summary procedures
3. JP Courts
  1. minor crimes/offences
4. UK Supreme Court
  1. Can become involved in Scottish Cases
    1. The Nat Fraser case
Young People
1. Children considered for prosecution in court for murder assault etc
2. Reporter decides if child sent to children's panel
  1. Beyond control of parents
  2. missusing alcohol/drugs
  3. not attending school
Children's Panels
1. Members are volunteers but trained and carefully selected.
  1. 3 Present (male&female)
2. Possible Actions
  1. social worker to supervise
  2. Child to go to foster family/care home
  3. electronic tagging
  4. counselling
Young Offenders
1. Polmont holds young offenders 16-21
2. Max 830 prisoners
3. Described as most violent prison due to overcrowding

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	Created by shona.doyle10 almost 11 years ago