Violent crime offences are some of the most common crimes heard in UK courts, but what exactly falls into the category of a ‘violent crime’.
One understandable mistake that people make is assuming that physical harm has to be done to someone for the incident to be considered as a violent crime.
This isn’t actually the case, although many cases to involve injured victims, and the threat of violence alone can often be enough for a crime to be considered as a ‘violent crime’.
Some of the most common crimes that you are likely aware of that fall into this category include all forms of assault, robbery, sexual crimes, manslaughter, and murder.
Is violent crime a growing concern?
The threat of violent crime is not a new one, but there are certainly growing concerns over the rate at which incidents are occurring across the nation.
Since 2010, violent crime offences in the UK have more than doubled, and there are no signs of this trend subsiding anytime soon. This is a worrying trend, and one that is closely linked to the culture of drinking that is to entrenched within Scottish and UK society.
According to the Office for National Statistics around 70% of all violent crime incidents taking place in the evening or weekends were fuelled by alcohol, and that is before any other substance abuse is taken into consideration.
The defence of being so drunk that you acted out of character is not one that goes down well in the UK courts and those who commit crimes whilst under the influence are held to the same standards as those who are stone cold sober.
How to reduce violent crime
Reducing violent crime is an aim of pretty much every Government in the world and the UK/Scottish Government is no different. There is no easy solution to this incredibly large and complex problem but there are a few widely recognised steps that are recommended by those who have done extensive research into the causes and motives behind violent crimes.
Some of the steps that are recommended include:
Ensuring the appropriate police/security guard presence
There are numerous security measures that can be taken by businesses and other establishments to guard against violent crime.
These include hiring security guards for licenced establishments and ensuring a suitable police presence at events and in high-risk areas during high-risk times. Keeping police response times to an absolute minimum when a call come sin regarding a violent crime is also essential and slow response times are a rising concern across the UK.
Security technologies such as alarm systems and CCTV cameras can also help to deter criminals and keep areas safe.
Control alcohol
Stricter punishments for serving alcohol to those who are already inebriated and for those who are drunk and disorderly could discourage the excess drinking that has been identified to fuel many violent crimes.
There is a clear connection between alcohol and violence and reducing the use of one will impact on the occurrence of the other.
Increase weapon control
Gun control laws are very strict in the UK, but there are still a number of incidents involving firearms that occur every year. These also happen to be the crimes with the highest potential threat to human life. Funding gun control campaigns, educating the youth on the dangers of guns, and tightening gun legislation even more is a must for reducing violent crime but is only the beginning of weapon related changes that must be made.
As you probably know, knife crime is a major issue in the UK, and stabbings make up a dis-proportionate number of violent crime offences in comparison to the rest of the world. Putting more efforts into knife crime education and introducing stricter penalties for carrying knives are both moves that are recommended highly by researchers who have been investigating the potential ways to reduce the number of violent crimes in the nation.
What to do if you are accused of a violent crime?
With so many different crimes falling into the category of a violent crime, thousands of people across the nation find themselves accused of committing one each and every year.
Sometimes the allegations are true, sometimes they are false, but either way every single person accused or charged with a crime has the right to legal representation. Seeking this representation is the very first thing that a person should do if they find themselves under arrest or think they might be charged in the future.
Wherever you live in the country you can rest assured that there are many local lawyers in your area who specialise in violent assault Scotland law cases so get in touch with one today to learn about what they can do for you.