To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to reported increases in instances of youth crime and antisocial behaviour. (S6T-02270)

I take this opportunity, Presiding Officer, to wish you and all members of the Scottish Parliament a happy new year.

I was, of course, appalled to learn of the recent criminal incidents in Ben Macpherson’s Constituency. I know that police are actively investigating to identify those who are responsible.

The Scottish Government remains committed to preventing children from getting involved in offending behaviour and to taking action to stop any reoffending where they do get involved. We work with partners to deliver a range of activities. For example, we expanded the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit’s work and delivered knife crime prevention education to practitioners and young people across Scotland.

I know that this is cold comfort to victims, but recorded crime is down 40 per cent since 2006-07. As of 4 November, Police Scotland reached officer numbers of 16,600, with further intakes planned throughout this year. In 2025-26, we will increase police funding to £1.62 billion. In addition, the First Minister will host a cross-party youth violence summit next week, on Monday 13 January.

I thank the Minister for her answer and welcome the initiatives that are under way, particularly the final one that she mentioned.

First, I note that I raise these issues in the Parliament with no enthusiasm but feel that I must do so on behalf of those whom I represent.

As I said last year, in my Constituency, I received correspondence about many very concerning instances of youth crime and antisocial behaviour, including people being threatened with weapons such as axes and knives; theft and robbery; unprovoked and sometimes very harmful assaults on other young people or passers-by; harassment of women, girls and vulnerable people; and dangerous driving of motorbikes, e-bikes, pushbikes and scooters, with people clipping pedestrians, stealing phones and generally causing alarm to pedestrians and drivers. All those things are usually done by people who are wearing menacing balaclavas and have a sense of being above the law.

It is a very small minority of Scotland’s young people who engage in such criminality, but I worry that the problem is growing and is now very serious in Edinburgh. It is increasing in frequency and the severity of violence is worsening. In recent months, I have received—almost weekly—very worrying correspondence from the communities that I serve. For example, in December, a mother and daughter were reportedly attacked by a gang in Leith and, just before Christmas, a boy was stabbed by a gang of youths elsewhere in Edinburgh. The issues around bonfire night are well known.

A trend is emerging in Edinburgh and, unfortunately, it is happening elsewhere in Scotland, too.

Mr Macpherson, I must ask you to get to the question.

Sure. I would be grateful if the Scottish Government would outline how—beyond what is happening next week, which I very much welcome—it intends to respond to the situation in 2025.

The incidents that Ben Macpherson has mentioned are totally unacceptable. He is right that we are talking about a very small minority, but I very much recognise the impact on the people and communities who are directly affected and, therefore, the need for continued relentless focus to tackle any rise in violence.

Addressing the root causes of crime, undertaking effective preventive and diversionary activity and ensuring appropriate enforcement are critical to safeguarding our communities, which is why, for example, the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit has been working to develop a community of practice for more than 100 police schools liaison officers across Scotland. In addition, the independent working group on antisocial behaviour that I established is expected to publish its findings shortly, and we have committed to act on its recommendations.

I welcome that. Unfortunately, a trend is emerging, which is exacerbated by social media, sometimes enabled and encouraged by adults and potentially influenced by organised crime. I appreciate the Minister’s reassurance to the Parliament and the public that the Government will use its convening abilities and, I hope, its legal powers, backed up with necessary resources, to support Police Scotland officers, other statutory services and youth workers and to focus efforts across agencies to tackle youth crime and antisocial behaviour this year.

The fact that the First Minister is convening the meeting next week is significant. Following that, if it would be appropriate, I would be grateful if the minister would consider hosting a meeting in Victoria Quay in Leith, in my Constituency, with key stakeholders and partners to further discuss the situation and how we can tackle it together.

I am happy to discuss with the member the idea of having a future meeting at Victoria Quay.

Our priorities are also reflected in the budget, which will, if passed, increase funding to support police capacity and capability to £1.62 billion and will include almost £57 million in additional resource funding. As I said, Police Scotland confirmed on 4 November that the service had reached 16,600 officers. Our priorities are reflected in the budget. If members back the Scottish Government’s budget, an additional £3 million will be made available to Police Scotland specifically to help it to tackle retail crime.

Good collaboration between partners is essential to tackling the issue effectively. We are ensuring that bespoke interventions and support are provided through social work and third sector interventions such as Includem’s adapt programme, which supports children who are involved in offending and their families. We also continue to support the cashback for communities programme, which is funded by money recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and we are investing in projects that are helping to deliver a positive future for our children and young people.

There is a lot of interest in this question, so I would be grateful for concise questions and responses to enable more members to be involved.

The impact of youth crime and shoplifting on retailers is worse than ever. The organisation Retailers Against Crime says that losses to stores last year were at the highest level since 1997. Retailers are also in no doubt as to why that is and have told me that, because there are few or no consequences from the courts for theft from shops, criminals feel free to reoffend at will. Those people are dangerous organised criminals who not only steal but attack and intimidate staff and shoppers.

There have already been multiple incidents in 2025, but, as it stands, the only people who face the consequences of violence and abuse are the retailers and victims. Meanwhile, the perpetrators get off scot free. When will the Scottish Government show some common sense and get tough on those individuals so they know that their actions will have consequences?

The Scottish Government totally recognises the significant disruption and harm that retail crime causes and condemns any violence against retail workers. We recognise retail workers’ vital role in our society and want to ensure that they are protected. The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 created a statutory offence of

“assaulting, threatening or abusing retail workers”,

which highlights the seriousness of such behaviour.

We support the innovative Scottish partnership against acquisitive crime, which is led by Police Scotland and retailers, and we encourage retailers to report all crimes to the police and to engage with that partnership. If our budget is approved by Parliament, it will make an extra £3 million available in 2025-26 to tackle retail crime.

I welcome the Government’s commitment to deal with young people’s involvement in crime and antisocial behaviour. Does the Minister recognise the crucial role that youth work plays in addressing youth crime and antisocial behaviour? I know that she will not acknowledge it, but Government cuts have had a detrimental impact, so should youth work be placed on a statutory footing so that young people can avoid becoming involved in crime?

The Scottish Government’s budget will increase funding for local authorities, which will assist youth and community projects. Our hugely successful cashback for communities programme supports young people who are most at risk of being drawn into antisocial behaviour, offending and re-offending and delivers positive outcomes. Future work in all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities will prioritise opportunities for young people aged between 10 and 25 in the most deprived 20 per cent of areas in Scotland.

Adults also commit antisocial behaviour. The Minister will recall my exchanges here with the First Minister about the scourge of antisocial behaviour by adults driving high-performance vehicles around the village of South Queensferry, in my Constituency. I am grateful to the First Minister for his engagement on that topic. He has assured me that we are making progress towards the establishment of a national task force oversight group, which is to be chaired by the minister, so will she update Parliament on progress towards that group?

I know that the member, Mr Doris and I will meet Police Scotland, Mr Fairlie and others. In the future, we will include other members in a working group to look into antisocial behaviour with off-road vehicles.