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| Police given new disorder powers | Police given new disorder powers |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Scottish police forces are to be given more powers to tackle the problem of anti-social behaviour. | Scottish police forces are to be given more powers to tackle the problem of anti-social behaviour. |
| Ministers are to announce that officers will be able to issue on-the-spot fines for a number of crimes, including drunkenness and vandalism. | Ministers are to announce that officers will be able to issue on-the-spot fines for a number of crimes, including drunkenness and vandalism. |
| The move comes after Tayside Police piloted the use of fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour. | The move comes after Tayside Police piloted the use of fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour. |
| An independent study has said the £40 fines were a success, and should be rolled out across Scotland. | An independent study has said the £40 fines were a success, and should be rolled out across Scotland. |
| Ministers have now decided that all Scottish police forces will have the new powers by the end of the year. | Ministers have now decided that all Scottish police forces will have the new powers by the end of the year. |
| They believe fixed penalty notices allow police to take swift and visible action against anti-social behaviour and free up police time to focus on more serious crimes. | They believe fixed penalty notices allow police to take swift and visible action against anti-social behaviour and free up police time to focus on more serious crimes. |
| Fixed penalty notices allow police to take swift and visible action against anti-social behaviour Scottish Executive | |
| The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2004 introduced provisions to enable police to issue fixed penalty notices for a range of low level offences. | |
| Several alcohol-related offences, persistently playing loud music andvandalism are among those covered. | |
| Offenders issued with a notice are given 28 days to pay a £40 fine or request a court hearing. | |
| If the fine is not paid within four weeks, and is not challenged, it increasesto £60. | |
| A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "Crime, including incidents of serious violence, is falling in Scotland, but we know that loutishness, drunkenness and vandalism, if unchallenged, can still cause misery to the law-abiding majority in our communities. | |
| "Fixed penalty notices allow police to take swift and visible action againstanti-social behaviour. | |
| "The evidence from Tayside suggests that fixed penalty notices free up more police time to enable a greater focus on more serious crimes and also that they deter offenders from repeating such behaviour." |