A Police inspector has attempted to address the concerns of frightened elderly residents in Freshwater after a spate of anti-social activity in the West Wight area.
Inspector Matt Gooding addressed around 100 concerned villagers at a meeting in the West Wight Sports and Community Centre last night (Monday).
This follows a heated meeting last Monday (16th January) in which locals had expressed their fear and anger at the activities of a ‘gang’ of around 12 youngsters who were said to have been ‘wreaking havoc’ in the area.
In addressing locals, the inspector played down the seriousness of the offences, saying:
“Freshwater is an exceptionally safe place to live. The threat of burglary and offences against the person are very low. The majority of young people are not a problem.
“There have been 18 incidents of anti-social behaviour. These include knocking a door and running away. There has been an incident of burglary, but this was in an empty property. No attempts have been made to break into houses where people actually live.
“You have to take into account the conflating effect of people telling stories to others.”
Inspector Gooding claimed the Police were actively holding offenders to account:
“We have taken robust actions against suspects. 2 have been arrested with 1 charged and the other referred to the youth offender service.
“Those concerned are subject to Community Behaviour orders. They have been placed on curfew from 19:00 to 07:00, and curfew checks are being made. They have been made subject to a non-association clause and are not allowed to enter Sainsbury’s.”
Freshwater residents acting against suspected offenders independently of the Police were last night warned:
“Vigilante groups make the work of the police more difficult. It may feel empowering for people in the area to take matters into their own hands, but there is a fine line between the right to speak out and harassment.”
Inspector Gooding defended the Police presence on the Isle of Wight, saying:
“It’s not true that we are under-resourced. The Isle of Wight is not the poor relation in Hampshire. We have more police per reported crime than anywhere else in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. We always have 1 sergeant and 8 police constables on duty.”
“However, units are deployed more often in Ryde and Newport than in West Wight as we have more incidents there.”
However, Inspector Goodings’ claims of adequate policing on the Island were challenged by 1 Freshwater resident, who claimed:
“The trouble is being caused at 4 o’clock in the morning. Things are happening when the Police are not on duty.”
Another resident expressed concerns about the elderly being unable to report crimes due to lack of internet skills. He asked:
“What do old people who don’t even use a mobile phone do to report a crime online?”
The harshest criticism of the Police came from former Parish Councillor George Cameron, whose home has repeatedly been targeted by local youngsters to the extent that he has now resigned from the council.
Mr Cameron said:
“I’ve been intimidated when going out for a meal.
“I’ve been affected badly. I have trouble to sleep. I’m scared. That’s going to turn to anger.
“It took 15 days to take a statement when my window got smashed. My confidence in the Police is very low.”
The meeting also heard from Councillor Daniel James, Chair of the Parish Council, who sought positive activities to keep young people occupied.
Cllr James said:
“We have a youth club that meets twice a week. We used to have a full time youth worker, but funding from the Isle of Wight Council has been withdrawn.
“Would you like us to increase the precept so that we can employ a full time youth worker?”
If the police were to do their jobs properly then the people wouldn’t need to think about taking actions themselves
I think we need to keep this in perspective, the police have taken positive action in relation to two of the main offenders and are continuing to deal with the incidents. This kind of incident would not even be newsworthy on the mainland and it would appear that certain residents are embellishing the facts to make it seem more serious!
It would not make the news on mainland, because the police would have been there in the start… over here 1 policeperson for 15,000 people… good odds !! And people always ask, where are the police… what’s taking them so long ??
You go and live in Hemel Hempstead /Luton/Milton Keynes for 4/6months you dare not go out for a walk on your own after it gets dark, vandalism is rife and a, lack of police even more so… Same old same old excuses given for poor policing and a lack of anything for kids to do up and down the UK.
Police are only employed to protect the so called Elite.
Go to Downing Street or Windsor and the proof is in the pudding.
Nothing else is important.
Think of Tesco Share Prices.
Bring back the birch
And of course far easier work to stand in a warm hall badgering old people willing to attend than actually patrolling the streets and dealing with these feral miscreants.
It’s called public engagement which is what the residents asked for. The rest of the officers on duty were out doing their normal jobs. Think about what you’re saying rather than just police bashing for the sake of it.
“We always have 1 sergeant and 8 police constables on duty” – really?
Across the island, yes.
If that is for the whole Island why are we paying so much on Council Tax? Every year the Police segment increases in size – Why what is the justification apart from us now being merged with Hampshire – how many does Hampshire have on duty?
The island has always been part of Hampshire police, nothing had changed apart from the name. The island remains one of the safest places to live.
Whilst vigilant groups may be frowned upon by the Police, they would not even have been considered a few years ago.
