Conservative way – to tackle crime

Tackling crime

Under Labour and the Lib Dems, crime in Scotland is at unacceptably high levels. High levels of crime are not inevitable – the current lack of respect for the law and other people, inadequate levels of policing and token punishments for criminals can be reversed. There is a way – a Conservative way – to tackle crime in this country.

Gordon Lindhurst feels there is much to be done: "We need to recruit an additional 1500 police officers across Scotland, dedicated to community policing – a visible police presence on our streets to deter and detect crime.

"We need to improve accountability to ensure that people have the sort of policing that they demand, deserve and pay for through their taxes. That is why we believe in directly-elected police board conveners to give local people a greater say in how their community is policed.

"And Scottish Conservatives want to end the scandal of automatic early release, where criminals get out of jail after serving only half their sentence. If this requires more prisons, then so be it. The protection of the public is the first and paramount duty of any government."