Antisocial behaviour: Be patient and work with us (From Borehamwood Times)

Antisocial behaviour: Be patient and work with us

10:10am Friday 5th February 2010

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Antisocial behaviour is everywhere, but it depends on how you look at it.

Is a crowd of young people with nothing to do loitering outside your house and talking loudly antisocial behaviour?

Is a group of young people ‘horsing around’ in the playing fields antisocial behaviour?

I suppose it depends on how tolerant you are, how often it happens and how it affects your life.

Yes, it can be annoying when the police don’t appear when you have called them, but there is often a good reason why police do not respond, one of them being that reactive policing just sends the problem elsewhere. The police work very closely with the community, Hertsmere Borough Council and others to deal with the cause of the problem.

All they ask is that you continue reporting, that you be specific with information and that you be patient.

In the long run, it is preferable to solve the problem than to accomplish a temporary quick fix and send it to someone else’s doorstep. Most young people, when spoken to politely, do respond.

How about some of the adults trying to find out what would stop these young people from hanging around aimlessly? Constructive criticism is always acceptable and the police will try to act on it.

I am sure you have all seen the ward PC and PCSO patrolling their ‘patch’ and listening to people’s concerns.

They all do a very good job. They have interacted with the community, arranging meetings inviting councillors and Neighbourhood Watch members, and have generally tried to sort out any problems that occur in the ward. What is needed is for the residents to be more vigilant, join the Neighbourhood Watch and report any problems to your ward PC, who will take the necessary action, and generally all work together.

Only in this way can we make your ward a better and safer place to live.

We are all doing our best, the Constabulary, the PCSOs, Neighbourhood Watch and your councillors — help us to help you. To join the NHW please contact Derrick Sweeney on 01727 796650.

Angela Saunders, chairman of Hertsmere Borough Neighbourhood Watch

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