Over 100 Freshwater residents gathered at the West Wight Community and Sports Centre on Monday evening to discuss the severe anti-social behaviour of a group of youths in the normally quiet village.
2 teenage boys aged 13 and 14 were arrested on suspicion of burglary last Wednesday (11th January). The same boys were also arrested for multiple thefts, harassment and criminal damage earlier this year (4th January).
The 2 boys are said to be part of a group of around 12 youngsters aged between 12 and 15, whose anti-social behaviour is causing problems in the West Wight village on a nightly basis.
Villagers at the meeting claimed that the youths had been involved in drug taking, vandalism, damage to property and had even held up a Southern Vectis bus for an hour.
The gravity of the situation was illustrated by the 2 Police officers present at the meeting, twice having to leave the community centre to deal with anti-social behaviour from youngsters outside the building.
The meeting was addressed by local police officer PC Gunter, who said:
“We try to help children as well as to punish them. We don’t want to see them go through the criminal system or get criminal records. We can’t speed up the system because they are under 16.
“We urge people to report crime to the police. We have many reports of crime but sometimes no evidence.
Article continues below this advertisement “We have arrested and interviewed 2 of the culprits. We aim to set up a Section 35 dispersal zone so that they can’t come into the centre of Freshwater.”
However, local residents expressed their dissatisfaction with local policing, claiming that they never saw a visible police presence in Freshwater and that there was a 20-minute response rate from Newport to any emergency call. 1 resident said it took Police 7 hours to respond to a 999 call.
There were also complaints that it was very difficult to get through to the Police on the telephone and that contact was only possible via email.
The meeting was also attended by local councillors and the Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Protection, Karen Lucioni, as well as a representative of Bob Seely MP.
Councillor Peter Spink (Freshwater North and Yarmouth) expressed his disappointment that there was no senior Police Officer present at the meeting.
Councillor John Medland (Freshwater South) said:
“There has been an extraordinary upturn in crime. I am really disappointed and frustrated with the lack of reaction. We have to put pressure on the appropriate authorities and work out what we can do to involve the community as a whole.”
Councillor Karen Lucioni said she would bring the concerns of Freshwater residents to the attention of Police Commissioner Donna Jones at their meeting on 2nd March.
Cllr Lucioni made the following statement to Island Echo:
“I attended the community meeting in Freshwater to listen first-hand to what residents are experiencing on what seems a daily basis. I work closely with police, community safety and stakeholders like youth offending.
“I am also on the police and crime commissioner panel to hold Donna Jones to account on how policing is run in our area. I have a meeting with her on the Island soon, and this will be part of the conversation.
“I feel some funding into youth engagement would be really beneficial. I will be championing the community to make sure the anti-social behaviour they have been experiencing results in a satisfactory resolution.
“However, I do ask the community to please come forward with any information. Anyone wanting to contact me confidentially are very welcome to do so on [email protected] .
Stop covering for these people name and shame doesn’t matter about their age
if they can’t name the little b’stds ‘cos of their age,.. then name & shame the parents!
Perhaps that will give them some encouragement to keep their little darlings under control
& while they’re at it, make the parents responsible for the cost of the damage / repairs / clean-up.
Yet the only evidence the Island Echo could get was a bin fire in 2021.
It’s still burning by the look of the picture!
‘they never saw a visible police presence in Freshwater’
Much the same over the rest of the Island too. Can’t remember the last time I saw a police officer actually walking on the streets.
Seen them parked up by the sides of the road and in Tesco, Costa and McDonalds – yes, I know they have to eat, but that really shouldn’t be the only time we see a police officer.
Perhaps there should be a requirement for ALL police officers, of all ranks, to spend a couple of hours a week actually walking around the towns and being visible. They’re busy, I’m sure, but 1 or 2 hours a week each should be possible?
as they manage to find time to park up outside co op in ryde in the summer and paint rainbow faces on kids and paint rainbows on the cars, then they have time to be on the beat.
Do you mean ‘Engaging with the public’ and ‘forging positive relations with young people’?
Bet the police will want more money from your council tax in April to pay for???? Pay for their pay rise I expect.
Police on beat do best they can and generally help. It’s process and policy at fault needing the public to put themselves at risk and provide statements, evidence, CCTV and willing to appear in Court. It’s hard to get through on 101 and often 999 operators are stressed with over work and no local knowledge, not interested in preventing crime just want to make arrests and charging. Delays in police response is down to control room allocating and dispatch of officers . What’s happening to PCSOs and volunteer (Specials )police officers??? don’t see anymore.
Gov funding cut them (as in “why we spend so much money on not-so-professional officers” #tories
A large chunk of Specials were recruited as full fledged police as part of Boris’s recruitment drive, but have not been replaced. Give with one hand, take with another.
Why wait till March, with emails being the preferred method of contact these days, just email the commissioner now and get all affected residents to do the same, at the same time.