Whilst it is not all the Police’s fault, as now we have imported the worlds dross into the UK, with more arriving every calm day, the UK’s prisons are so full that we can NEVER again give meaningful sentences to criminals, and our young grow up knowing that.
So token gesture punishments are all that happens, and gullible elderly wrongly assume a youth club, a skate park, etc will stop such gangs.
They won’t, as drugs, s ex and alcohol have far more appeal that a ping-pong table.
And sadly violence and destruction unless harshly dealt with is part of the ego appeal for young teens to attract dim womb owners.
And who’s going to form these vigilante groups? Did you see the picture of that meeting? Not one of them look under 60 and I’m reconing you are another old farter as well.
What are you going to do? Chuck Werther’s Originals at them?
That’s right be rude and show how ignorant you are. I expect your the sort to complain then sit in doors hiding watching Cbeebies at least the oldies have a bit more bottle.
Even a frail, disabled elderly lady will still be able to meter out a greater punishment that either the Police or the courts EVER will now.
Also it has to be remembered that as the law is so very weak now, and proof in triplicate is needed before any pathetic sentence is ever given, if at all, then that cuts both ways.
So those who take the law into their own hands if done with stealth and thought are unlikely to be caught by the 1-in-8 and IF they are then any sentence will be just as weak too.
The Police just want an easy life as they know, as already mentioned on here that the Courts will not be able to give sentences which are needed as the prisons full to bursting.
Sadly the young know that as well.
Every parent knows that if you tell a juvenile not to do something they see it as a challenge and will try to do so. This is the culture being encouraged by others of same age. To achieve anything in todays society there is a vast void between age groups being developed due to technology or lack of technology. I am amazed at how many everyday tasks public services expect to be carried out electronically. I am fortunate that I have a PC and mobile phone, thousands on the Island do not nor are they able to afford or purchase these items which the youth of today find easy to obtain, use and abuse. Perhaps technology isn’t after all that good and consideration should be given more to those who cannot obtain or afford it or use it.
The vandalism problem is no better and no worse than it always has been. The whole row is due to Cameron’s sh*t stirring becaue he’s been targetted.
People should be asking him why.
The DIY approach is the only way when you have a corrupt council who use the precept threat to scare locals into submission. What the police are saying basically is “Put up with it….” Good luck to the people doing what they need to to protect the area, I hope they catch them.
Catch them?
They already have.
It shouldn’t matter if property is empty or not, it belongs to someone and these idiots were not invited in. Breaking into a property is a crime and that’s it ! If police can come out with a statement like that then god help us.
I can’t imagine a ‘frightened elderly residents’ vigilante group. Something worth seeing I suppose, despite the advice against.
“Vigilante groups make the work of the police more difficult. It may feel empowering for people in the area to take matters into their own hands, but there is a fine line between the right to speak out and harassment
there is a mile wide gap between what the police say and what they actually do.
the police are in place by consent in our society – either they deal with the crime or society will, with the associated consequences.
Makes me laugh, 1 sergeant and 8 constables… there are over 140 thousand residents… on the Island… so each police person is there to watch over and protect over 15,000 people EACH…. Every town on this Island needs a police presence 24/7, like there used to be.
Well, if you do give them a damn good twatting, don’t get caught!;)
Why is Cameron being targeted?
Good Question. Something Something Rainbow Fish Bar, Something Something 14yr olds.
… and that sounds libellous
Name and shame stop protecting
Maybe when the councils split up, West Wight can have it’s own Police station.
Well thats what happens when, you put up signs No ball games, no cycling, no camping, no fires all the things we did! Short memory’s some of you, oh yes no motor cross,
So, Inspector Gooding, how many hours have you personally spent patrolling the streets on foot in the last month?
You state categorically that ‘It’s not true that we are under-resourced’, so there’s really no excuse for not getting out there and doing your job, is there?
None of the story makes me think it’s any different today, than it was 40+ years ago. Also you can’t tar every kid with the same brush and as I remember it from my day, some adults would actively make things worse.
Maybe all of these moaners could actually give something back to their community by helping their local kids. It is well known that the island has the lowest academic performance in the whole of the UK and a major reason for this is lack of ambition. For most of these kids, the height of ambition will be working in a hotel, restaurant, or local attraction for minimum wage. Why even bother getting an education when low skill jobs are your future? Maybe some of the folk who retire to the island could use their skills to help the local community develop and find ways to provide new opportunities for young people. Giving something back is far more rewarding than moaning.
Maybe a lot of folk who retire here already volunteer to help the local community.
Like what?
My mate got pinned against a wall and threatened with rape. The vile little scum bags need to be stopped. Vigilantes have a word
maybe if the empty prison was opened up all the bad yobs could be sent there just like the borstals were years ago or send them to the army { national service }