Sidney Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Curfew - 11pm to 6am for all those under 16 years old. Any caught out on the street could then be liable to arrest and a large fine for the parents. Hit the parents in the pocket, they'll soon get the little shits under control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbo Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Install a few of these in public places sonic teenager deterrent? They may then start dancing! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/5382324.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 What we need is legislation to prevent gangs of more than (maybe) half a dozen forming. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4484020.stm An entire village in West Lothian is set to become a dispersal zone to tackle problems caused by gangs of youths in the area. From Thursday, officers will have the power, under anti-social behaviour legislation, to disperse any group of two or more people .... Councillor Jim Swan, head of the West Lothian Council's community safety committee, said: "That amount of youths around is quite frightening and some of them have drink, etcetera. They can be quite aggressive. "A dispersal order is simple for the police to enforce. If people don't move on at the first warning, they can be arrested. "I think it will be pretty effective and hopefully bring peace back to the local community again." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hboy Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 I'm aghast at this. What kind of ridiculous situation have we got to where this can happen en masse and nothing appears to be getting done. FFS a group of 150 youngsters breaking numerous laws right outside the police station and they are simply appealing to parents to control their kids a bit better? It's beyond a joke. I was going to agree with you, but following a walk along the prom the other night I have to say that there is absolutely f**k all for 14 - 18 year olds to do in Douglas so what do people expect? There is no where for them to go so is it no surprise that they're on Broadway and Nobles Park getting pi**ed. Douglas has an appalling lack of facilities for young people, and they've recently shut that place on Broadway that was the only club open to under 18' so is it a surprise people sitll hang round the area. Plus Douglas Corpy's only attempt to stop drunken kids hanging round seems to be to remove seats in the Prom and the Rose Gardens etc so they can't sit down which is hardly dealing with the problem. Kids who can't sit down tend to wander around and cause more nuisance, its not rocket science. I watched two fifteen year olds belt sh*t out of two road signs on the Prom with skateboards the other night and a Police van just cruised past oblivious. The reason? I bet the Police are as fed up as the kids because the only thing that will keep them off the streets is some sort of under 18's club or decent youth facilities so they are wasting their time as well. When I was that age 20 years ago you had Summerland, the Villa, loads of amusement arcades, pool halls and lots of different places that catered for under 18's. There were lots of under 18 discos, and at Sumerland you could play 5 a side, squash, snooker, badminton etc just on the edge of town. Now the NSC, the swimming pool, and five-a-side venues like the Mount Murray are out of the centre of Douglas so if you can't drive your stuffed. There really is bugger all for anyone under 18 in central Douglas, and the corpy should be doing something about it. Rather than moan perhaps people could suggest what might be attractive for these kids to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 There really is bugger all for anyone under 18 in central Douglas, and the corpy should be doing something about it. Rather than moan perhaps people could suggest what might be attractive for these kids to do. I don't think the problem is restricted to Central Douglas - it's just that it's more visible there. It really is an island-wide problem and one that needs to be addressed by central government rather than leaving it all to the local authorities. If £4.5 million can so easily be found for the refurbishment of the Villa Arcade, surely as little as a tenth of that (properly applied) could be used to provide and staff decent facilities for young people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hboy Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 I'm not blaming the children in all of this, it's pretty much 100% the fault of the waste-of-space parents who seem to think that gadgets and "freedom" can replace what parenting used to be about, which was care and devotion and being close to your child. There are a lot of dead-head parents about that is true. You only have to go to childrens sports clubs etc for proof these days - full of knob-end chavs with their tattoos and fags in their T Maxx cast offs chatting noisily to their friends on top of the range knocked-off mobiles. I was down the NSC last week and it was like a Wayne and Waynetta Slob look alike competition. If that is what the parents are like the kids have no chance. Dickheads all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celt Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 It all stems to the upsurge in lawyers making a mint from liability. Bollox, sorry but it is. It stems form a certain Lawyers firm who built up their company by doing most, if not all at the time, legal aid cases. They then put into place the ," Jonnie needs a social report " so they can bump up the bill. It's costing US a fortune to get these fuck-wits off. I hope everyone knows that you can take the parents off these toe rags to court? But it costs money if you don't get the legal aid that they do. The Police don't let it be known but it's very easy to make a " Citizens Arrest " but you still need to use the right terminoligy. And it would stand up in court. Even " You're Knicked " is enough in some cases. However if we still walk past and let these toerags do what they want and don't make the effort ourselves, it will still happen. Stu, loving your work and when i said i like you eventually, i meant when MR changed to the new format I was unsure. You proved me wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 If the police don't want to be seen as 'the enemy' then the chief needs to look again at community policing. My boy is in his 4th year at school and he can not ever recall an officer visiting his school as a 'friendly' face. If the first proper interaction between police and children is happening at teen age as the result of complaints then this is bound to have little positive effect. I knew the name of my local constable when I was growing up and it was the same officer for a number of years. We trusted and respected him because we knew him. There was no 'us and them' atttitude in later life. Teens are not going to obey a ' 2 or more' rule, we call them antisocial then ban them from meeting in groups? The problem is behavioral, and this will be a problem whether 2 or 20 