Crime and Law Flashcards
Describe, In detail, two ways in which the police have tried to tackle crime
P: CCTV
E: Allows police to record activity across all areas
E: College of policing found that crime rate decreased 13% in CCTV areas
P: Stop and search
E: Allows police to search individuals they find suspicious of carrying illegal weapons, drugs or stolen goods
E: Can assist police in targeting high-crime areas and confiscate dangerous items
Describe, in detail, two powers of the police
P: Stop and search
E: Allows police to search individuals they find suspicious of carrying illegal weapons, drugs or stolen goods
E: Can assist police in targeting high-crime areas and confiscate dangerous items
P: Searching the premises
E: Police can be granted a warrant to inspect a property. They are also able to seize dangerous items such as drugs. weapons or anything they deem suspicious.
E: In 2023, police confiscated a significant amount of weapons in Glasgow.
Explain, in detail, two reasons why police in Scotland are effective in tackling crime.
P: Early intervention strategies
E: Having a community police officer in a school, getting youths used to police presence to feel comfortable around officers
E: More likely to report a crime if they trust officers
P: Police presence to prevent crime
E: Visible officers placed in high crime areas to deter criminals
E: Review in 2019 found police visibility in high crime areas reduces crime. 62 out of 78 studies which were reported in the review claim crime fell in areas with increased police presence
Describe, in detail, two reasons why the police are not effective in tackling crime
P: Hate crime figures have risen in recent years
E: Sexual orientation aggravated hate crime has been the second most commonly reported crime in Scotland
E: Number of charges increased by 2% in 2022-23 by 1.884.
P: Criticism for not protecting women and minorities
E:Metropolotin police station was found to be institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic .
E: Murder of Sarah Everard, committed by Met office, Warne Couzens caused a vigil to be held by women in London resulted in increased criticism.
Describe, in detail, two ways in which the government has tried to tackle crime
P: Increasing drink driving limits
E: Means there will be fewer road traffic accidents, deaths and injuries
E: People less likely to drink at all if driving as limit as been lowered from 80mg to 50mg per 100l of blood
P: Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SRVU)
E: Aimed to use a public health approach to tackle crime to tackle all forms of crime
E: Saw a fall in violent crime within Scotland, for example, when it was launched there was 137 homicides in Scotland, in 2022, this had fallen to 52.
Explain, in detail, why the governments responses to tackling crime have been ineffective
P: Despite Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV)
E: Violent crime still occurs
E: Non-sexual crimes of violence have increased within the past decade, BBC reported that violent crimes have risen 10%
P: Despite introducing initiative to tackle alcohol related crimes, this remains high
E: Introduced Minimum Unit Pricing and count 14 campaign and lowering the drink drive limit to counter act alcohol
E: Report by Alcohol Focus Scotland found 41% of prisons and 60% of young offenders were drunk at the time of their offence
Explain, in detail, why their punishments are being used as alternatives to prison sentences
P: Community Payback Order (CPO)
E: Give offenders an opportunity to pay back to their community and take responsibility for their actions
E: Reconviction rates are higher for people serving jail time according to the Howard League for Penal Reform
P: Alternatives are more cost effective
E: Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) found it costs average £37,000 to keep an offender in prison for a year
E: Home Detention Curfews and Community Payback Orders cost significantly less. More value for money for the tax payer.
Explain, in detail, two reasons why prisons are an effective punishment
P: Removing dangerous people from society
E:People who commit murders or severe crimes are given a life sentence or sent to high security prisons such as HMP Shotts
E: Means members of society will feel safe in public
P: Rehabilitation
E: Offers educational programmes, gives offenders opportunities to learn new skills and gain qualifications
E: Allows prisoners to re-integrate and return to society when released
Explain, in detail, two reasons why alternatives to prison are an effective punishment
P: Perpetrators less likely to re-offend
E:Community payback orders give programmes to help causes of re offending.
E: Reconviction rates are higher for prisoners according to Howard League for Pearl Reform
P: Alternatives are more cost effective
E: Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) found it costs average £37,000 to keep an offender in prison for a year
E: Home Detention Curfews and Community Payback Orders cost significantly less. More value for money for the tax payer.
Describe, two ways that Scottish courts can punish people
P: Convicting criminals and sending them to prison
E: Sheriff court can sentence someone for up to five years in prison
E: If the sheriff feels this is an insufficient penalty, they can refer to the high court where a life sentence is possible
P: Community Payback Order (CPO)
E: Ordered to carry out between 20-300 hours of unpaid work completed in their free time
E: In 2023, offender Sean Hogg was given a CPO with 270 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of rape
Explain why criminal courts in Scotland are effective tackling crime
P: Power to imprison people
E: Three types of courts have different sentencing powers. High court can impose an unlimited fine and a life sentence. Sheriffs court can sentence someone for up to 5 years.
E: Effective as people who commit serious crimes are suitably punished
P: Community Payback Order (CPO)
E: Ordered to carry out between 20-300 hours of unpaid work completed in their free time
E: In 2023, offender Sean Hogg was given a CPO with 270 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of rape
Describe two powers of the courts in Scotland
P: Power to imprison people
E: Three types of courts have different sentencing powers. High court can impose an unlimited fine and a life sentence. Sheriffs court can sentence someone for up to 5 years.
E: Effective as people who commit serious crimes are suitably punished
P: Community Payback Order (CPO)
E: Ordered to carry out between 20-300 hours of unpaid work completed in their free time
E: In 2023, offender Sean Hogg was given a CPO with 270 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of rape
Describe two ways that the children’s hearing system can help young people
P: Youths can be removed from potentially abusive or neglectful houses.
E: Compulsory supervision order if worried about child or young person’s safety.
E: This can range from staying with relatives or foster homes to care in a residential establishment
P: The Childs Hearing System
E: Targets the offending behaviour as well as welfare concerns. The hearing system is a ‘child-centred’ approach which believes harmful deeds are met by unmet needs.
E: The hearing system will try to deal with the underlying causes the young person to offend and provide them with support rather than punishment
Describe. in detail, two roles of the childrens hearing system in Scotland
P: To listen and make legal decisions with and for the child, infant or young person.
E: The panel hear information from young people and key adults is an informal setting on which they base their decisions.
E:The panel may decide to impose a compulsory supervision order stating where the young person must live
P: Protect and support vulnerable children
E: May include children who are not attending school.
E: Children’s hearing system will support families of these children to help provide the best care for the child and ensure they are kept safe
