By Lynne Stewart

PLANS TO force parents to take responsibility for their children and extend electronic tagging to under-16s has been welcomed by Tayside chief constable John Vine.

The anti-social behaviour bill, which includes plans to give police new powers to disperse groups, was launched by the Scottish Executive last October, claiming its measures would help create a safer Scotland.

However, the new laws have met criticism by various children’s groups who say they could end up alienating youngsters and believe these plans will not get to the root of the problem of youth disorder.

Neighbourhoods plagued by vandalism, graffiti, under-age drinking and disturbance, are expected to welcome these new measures, which ministers say will rebuild respect and responsibility in local communities.

Chief constable of Tayside Police and president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland John Vine said he believes the new laws will make the necessary difference to tackle anti-social behaviour, which he says is not confined to young people.

“Crucially, it is about making a determined effort to curb the offences that make people’s life an enduring misery.

“Very often the phrase anti-social behaviour acts as a generic term for problems with young people. I cannot dispute that a considerable percentage of the calls received by the police, particularly during the evenings, relate to youths causing annoyance.

“But in many cases young people are committing no crime or offence whatsoever.

“Their mere presence in a neighbourhood is sometimes all that it requires to cause fear and offence to some.”

Mr Vine said the problem of disorder has always been evident but he thinks it requires more attention now as we are “living in a less tolerant society.”

“Years ago there was a tier of pseudo-police officers, community custodians, who had a pretty tight reign on bad behaviour on their patch,” he said.

“I am talking about the park keepers, the car park attendants, bus conductors and inspectors, and their ilk. I am sure that I am not the only one who had my ears warmed by a chastening volley of words from the local parkie.

“These were people who had a presence in the community, who could take on responsibility for social control, albeit that it was peripheral to their core duties.

“This strata of community warden is lost to us now and, while others may emerge to assist us in the future, the reins are now in the hands of the police and we find ourselves very much at the forefront of this debate.

“I want to make it clear that it is the minority of young people who commit crime and make other people’s lives a misery through anti-social behaviour.”

Many will argue that parents’ failure to discipline their children lies at the core of the problem and Mr Vine believes that more parents must face up to their obligations.

“Parents must take responsibility. Very often my officers take children home to their parents and are met with, at best, indifference, at worst, hostility.

“The often-asked questions of the police at public meetings are, ‘where are their parents?’ ‘do their parents know where they are?’ ‘who they are with?’ ‘what they are doing?’ and ‘do they care?’

“They must be made to care.

“They have a responsibility as parents and as members of the community.”

The success of electronic tagging for adult offenders is a good indication to Mr Vine that the system would be beneficial to the police in curbing the behaviour of under-16s.

“I am in favour of electronic tagging for offenders under the age of 16. Having spoken to sheriffs, they feel that restriction of liberty orders enforced through tagging are working well for adult offenders, with very few breaches to be dealt with.”

However, the powers of dispersal aspect of the Bill were met with caution by Mr Vine, but he none-the-less supports it.

“We must be at first cautious and ultimately conscientious, with regards to any powers that are handed to the police in this respect.

“In many respects, I support the intention behind its introduction. But, this is a provision that will prove to be the most difficult for us in terms of practical application.

“In short, the police service has not treated anti-social behaviour as seriously as it should have been.

“Traditionally, we have not been as good at solving the more minor offences such as vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

“That must change—we must take a lead and put resources where they are required and motivate staff, so that the minor crime is treated every bit as seriously as the major offence.”