Hansard

First, I simply state that, in my constituency of Midlothian North, antisocial behaviour is out of control. Over the past three to four years, there has been a steady increase in incidents, much to the distress of my constituents. I do not minimise the efforts that the local council and the police have made to manage the situation. However, in my opinion, they simply do not have the tools to do so effectively, which is why I am raising the issue in a members’ business debate.

Let us look at the nature of the various forms of antisocial behaviour. I will focus on young people, but we should remember that adults of all ages can be part of the problem. Yes, there is clear evidence that youngsters from primary school and above are creating mayhem. Setting fire to plastic recycling bins is a great favourite, but fighting—mostly between themselves in public—is frequent and causes considerable anxiety among residents. Dalkeith town centre is almost a no-go zone at night; youths in dark clothing and balaclavas seem to feature at the centre of the problems.

Many people associate free bus travel with antisocial behaviour. However, that is not the only cause; it is merely a tool that some young people use. Abuse of the national entitlement card should not be acceptable, and nor should antisocial behaviour on public transport. The level of behaviour on buses is unacceptable, and neither passengers nor bus drivers should have to tolerate the level of misbehaviour and intimidation that a group of youngsters or adults can create. We are not going to persuade people to use the bus if it is not safe to use, nor is it reasonable to expect bus drivers to police their buses, given the likely response. A solution must be found. Uplifting bus passes from offenders would be a start, although I suspect that a more robust response will be needed. When dealing with underage youngsters, the police say that they have few options, and no real deterrent unless serious criminal activity is involved.

Shoplifting has become a lucrative hobby for some people of all ages. I was recently contacted by a supermarket that was seeking help because it was losing around £25,000 over a six-month period. Other retailers complain about the level of theft from their shops. Retailers also complain that nothing can be done—they call the police and no one responds, or the police visit but rarely catch the criminals involved. If those criminals are caught, that serious crime is treated as minor, and they are rarely sent to prison, even if they are frequent offenders. Shoplifters are straight back out on to the streets and offending again.

That is not a deterrent, and I know that the police find that very frustrating. When I speak with the police, they are clear that shoplifting most often falls into two broad categories: shoplifters are either part of organised criminal gangs or individual drug addicts who are stealing to feed their habit. Most frequently, theft from supermarkets involves alcohol or steaks, which are then sold in pubs and at other gathering points. The cost of shoplifting is directly felt in people’s pockets, as retailers recoup the costs. It is not a victimless crime.

Young people using motorcycles or e-bikes have become both an annoyance and a hazard. The noise is intrusive and disturbing and the damage that is done to public areas is considerable. They cause fear and upset, especially among older residents. Antisocial behaviour in schools is increasing, with attacks on teachers and other pupils becoming commonplace. Although that is too big an issue in itself to be expanded on in this debate, it is all part and parcel of the fundamental shift in our society that urgently needs addressed.

Many constituents have contacted me to express their concerns and worries about what will happen if antisocial behaviour is not checked. Indeed, a very young constituent recently tackled me on what was being done to make her and our communities safer. To her, I say that my bringing this debate to the Parliament is part of moving to a solution.

Those are the main issues, but what can be done to deal with them? First, the police have made it clear to me that legislation around e-bikes is not up to date, which leaves them in a difficult position when they are dealing with situations involving e-bikes. I ask the Scottish Government to consult the police to ensure that legislation is fit for purpose and will support the police in dealing with the issue.

Secondly, school curriculums must provide information not only on the rights that young people have but, just as important, on their obligations and responsibilities to society as a whole. Thirdly, the Parliament, across the chamber, quite rightly passed legislation to protect the rights of young people, but young people are using that legislation to evade responsibility for their actions. For example, during the recent Holyrood election, on polling day, there was a disturbance at one of our polling stations that was caused by a large group of primary school children fighting in the doorway of the polling station. One of them shouted at adults who tried to intervene, “We know our rights—you can’t touch us or we’ll call the police.”

Parliament needs to explore, with police and councils, measures that could reasonably be put in place to stop such violence and misbehaviour. Again, I emphasise that it is not only young people who are responsible for misbehaviour. We must protect the rights of our young people, but we also need to protect the rights of our citizens to live peaceably and without fear or disturbance. I make it clear that maintaining young people’s rights is very important as a protection; however, it is clear that appropriate deterrents to bad behaviour need to be in place.

I do not pretend to be an expert in the areas that I have touched on, such as education, but the Parliament has access to many who are experts and should be able to agree on balanced solutions. We all know what the outcome needs to be; we now need to agree on the path to achieve that outcome.

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