Minister plans 1,000 more police

The justice secretary restated his party's commitment to more police

The new Scottish Executive has announced plans for an additional 1,000 police officers on the street to help in the fight against crime.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill outlined the government's plans for law and order during a Scottish Parliament debate.

Mr MacAskill also pledged to reinvest £8m from proceeds of crime funds back into communities.

In the last year £6m was recovered as part of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

The nationalists pledged to recruit more officers as part of their election manifesto.

Manifestations of crime

Mr MacAskill restated that commitment while stressing the need to tackle the causes of crime such as alcohol, drugs and deprivation.

He said additional police officers were needed to tackle the fear of crime and to deter criminals.

Mr MacAskill said: "Our commitment is therefore to deliver additional policing capacity - the equivalent of an extra 1,000 officers - and seek to place them in our communities."

But he also said more needed to be done to tackle the underlying causes of criminal behaviour.

He added: "As well as being tough on crime we need to be tough on the causes of crime.

"That means dealing not only with the manifestations of crime itself but also the factors that so often contribute to it - drugs, drink and deprivation."

Mr MacAskill said this did not mean "excusing bad or poor behaviour" but was a recognition of the links between poverty, alcohol and drug abuse and crime.