Meeting of the Parliament 11 June 2026 [Draft]
We have all heard deeply concerning stories from our constituents, including those about residents feeling unsafe in their own communities, businesses facing threats and vandalism, and workers being subjected to unacceptable abuse simply for doing their jobs. I am grateful to Colin Beattie for lodging his motion and to other members for their contributions. It is right that consideration is being given to cuts in our communities and structural issues of poverty.
The experiences that Colin Beattie shared from Midlothian North will resonate with members across the chamber, because they are not unique to one community. Unfortunately, they are being felt right across my region and throughout Scotland. That is why we in the Parliament need to provide a collective response.
During the election campaign, antisocial behaviour was one of the issues that came up on doorstep after doorstep. Time and again, people spoke about the disruption to their neighbourhoods, the damage that was being done to public spaces and the impact that persistent disorder was having on the quality of their lives. I have also heard from local businesses that are having to deal with graffiti, vandalism, abuse directed at staff and—sometimes—racial abuse. No one should have to face that simply for going to work.
Free bus travel is fantastic, but it is no use if people are too scared to get on the bus. Parents want their kids to have the freedom to use their bus passes to explore and to learn to do that responsibly, but people feel unsafe when they go on buses if there is antisocial behaviour.
In Edinburgh, we have had a particular challenge around bonfire night in areas such as Craigmillar and Niddrie. Thankfully, this year there was a marked improvement. Although that was partly due to the City of Edinburgh Council’s introduction of firework control zones, it was also because communities themselves stepped forward and took action. Local organisations, community leaders and volunteers worked together to provide positive alternatives and to create safe and inclusive family events that brought people and communities together. In doing so, they demonstrated that prevention is just as important as enforcement. I pay tribute to everyone who was involved in that work, including Police Scotland.
The rise in antisocial behaviour that we have witnessed in recent years has not happened in isolation. The number of full-time equivalent police officers is now almost 900 lower than it was a decade ago. At the same time, as Police Scotland has been required to make more efficiencies, many communities have seen a reduced visible police presence on their high streets and in their neighbourhoods. Visible community policing matters. It helps to deter the kind of behaviour that we are talking about today, but it also reassures residents and allows officers to build positive relationships with local people, especially young people. Police Scotland must have the resource that it needs to maintain that presence.
As we move into the summer months, communities deserve confidence that they will not experience the disruption that we have seen in recent years, including in places such as Portobello beach. Reviewing existing programmes and considering new approaches is an important first step, but reviews alone are not enough. They must lead to a clear plan of action that is backed by the resources that are necessary to deliver meaningful change.
Scottish Labour set out a number of proposals for tackling antisocial behaviour, but it was the Scottish National Party that won the election, so I call on the minister to deliver on her party’s election promises and make our communities safer. One of those promises was on a trial fund for social impact partners. It would be good if the Government could provide clarity on when that fund will be established, how success will be measured, how the trial will be evaluated and, crucially, what action will follow from its findings.
Our constituents want to have safe communities and thriving local businesses on their high streets, and they deserve to feel safe in their public spaces. As members of the Scottish Parliament, it is our responsibility to ensure that they get that.