Vandalism/Criminal Damage and frustration

[alan@marple]

One again the young hooligans were out  on the Hollins last Friday night, I would imagine about 40 of them, swigging cans of Lager and Beer, screaming and shouting, all under the view area of the camera. I got out of the way had my phone been working I would have asked the Police to take a look, perhaps they did.

I wish our elected representatives, who do so much for us, I  read , would take a walk on a Friday and Saturday night and give these kids the benefit of there advice.

Perhaps then we can read how they have succeeded in making our town center peaceful and pleasant to walk through, during the long daylight evenings

I am an 18 year old lad, and i no that all this trouble is being caused by under age drinking,  I have heard many a time by friends in marple that !!!WHEN!!! the police catch underage drinkers on the street they dont take the alcohol of them they just tell them to move to a quite spot!

BUSS shelters! What is the score with them?

1) Why are they smashed?

2) Why do we insist on having them made from materials that are easily smashed!

3) Can we stop this?

Just wanted to make people aware of this incident i was at home last week when somebody rang the bell I went to the door and there was a 15-17 yr old stood there with his hood up surprise surprise. He asked me for the time i told him i didnt have it and shut the door on him he would not go away so i called the police and shouted at him through the window he did then go away but i have since found out that this has happened before to a friend of mine just last week so beware of any hooded strangers on your doorstep.

[Aaron]

If they know RIGHT from WRONG then by deliberately doing criminal damage (see the Kelly's Nightclub thread) then they are deliberately doing 'WRONG' things... it might not be rocket science, but they're still getting it wrong.

[alan@marple]

Reading the various postings. prompts me to suggest that readers might like to take a look at the community councils webpage. There is a leader article about crime and disorder.

Perhaps residents might like to support the Marple community council by attending the meeting this week

Here's a  direct link to the MCC site http://www.marpleccexec.org.uk/
Admin

I agree that there is nothing for the youth of Marple to do of an evening,  but they do know RIGHT from WRONG.

Criminal damage, assault, harassment, drugs = WRONG

being accountable for your actions, good behaviour = RIGHT

This is not rocket science

[Aaron]

I agree with what people have been saying so far. There's so little for young people to do in Marple. Let's not forget that the Liberal club, the Bowler and now the Jolly have all been demolished to make way for even more houses.

On a trip to Germany a few years ago, I saw how basketball courts or fenced-off football pitches were built behind blocks of flats, how there was a hockey pitch open all hours on the north side of town, and credible cycle routes by which to get there. These were not new facilities; the flats and their basketball courts were built in the seventies. Yet what can youths do in the evening in Marple these days? Nothing. It's the same story as with the railways in this country, decades of underinvestment have led to the major problem we have today.

It's a shame that we have to ask the question "can the police help?". Something should have been done long ago to stop this problem from escalating.

[2002standardmat]

Spoke to the councillors today and they have arranged a meeting with the police prior to the Marple Area Comittee meeting at the beginning of Decemeber.

An opportunity to discuss issuses with the police and hopefully come up with some practical, workable and realistic ways forward.

I'll keep an eye on the forum and see if there is anything I can take forward from here.

"its the attitude and lack of any respect for anyone or anything that needs to be addressesd as well" - could not agree more.  Not isolated to Marple though, more of a national problem - ASBOs say it all!

[alison]

Think I might have gone to school with you Lisa! Or that may have been another Lisa

Anyway, I agree with what you are saying - we did hang around (mainly outside the old coop) but from what i remember we were taught right from wrong by our parents and were scared of things getting back to them as we knew if they did we would be in Big Trouble.

Maybe the sense of community has broken down, or maybe some parents are taking less responsibility for the actions, and discipline, of their children. I don't know the answer unfortunately, I wish I did

Alison

[Lisa Oldham]

When I was a kid in Marple only 15+ years ago -actually thats quite a lot isnt it '>  
theres was nothing to do at all so we hung around on street corners and walked around the streets alot...
We never caused serious mishief or did any damage to anyones property..

obviously there is and always has been a problem with INTERESTING things for kids to do in Marple BUT thats not all of it.. its the attitude and lack of any respect for anyone or anything that needs to be addressesd as well

[Deniseamb]

Agree with you there.  The Jolly Sailor campaign to turn it into a youth club/dry bar didn't work.  Maybe the local sports clubs could do more.  Often kids are put off by things based in colleges or schools.  In my office we have a community project based in sports clubs such as Liverpool FC, Oldham AFC and Salford Reds with a particular aim of getting late teens and adults involved with learning and I.T. away from a college environment although colleges are involved.  They are proving very popular.

[johnhoughton]

I was quite suprised to read your comments,  whilst it is no excuse, it is a fact that many of Marple's youth have very little to do of an evening,  it is very often boredom that leads onto mischeif and escalates further.

I am always conscious of the fact that youth is complained about regularly, but when they look for assistance and an element of funding is required nobody wants to know, a young Marple lad aged 11 has the opportunity to box in Canada in April 2004 and is trying to raise his airfare through donations but nobody wants to know,  when they want to do right, they get no response, but do something wrong everybody is out in force.

 Surely we should be encouraging them and not constantly knocking them.

Maybe somebody will do something positive for those who have an ambition.

[2002standardmat]

Thanks for the responses

Got an email reply off one of the area councillors this morning and I intend to speak to a few colleagues in highways tomorrow to test the water about the closure of the path.

Hopefully the Local Authority path may bear some fruit - after all, I try my damned hardest for everyone who calls me at work, like to think others would do the same.

Looked into the closure thing a lot and it would seem that it can be difficult if it is used in a lawful manner for the majority of the time - can but try.

The police just seem completely uninterested - I remeber growing up in Marple as a child and always taking the mickey out of them for drinking cups of teas in peoples houses all night - bit different when you need their help!

The officer I spoke to at Marple on Saturday acknowledged that there are 'problem areas' of Marple - if this is the case, then why the hell don't they do something about it.

Great websaite and nice to spend some time on a forum not related to guitars (what I usually do).  Hopefully it wil grow more and more and be a great resource for the community.  '>

[alastair]

What worries me most is the use of the words Obligatory and Usual!!

This is an outrage that needs to be sorted.  Am as always disapointed in the police for not helping here and for the council for not listening to the public!

Hope something happens to ease the situation