if the mind is of such a disposition. Teens need to learn to respect but they also need to be trusted sometimes. If they step out of line then crack down on them and make sure they know where they stand, it's the lack of consequence from many quarters that they are laughing at. A police state where officers are constantly prowling the streets moving them on just for being in a group is not a society to advocate. If the police were walking up and chatting with them as young adults and gaining ther trust then there would be a benefit. Going out all guns blazing at 10pm when the trouble is already underway benefits nobody. The Independant expanded on the story with the addition of mentioning some of the damage done. Being told that parents may be written to will mean nothing to them ahead of it happening. Maybe the teens think they are safe because the limited police resources are usually tied up on a Friday night by the 'adults' on Douglas Promenade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Peters Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 Mark - that's exactly what Insp. Simon Lowe and the Western bobbies are doing in association with QE2 High - they are having a cop on-site on a regular basis as both a point of contact, and to help with a number of issues. I don't know that the police SHOULD be TOO approachable - there needs to be a clear demonstration of authority (which most kids seem to lack at home), and as was said on The West Wing a while ago "you may not respect the man, but you'll sure as hell respect the position". Speaking of 'respect', you don't see Sicilian kids running around in gangs. No, wait... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cret Posted September 29, 2006 Author Share Posted September 29, 2006 When I was a youngster our village bobby (ballabeg) had quite an intimidating appearance as he was a big fella and always looked like he was about to rip the head off a rhino perhaps - pretty cross looking! That was enough for a lot of us to behave as we sure as hell didn't want to get on the wrong side of him - after all, getting in trouble would probably mean a anned arse from both parents, then a terrible fate at the hands of the feared local bobby. He's actually a really nice bloke but he was feared when we were kids - never saw anyone say anything cheeky to him! Anyway, 3FM (sorry Stu - my Mrs tunes it in) mentioned that Operation Atomic commences this weekend to try and crack down on this problem so it'll be interesting to see what the police's approach is. I don't envy them as it won't be an easy or straightforward job, but I hope they manage to achieve something. May the force be with them. Ahem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 It is difficult for the Police as if there are 150 people in Nobles Park and they spot some damage has been caused, then are they supposed to arrest all 150 kids? There is nothing unlawful about 150 kids being in Nobles Park at night time. If they are just being noisy then again, not a lot the Police can do about it apart from ask them to move on - but where to???? It's not the Police's job to find places for them to go, and as was mentioned above, they are busy enough sorting out the adults! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 Mark - that's exactly what Insp. Simon Lowe and the Western bobbies are doing in association with QE2 High - they are having a cop on-site on a regular basis as both a point of contact, and to help with a number of issues. I don't know that the police SHOULD be TOO approachable - there needs to be a clear demonstration of authority (which most kids seem to lack at home), and as was said on The West Wing a while ago "you may not respect the man, but you'll sure as hell respect the position". Speaking of 'respect', you don't see Sicilian kids running around in gangs. No, wait... Good to hear that Insp. Lowe reads my forum posts I (as a parent and law abiding taxpayer) would be happy seeing on officer casually walk through the playground before the bell goes, not daily, not annually just at some sort of semi regular occurence so that the children become accostomed to the presence in a subconcious way. It is possible to be approachable and retain authority, if anything I'd say easier in the playground than in Nobles Park at 10pm on a Friday. Get 'em young and keep it up as an accepted part of policing, not in 2 week operations when the damage is done. If children are told the boundaries and they are reinforced, whether it is at clubs, schools etc. they can grow up respecting the drawn lines. Look at the methods of 'reinforcement' (home, school, clubs, community) and you will find a large part of the answer. as was said on The West Wing a while ago "you may not respect the man, but you'll sure as hell respect the position". As was said in the Butterfly Effect: "A small insignificant action today can have world changing consequences tomorrow" (or suchlike). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Maybe I am mising the point here. This is not the liberal view. I thought Nobles Park was for kids to play in. They go there and we kick up a fuss. Mmmm. Much better they are there, than at home in front of TV or computer or games console. Should they have been there at that time, well that rather depends. When I was a kid, my parents only went out infrequently and never late. We played out, streets, local park, but had to be in by bedtimje. When the responsible adults are out or don't have a bed time what do we expect kids to do. OK I don't rememeber large groupings. I wonder what the attrcation is, why jhas no one asked. WEhy aren't there Dept Ed youthworkers there organising games and activities, if thats where they go. Outdoor youthclubs. The drink is a bugger. I suspect we most of us indulged under age. Why isn't more doine to teach resposible drinking and to prosecute those who sell to those under age. The suggestions to curfew, coral or kill, tongue in cheek or not, are such a waste. What about the election candidates, set up their hustings and get to the new voters direct! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
localyokel Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 It is difficult for the Police as if there are 150 people in Nobles Park and they spot some damage has been caused, then are they supposed to arrest all 150 kids? 150 kids in a park. Is there a limit on how many kids are allowed to use a park? I thought parks were the very places where you expected to find high numbers of kids at any one time? If it was 150 kids found at the Meery Veg sewage pumping station now that would be odd - but a park? Nobles Park is one of the few places that kids in Douglas can do anything as youth services are so poor, so are we going to ban kids from parks now? If they don't go to parks where else can they go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 If they don't go to parks where else can do they go? The streets, Drunken, shouting abuse and ripping off wing mirrors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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