Scottish Conservative Councillors representing Elgin have raised concern at potential links between free under 22 bus passes given to youngsters and more prevalent youth crime in the town.
At last night’s Elgin Community Council, Moray police gave an update which confirmed that the majority of assaults, vandalism and shoplifting that occurred in the town during November were carried out by young people.
The police officer in attendance confirmed that the SNP Government’s new under-22s free bus passes were directly linked to some of these crimes, particularly at weekends, as youths travelled into Elgin from elsewhere using the pass.
Elgin City South Councillor Peter Bloomfield said: “I was shocked to hear this update on the extent of youth crime in Elgin – namely vandalism, assaults and anti-social behaviour – and really concerned that it appears to be linked to the under 22 free bus pass scheme.
“The police are doing their best with limited resources to tackle this. However, it was noted that they are not always aware of some incidents, such as criminal damage to buses.
“I would encourage anyone who witnesses such behaviour to report it immediately so culprits can be caught. If the police are not aware, they cannot take action.”
Elgin City North Councillor Amber Dunbar added: “Whilst we want to encourage young people to use public transport – particularly in rural areas like Moray – this cannot be to the detriment or safety of others.
“It also puts added pressure on our already overstretched and hard-working police officers if they are having to deal with increased incidents either on buses or after young people have travelled into Elgin or another town.
“I have heard that some local people – of all ages – no longer enjoy going out in the town and feel unsafe particularly around Elgin Bus Station which is really disappointing as this has a negative effect on local businesses.
“The SNP Government must ensure that our local authorities and police have the budgets they need to take a zero-tolerance approach to this behaviour, which runs the risk of services being lost for other passengers who rely on them.”
