Police to call parents out deal with rowdy youngsters
Monday, 28th March 2011.
Parents of teenagers throughout Haverhill could end up getting a phone call from the police if they don’t keep tabs on where they are, particularly on Friday nights.
In a new attempt to deal with continuing anti-social behaviour from young people in the Strasbourg Square and Railway Walk areas of the town, police have started ‘inconveniencing’ parents to collect their children, as opposed to the harsher alternative of criminalising them.
Haverhill Town Councillors made it clear at their meeting last week that they did not want to see the town’s young people criminalised if it could be avoided, and this chimes with police thinking.
PC Will Wright of Haverhill Safer Neighbourhood Team said it was a problem which could only be solved by society in general. Police could react to the results of it, but he called on parents to help tackle the causes.
Friday nights have seen an eruption of anti-social behaviour, particularly in the lower part of the Chalkstone estate, and a recent public meeting asked the police to sort it out.
But PC Wright said parents had to take responsibility for where their children were. In a new tactic, police have been contacting parents and requiring them to collect their children there and then when they have been caught being involved in anti-social behaviour.
“I’ve called over a dozen parents in recent weeks,” he said, “and 100 per cent of them did not know their children were involved and were shocked to find out.”
One mother who got called out, and who did not want to named, said she was shocked to be called by the police to collect her 16-year-old daughter, who she thought was visiting a friend.
“I was horrified to discover she had been drinking alcohol,” she said. “I trusted her to do what she said she was doing.”
She had a serious talk with her daughter to make her realise that her behaviour had not been acceptable, and she has not been out since.
“I think a lot of these young people just don’t realise they are causing distress to other people,” she said. “In a way I am glad she has been caught, because it is a short, sharp shock. If they are not caught they may grow in confidence and go on to do something more daring.”
PC Wright said: “Parents put their trust in a child and then they get a phone call from the police and the bubble bursts.
“Anti-social behaviour in this area has been a priority for us for some time now and the message we want to put across is not that we can’t deal with it – of course we can. There are various tools we have, and the law is the last resort.
“But the town council was keen we should not criminalise these youngsters and we agree with that.
“So from now on, if your child is out and you are unsure where they are, be prepared for a phone call. We will call you if your child or young person is causing a problem, so we urge you to have this talk with your child about what is acceptable behaviour when they are out.
“There has been an eruption of young people being set free on a Friday night and becoming anti-social centred around Strasbourg Square and the surrounding area –and it’s not always alcohol-related.
“They have been under pressure at school all the week but venting it in the middle of the community is not acceptable.”
He said the ages ranged from 12 to 17 and the youngsters came from all over the town, not just the big estates. Some were from Hanchet End and others from Roman Way.
They might be in a group of five or six, but there might be ten such groups and then they could coalesce into a group of 30 or 40, sitting next to someone’s home shouting, screaming and swearing.
“In many cases they genuinely don’t think they are doing anything wrong,” said PC Wright. “But this really affects people’s lives.”
One single mother who lives on the lower part of the Chalkstone estate, but did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal, has spoken about the effect of having the wing mirror kicked off her car a couple of weeks ago.
“They might think it’s nothing, but to me it was really serious,” she said. “I can’t afford to get that repaired at the moment, and my little girl is asking me why those boys did that to our car.
“I’ve heard them about and I’ve not complained about the noise because it doesn’t bother me, but when my car was vandalised it’s put me on edge. I was devastated, because I’ve never had a problem before, and it made me feel quite vulnerable actually, as well.
“I’d love to talk to them, because they are probably not bad lads, and ask them why they did it to me. I think it is just showing off – at least I hope that’s all it is.”
So the message to parents all across the town is now clear from PC Wright and his colleagues. “We will be calling parents out on a regular basis until society changes and young people become a bit more courteous,” he said.
In a new attempt to deal with continuing anti-social behaviour from young people in the Strasbourg Square and Railway Walk areas of the town, police have started ‘inconveniencing’ parents to collect their children, as opposed to the harsher alternative of criminalising them.
Haverhill Town Councillors made it clear at their meeting last week that they did not want to see the town’s young people criminalised if it could be avoided, and this chimes with police thinking.
PC Will Wright of Haverhill Safer Neighbourhood Team said it was a problem which could only be solved by society in general. Police could react to the results of it, but he called on parents to help tackle the causes.
Friday nights have seen an eruption of anti-social behaviour, particularly in the lower part of the Chalkstone estate, and a recent public meeting asked the police to sort it out.
But PC Wright said parents had to take responsibility for where their children were. In a new tactic, police have been contacting parents and requiring them to collect their children there and then when they have been caught being involved in anti-social behaviour.
“I’ve called over a dozen parents in recent weeks,” he said, “and 100 per cent of them did not know their children were involved and were shocked to find out.”
One mother who got called out, and who did not want to named, said she was shocked to be called by the police to collect her 16-year-old daughter, who she thought was visiting a friend.
“I was horrified to discover she had been drinking alcohol,” she said. “I trusted her to do what she said she was doing.”
She had a serious talk with her daughter to make her realise that her behaviour had not been acceptable, and she has not been out since.
“I think a lot of these young people just don’t realise they are causing distress to other people,” she said. “In a way I am glad she has been caught, because it is a short, sharp shock. If they are not caught they may grow in confidence and go on to do something more daring.”
PC Wright said: “Parents put their trust in a child and then they get a phone call from the police and the bubble bursts.
“Anti-social behaviour in this area has been a priority for us for some time now and the message we want to put across is not that we can’t deal with it – of course we can. There are various tools we have, and the law is the last resort.
“But the town council was keen we should not criminalise these youngsters and we agree with that.
“So from now on, if your child is out and you are unsure where they are, be prepared for a phone call. We will call you if your child or young person is causing a problem, so we urge you to have this talk with your child about what is acceptable behaviour when they are out.
“There has been an eruption of young people being set free on a Friday night and becoming anti-social centred around Strasbourg Square and the surrounding area –and it’s not always alcohol-related.
“They have been under pressure at school all the week but venting it in the middle of the community is not acceptable.”
He said the ages ranged from 12 to 17 and the youngsters came from all over the town, not just the big estates. Some were from Hanchet End and others from Roman Way.
They might be in a group of five or six, but there might be ten such groups and then they could coalesce into a group of 30 or 40, sitting next to someone’s home shouting, screaming and swearing.
“In many cases they genuinely don’t think they are doing anything wrong,” said PC Wright. “But this really affects people’s lives.”
One single mother who lives on the lower part of the Chalkstone estate, but did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal, has spoken about the effect of having the wing mirror kicked off her car a couple of weeks ago.
“They might think it’s nothing, but to me it was really serious,” she said. “I can’t afford to get that repaired at the moment, and my little girl is asking me why those boys did that to our car.
“I’ve heard them about and I’ve not complained about the noise because it doesn’t bother me, but when my car was vandalised it’s put me on edge. I was devastated, because I’ve never had a problem before, and it made me feel quite vulnerable actually, as well.
“I’d love to talk to them, because they are probably not bad lads, and ask them why they did it to me. I think it is just showing off – at least I hope that’s all it is.”
So the message to parents all across the town is now clear from PC Wright and his colleagues. “We will be calling parents out on a regular basis until society changes and young people become a bit more courteous,” he said.
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