Concerns are still being raised about an increase in teenage anti-social behaviour in the West Wight.
Police have, however, sought to reassure residents issues are being tackled as a local priority with officer patrols and actively targeting youths who are involved in anti-social behaviour (ASB).
At a Freshwater Parish Council meeting last week, members felt there had been ‘escalating’ ASB incidents in the village and the police ‘were not doing anything’.
Councillor Brian Hinton said he and others were very concerned and the worry was it could lead to vigilante action.
The problems were first raised in January when there was a spate of incidents which have continued.
Councillor Chris Jarman said the police were doing an excellent job in collating the material but it was the Crown Prosecution Service which had decided not to progress some issues. He said he understood people getting frustrated with the process but they had to be mindful of police resources on the Island and that Freshwater was not a hotspot, compared to Newport or Ryde.
Having attended a police briefing, Councillor Jarman said he found it annoying that the police compared the Island and its level of crime to parts of Hampshire where the Island seemingly came out very well.
He said it doesn’t change the fact for locals or the perception there is a serious problem and the police seeking to dismiss that doesn’t help.
The parish council did praise one local officer who had been ‘very supportive’ and was willing to talk to them at a later date.
A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said they work with community safety partners and local services to divert youngsters away from ASB ‘so they can make a positive contribution to society’.
The spokesperson said there was sadly still a very small minority whose continuous offending required them to take more robust actions through the courts.
Kippers in groups should be banned! Whenever I see 2 or more I get scared. This can’t go on!
What are ‘Kippers’ ?
There are a group of feral youths in Freshwater, I saw and reported them trying determinedly to kick in the door to the old Sorting Office, in the passageway beside Hurst’s, on Saturday. When I remonstrated with one boy he just shouted incoherently at me, like an animal. I’m sure they are influenced by drug taking, which is rampant here.
It’s sadly becoming Drug Isle, not Dinosaur Isle
The PROBLEM is people are now paid to have children via tax credits/ universal credit and child allowance, and free or cheap rent and council tax. So the WRONG sort have the most kids, who are unloved ‘except’ for the easy life it give the parent, or rarely the parents.
So more low life is born, who have kids from puberty onwards hence the problem grows worse each year.
IF you decide to breed then you ought to be worse off and given vouchers for the basics of food for the child only. As it is, people are way better off, hence so many dingys arrive daily as the world knows the score now.
Looks like convicting the Milkie Bar kid alone was not enough. Wagon Wheels are still at risk in the wild West Wight. Maybe they should Hang Em High.
Either the police deal with these clowns or the locals will and then there will be a wall of silence as to who gave the little runts a good kicking, causing them serious injuries.
Surely some real. Men can wait silently and batter the trash when there are. No witnesses
Yes, that is the right action. More crime. And ‘real’ men don’t beat up kids.
Hold the phone here. Theres a video, of a group of lads ganging up on one boy. I am told all of these are around 13-14 YO. Now, this is a legitimate video with eye witnesses. 4 teenagers ganging up on one guy, first off is a disgrace. But in this recording, 1 of the 4 lads brandishes a knife, and tries to stab the single individual. The single boy on his own, is well known to police, and has been collard on many occasions. But he is being (unsuccessfully) jumped by 4 other people. He defends himself, and luckily no wounds.
It started up the road with some verbal. But shouldn’t ever escalate to knife crime.
Now society is failing these kids, what is there to do in freshwater? No sports clubs, no gym. Its only going one way…
What is all this about – crime in an inner city ?
If you have a (local) video, have you handed it in to the authorities ?
BTW, it’s not ‘Society’ failing these youths, they have a scateboard area, recreation ground, sports centre and miles of open countryside to play in, not to mention the lovely river and coast.
Primarily it’s down to the quality of parenting and ultimately they are responsible for their own behaviour surely.
Where the hell are you getting inner city crime from? So lets get that cleared up.
