Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Anti Social Behaviour threatens to become the defining issue of our generation unless we can find ways of stemming and then reversing the tide. I went on patrol with the police Friday two weeks ago and was impressed with the common sense coppering of our neighbourhood beat officers. As it started raining heavily at 8.30pm we did not see too much action, because most of the youngsters went home!

But this Friday I happened to be up on Plympton Ridgeway and was truly appalled at the levels of noise and yobbish behaviour demonstrated by a large group of local youngsters, ranging in age from 13 to 18. Local shopkeepers were at their wits end. It looked as though a fight was about to break out. The police were called, some action taken and the horde gradually dispersed. As we all know, this pattern has been repeated for many months throughout Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge.

Even if they are behaving well, when a crowd of young people gathers there is a problem. Foul language, lack of respect and spitting on the pavement are commonplace and this is likely to intimidate anyone from a different generation. It is a clash of cultures. The current generation, heavily influenced by modern TV and computer games, play to a different set of rules.

But sometimes, when alcohol has done its job, this background hum of inconvenience grows into a totally unacceptable assault on our values of social behaviour.

So what is to be done? Our community officers are doing their best. But we need more of them, and we have to remove some of the paperwork off their shoulders. It can take an entire eight-hour shift to process one crime – not the best use of a trained professional. We need more police and they need less red tape. The policemen and woman I meet are impressive. The system behind them is too often bureaucratic and ponderous. We can do much better than that.

Second, we have to connect with the parents of the small minority of local youngsters who are causing trouble on the streets. The police do take youngsters home, but it is clearly not working. Slicker systems that require parents to turn up in court on the following Monday to answer for their children’s behaviour might quench a few fires.

This problem is likely to get worse.

posted by Nigel on Tuesday, February 22, 2005