SNP Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill met with police and community groups in Glasgow to hear how they are engaging with young people in their areas to tackle youth and gang disorder. Mr MacAskill visited Parkhead and Wellhouse to see how proactive community policing and local diversionary projects are helping to tackle the underlying problems and behaviour common in gang culture.
Mr MacAskill said: "The Scottish Government is determined to take action to help those who are involved in gangs. To help them break out of the cycle of drink, drugs, deprivation and crime and to help their communities recover from the problems and become safer and stronger.
"I hope we can persuade more of these youngsters involved in gangs and the crimes and antisocial behaviour associated with them – or on the cusp of gang membership – to think again about whether gang life is really the way they want to go.
"The projects I visited in Glasgow show that the police, working with local communities, can offer our youngsters a real chance to get out of the cycle of offending and give them a real alternative.
"Hand in hand with this, our CashBack for Communities scheme, is using money seized from criminals to provide more opportunities to stop young people becoming involved in crime, giving them something positive to do with their lives and enabling them to be all they can be.
"Offering more choices and chances for young people can help us turn the tide on violence in Scotland and give the next generation hope for the future. By working together, we can make Scotland a better place."
Superintendent Michelle Martin said: "Tackling disorder and violence has been core police business in and around Shettleston, Baillieston and Greater Easterhouse for far too long now, and while we have been fortunate enough to receive funding which enabled us to get more officers, more regularly on to the streets, we know only too well that enforcement alone is not the answer.
"The introduction of some fairly innovative ideas and facilities to channel youngsters’ energies into recreation, including the Outdoor Gym at Sandaig Park, Barlanark and the Phoenix Community Youth Bus, with parents also seeing a difference and endorsing the message that antisocial behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
"We appreciate the strength of feeling within the Scottish Government to help tackle the various forms of antisocial behaviour and I am delighted that the Minister has been able to take this opportunity to once again see for himself the marked difference we are now experiencing in the East End."