The video was shown to the police but no further action taken. Why? Because they see the kids (like the rest of you) as troubled, bad apples or degenerates. Your wrong. Give these kids a chance at experience and they can do some good. Oh, BTW ‘Society’ Such as yourself, are living in the 70s… A skatepark that’s falling apart/ too old. I agree the Rec is there, but how are swings and slides going to entertain 14-17 year olds. Often that why drugs are taken there, because they are quiet. And a sport center to do what, swim? Play inside? In case you hadn’t put 1+1 together, they are clearly in a financial situation. Country side, rivers and coast…
… And what are kids going to do along this Countryside, rivers and Coast… Its not the island it was,
I agree parenting is a substantial factor in their behaviour. But if they are in a society that they feel rejected by, they won’t achieve anything.
The old youth club, why isnt that open. Put some xbox’s in there. Pool tables and sofas. Let kids mingle with their friends inside out of trouble…
Underneath the bowls club (Totland) there used to be a boxing club. Why cant that be revisited? Yes it would need funding but it teaches discipline. West wight can do things for kids, but if we dont take the Tories opinion out of it, crime will only get worse
There is a beach, parks, and loads of other green spaces but you claim these kids have nothing to do. What a load of shi*t. These are bad kids because they have bad parents who have raised total scum.
Apparently it is our fault, as we have failed to provide these youths with sufficient entertainment and so they are forced to commit vandalism and other disruptive behaviour.
As a kid that grew up in Freshwater, We had the MUGA, skatepark, youth clubs.
MUGA is in disrepair – due to this ASB
Skatepark is in disrepair
Youth Club i don’t think has been open since I was a kid.
So yes, without something to entertain them, what else are they going to do. They are kids at the end of the day, it is nature they will get into mischief. We just need to do something to distract from mischief. Yes parenting has a large part of this behaviour. But when Freshwater is so segregated by the rich and the poor, there is an easy void to fall in.
I BlAmE the COvid VaccInaTion
ImmIGraTiOn…
MeGhAN MaRkLE…
ThE WOKe…
SoCiETy….
THE LeFties…
UkRAnian War…
You forgot the floating bridge and bad driving,
Give the little darlings a damn good twatting, then the police will be interested.
they’re bored and so mischief is created , you don’t know they’re home life but I feel there should be a place like a cafe or youth club as a meeting place where they can make better aquaintences ,
Maybe you could run this youth club and try to control these scumbags.
I, speaking as a taxpayer, income and council, demand some bloody respect from these little shytes before one more hard earned pence of mine is squandered in their direction, I’ve paid for them, from birth. They have had far more opportunity, and a better standard of education (if they bothered to attend) than we ever had, we were told to suck it up and get on with it, we worked out pretty damn good. NO MORE!! not until they learn to respect the property of others, be it private or public.
Bring on the vigilantes, serve them bloody right, il be turning a blind.
If only ! – Unfortunately there is too much apathy or fear of reprisals for vigilantes to form here.
In just the few minutes I was parking in Moa Place Freshwater at 9pm tonight, to nip into Sainsbury’s, a youth in a black hoody ran out of Moa Place car park and energetically threw something at a passing bus’s windscreen, as it swung round the bend. Whatever it was splattered across it’s windscreen. If this is not a safety issue, affecting the public, then I don’t know what is.
The group of youths appear to be running amock in that car park, so I would avoid parking there and nearby too – please warn others.
Now waiting for over 2hrs on 101 ! Obviously the Police hope we will eventually give up trying to report crime here.
Alright Tommy Robinson… Calm down. Let me guess “I Pay my taxes, So I must have a say?” Guess what fella, WE ARE ALL PAYING TAX. Did you turn out alright because you sound like an absolute donkey…
Tories decimate the police force on the island. And now we have crime waves. Don’t take a genius to workout the cause.
Bring over a coach load of hard nut youths from London
they will deal with these silly little boys, they would end up
sh*tting themselves.
The police can appeal a CPS decision not to charge and a victim of crime can ask for a decision not to prosecute to be reviewed under the Victims’ Right to Review Scheme
So why do we pay increase in council tax but freshwater us not as bad as newport lets see how long it rakes if everyone in freshwater didnt pay it we would soon be in court and fined stop wasting money on the king and royals and use the money for nhs amd LOCAL POLICE