Fixed penalty notices for antisocial behaviour have declined by 75 per cent in 4 years, according to the latest figures released by the Scottish Government.
This has led the Scottish Conservatives to accuse the SNP of failing to protect communities.
During a Scottish Conservative debate on antisocial behaviour at Holyrood today, Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary, will call for the SNP to double the fixed penalty notice to £100 for more serious antisocial behaviour like property damage.
This decrease in fixed penalties compares to a 6 per cent increase in antisocial behaviour incidents reported to the police over the same period.
Which means that antisocial behaviour incidents have now reached 343,570, an increase of 20,498, since 2015.
The Scottish Conservatives have lambasted the SNP government for failing to enforce these penalties and therefore condemn communities to live with unchecked noise, vandalism and disruptive drunken behaviour.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said;
“By failing to adequately enforce fixed penalty notices the SNP is condemning communities to live with unchecked noise, vandalism, and disruptive drunken behaviour.
“These issues have a big impact on people’s quality of life and, if they aren’t resolved they can lead to significant stress and anxiety, not to mention the destruction of the local environment.
“The SNP has abandoned these communities at a time when anti-social behaviour has increased substantially.
“And we know that the impact of antisocial behaviour falls disproportionately on deprived communities, the elderly and the vulnerable.
“As a first step, the SNP must introduce a higher fixed penalty notice of £100 for the most serious offences, which will hand constables more power to deal with incidents and provide a highly-visible deterrent to others.
“Without these crucial sanctions, perpetrators know they can act with impunity and continue to make law-abiding Scots’ lives a misery.
“The SNP’s soft touch justice is, once again, failing the people of Scotland.”
