Report or don't report?

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

And I suppose you never did anything like this when you were a kid? Did you sit in the corner and read physics books?

I most certainly did not do things like this.

"This kind of low level prank should not be let rest, and the more people start reporting this kind of thing there will come a point when someone has to listen."

Fine in theory, but would you prefer the police to be dealing with real crime or chasing after leaf tossers ?

I believe that "real crime" starts with low level dilinquancy. Kids chuck leaves and no-one tells them its wrong, then they chuck sticks and still no-one tells them its wrong. They start to get more confident and before you know it some little scrote is running off with your wallet and mobile phone, or your bike, your car...

So yes, CPSO's should be used to treat this kind of behaviour.

 

[domtyler]

I most certainly did not do things like this.



I believe that "real crime" starts with low level dilinquancy. Kids chuck leaves and no-one tells them its wrong, then they chuck sticks and still no-one tells them its wrong. They start to get more confident and before you know it some little scrote is running off with your wallet and mobile phone, or your bike, your car...

So yes, CPSO's should be used to treat this kind of behaviour.

Nice little slippery slope type argument there Jaco. Did you know that everyone who ever smoked a joint is now a hardcore crack/smack addict too?

 

[Alan Frame]

I agree totally re low level nuisance leading to worse things.

However, in an already-inundated system the police have to prioritise incidents, and short of having a PCSO or three on every corner, how are they going to slap down this sort of nuisance ?

 

[gambatte]

I agree with Jacomus. They may not attend for 1 incident. But if there are a dozen reports of similar 'low level nuisances' it shows a problem in that area that needs addressing.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Nice little slippery slope type argument there Jaco. Did you know that everyone who ever smoked a joint is now a hardcore crack/smack addict too?

That puts me in a lot of trouble then!!

I'm not saying that all kids who do this end up mugging people, but come on, can you see that I do have a point?

Would you like your daughter hanging out with these kids? (Assuming she has majically become their age)

 

[domtyler]

Personally I wouldn't like to live in a country with the heavy handed zero tolerance approach that you guys are suggesting. Half of the antics I got up to when I was a young tearaway would have seen me arrested. Ultimately boys will be boys, and they should be left alone within certain limits to grow up and learn responsibility for themselves. That is what I did, and that is what 99.9% of young lads do. We should just keep on punishing the criminals and clearly show where the limits/boundaries are.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Actually it's probably my mothers fault. I will go and reprimand her:

Magnatom: Mother, it's your fault that a man was assaulted with some leaves, and didn't have any evidence to take to the police. What have you got to say for yourself?
Magnatoms mum: I'll turn over a new leaf, son.....

This, in my opinion, is your finest ever post Magnatom.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Personally I wouldn't like to live in a country with the heavy handed zero tolerance approach that you guys are suggesting. Half of the antics I got up to when I was a young tearaway would have seen me arrested. Ultimately boys will be boys, and they should be left alone within certain limits to grow up and learn responsibility for themselves. That is what I did, and that is what 99.9% of young lads do. We should just keep on punishing the criminals and clearly show where the limits/boundaries are.

At the risk of lessening my plight further, I should mention that the majority of them were girls. I'd still hit one of them if they threw a stone at me though.

 

[John the Monkey]

Personally I wouldn't like to live in a country with the heavy handed zero tolerance approach that you guys are suggesting. Half of the antics I got up to when I was a young tearaway would have seen me arrested.

Probably true, if they were reported, as the police seem to no longer be allowed to use their discretion in such matters.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that the shamefaced sloping off you'd have done having been told off by a "grown up" is more likely to be a barrage of abuse at whoever's asked you not to be so bloody stupid these days.

 

[magnatom]

This, in my opinion, is your finest ever post Magnatom.

Oh dear. Are my posts really that bad...

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Personally I wouldn't like to live in a country with the heavy handed zero tolerance approach that you guys are suggesting. Half of the antics I got up to when I was a young tearaway would have seen me arrested. Ultimately boys will be boys, and they should be left alone within certain limits to grow up and learn responsibility for themselves. That is what I did, and that is what 99.9% of young lads do. We should just keep on punishing the criminals and clearly show where the limits/boundaries are.

I don't mean punishing these kids, certainly not in a heavy handed way because that is likely to have the opposite effect.

But they do need to be told that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable, there is nothing wrong with throwing leaves at each other if they are playing together, but throwing leaves at other people not involved in the game is wrong.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Oh dear. Are my posts really that bad...

Not at all. Just amused me greatly.

 

[Amanda P]

Report it TDLC and make a fuss that this is eactly the kind of the that CPSO's are supposed to be out and about for.

Hang on a minute. Some of you are implying that by reporting it, TDLC is somehow causing society in general to take a zero-tolerance approach to delinquency. That's quite a leap.

If it's reported, the police can decide, in their infinite wisdom, and prioritising whatever other incidents are going on at the time, whether to do anything or not. If nothing else is going on, and TDLC is the third person to phone them with a similar report, quiet words may be had, ears may be clipped; or Plod may stay in his office with his cup of tea (and who'd blame him when his next call might be to a horrid RTA or a drunken brawl?)

If it's not reported, they can't make this decision. But it's they who make it, not TDLC.

 

[QuickDraw]

Cycling through the park behind South Gyle station last night, which is fairly close to the beginning of my home leg. A bunch of kids who I'd guess were average age about 11, picked up loads of leaves as they saw me approaching. As I passed them they threw them at me. Even though I knew they were going to do it I still somehow nearly fell off! I hadn't slowed down or anything because some silly part of me kept saying "nah, they wont, they wont".

After the event, I just kept going as:

a) I wanted to get home as quick as possible (as usual)
I was cleated in, and
c) I have my doubts about whether you can lawfully hit an 11 yr old

It sounds pretty comical now but I was pretty pissed off at the time.

As I picked the leaves off my velcro etc I wondered what the best course of action would be. Am still wondering if I should do anything about it NOW?

I find that some encouragement with kids always helps. You know when you can see what they're planning encourage them. "Go ahead, make my day." would probably go over their heads but something like, "Come ahead" or "Go on, try it" said in a slightly menacing tone coupled with a manic grin that suggests you're just looking for an excuse to go Radio Rental on them should be more than enough for a bunch of 11 year olds.

 

[Cab]

Its the kind of thing that 'community policing' (horrible phrase that really means beat bobbies knowing who is who and where they should show their faces) can be really effective at. If you've got a good community police team in that area then yeah, report it, it'll help 'cos plod will go and have some quiet words and they'll be seen to be there occasionally. Otherwise you're wasting your time.