Time they had the discipline mummy and daddy never gave them 😉
Trouble is, parents are not allowed to discipline their kids anymore because that would be “abuse”. Thanks to all the hand wringing do gooders this country really has gone to pot, literally.
That’s a lie we are allowed to discipline our kids. People use that as an excuse so they don’t have to do the hard work. Difference between discipline and abuse
If children were taught manners and respect for others and their property we wouldn’t have these situations. I don’t think some parents know how to correctly raise their kids these days. Too many violent video games corrupt young minds now.
If I lived in Freshwater, which I don’t, I would be protecting my property and my family MY WAY from these unruly little shi*ts.
Name and shame the parents of these ba*tards. Though not sure this would make any difference! The parents don’t know and don’t give a fig where and what their kids are getting up to. Never had anything like this before on the island. It’s got to stop
Perhaps it’s time to bring back junior approved schools or borstals as there were in the past. They definitely worked as I know from personal experience that you thought twice about re-offending once you had been through the system. Also fine the parents even if it means taking it out of their benefits or wages.
“The meeting was also attended by local councillors and the Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Protection, Karen Lucioni, as well as a representative of Bob Seely MP.”
Bob had far more important things to do.
Like pretending to dig a hole at St Mary’s Hospital.
So he sent his pet labrador to represent him. Pretty poor representation. Labradors are cute, friendly and intelligent. Should have sent a cockroach instead.
The Crime Commissioner was also missing..!!! Even if not invited or directly aware, could have been informed that local tax payers had an issue and made a comment/concern – perhaps?
Are parents in UK not responsible for their children unlawful doings? Sue them for damage from burglary, or the cost of a firemen attending.
It isn’t just Freshwater, we have the same problems here in Ryde with youths vandalising toilets and stealing property, youth offending is getting out of control as they know not much will be done to punish them.
The police response that they don’t want to give them criminal records is disgusting, they are criminals and should be treated as such, what we need is hard borstals such as we had with St Swithins before it was closed and built over.
No Bob at the meeting ! Shame obviously saving the world somewhere else and will speak to Donna Jones PCC ah well that’s that dead and buried then .. sorry residents of Freshwater .. you’re just not important enough, thugs win .
Police see anti-social behaviour as an irritant only. And especially from kids. It’s mostly just a telling off and hope the parents deal with it. Not enough nowadays I’m afraid.
It’s all gone mad. Need bobbies back on the streets. Maybe Island residents should set up a go fund me page for our Isle of Wight Constabulary, Dentists and Hospital. Council tax isnt being invested in the most needed. Just being robbed.
”We can’t speed up the system because they are under 16” What a load of do-gooder B/S. That’s exactly what DOES need to happen, where does it say they can’t be scum before they are 16? These feral brats need to be on curfews and be tagged so that the police can be in constant knowledge of where they are.Too many hand wringers interfering and now this is the result. If the police can’t or won’t deal with the problem get vigilantes dealing with it. It is getting beyond control and why should decent people have to put up with it. See how quick it would all change if a magistrate or a councillor or an MP lived in the area. Nowhere near enough being done to solve the problem because those who could be doing anything aren’t being effected
I believe the issue is two fold. First we have parents that enable this behavior, if they are unaware of their child’s actions they need to be made aware. If they are aware and are negligent in correcting the anti-social behavior they should be prosecuted.
Secondly, the community is partly to blame. More needs to be done to build up a sense of community within the west wight. What this highlights is a clear lack of pride and/or respect for their home. It would be less likely for delinquents to vandalize something they themselves are invested in. This could be done with community service for offenders having to clean and maintain areas they have abused. Or as community funded projects for minors to assist in maintaining the area.
I don’t believe it’s down to everyone else to bring up other people’s children.
Everybody else to find these children something to do
Maybe if their parents spent some time teaching and entertaining their own children, then this wouldn’t be a problem.
Trouble is, it takes a degree of intelligence to raise children with any sort of decent behaviour, and there are far too many people out there breeding who have no intelligence whatsoever. They just see a child as a means to claim benefits and have no interest in their upbringing at all.
The police are far to happy and comftable to sit in a van to collect money of motorists ,get the police to do real police work they can not be bothered ,the police and crime commissioner is just another name for a non working person ,curfews ,bans ,name and shame
Why not set up vigilante group if the police are not going to do anything let the residents of freshwater see how long the little s..it’s last. Get the pizza shop shut down, in the avenue that’s where kids get there drugs from that would be a good start
Get your facts right before you make false accusations
O joe you know it happens there so so much are you the taker or supplier
Where and what are these fu*king little brats parents doing to control their ferral offspring?
The Police must stop this behaviour and come down hard on the parents. What is this island coming to when parents have no idea what trouble and anxiety their kids are causing.
Fine the parents heavily and put their brats on a curfew. It’s not the Police’s job to discipline these kids, it’s the parents, so start responsible parenting! This IS the missing link…….PARENTS!
You’re lifeless