Terrorised by the gangs (From Swindon Advertiser)

Terrorised by the gangs

9:20pm Wednesday 11th April 2007

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RESIDENTS living in Parks and Walcot have been unloading their troubles on to Government minister Hazel Blears.

More than 30 people attended the meeting at Park South community centre on Wednesday afternoon to hear what Mrs Blears, chairman of the Labour Party and Minister Without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office, had to say about the situation.

After a short introduction, the floor was handed over to residents to ask questions.

They told the minister, South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove and members of the neighbourhood policing team the issues that were important to them and the fears they have living in the area.

One of the main concerns raised was the time it took for calls to the police non-emergency number to be answered.

Many reported waiting for tens of minutes before getting through to anyone, only for the operator not to know anything about the area they were talking about.

There were calls for a return to the old Swindon-based non-emergency number and to have a direct dial number to the neighbourhood policing team to report crimes that were happening.

Andrea McGill, Walcot Dome centre manager, told Mrs Blears that dispersal orders did not work as well as politicians made out.

"We had one at Eldene and all of a sudden there was a group of 80 kids in the car park of the centre," she said.

"It was a night when we had karate lessons on and parents who were bringing their children to the centre were too frightened to come in.

"I know a lot of the youngsters in the area and have respect for them, so they have respect for me, but these were kids from a different area so I didn't know any of them.

"The dispersal order had just moved them from one place to another.

"The problems start when the new group meets up with the group that is already in that area and they just form one big group."

Parks resident Graham Cherry said that a lot of residents were suffering from the fear factor.

"They are too frightened to report for fear of repercussions," he said.

"People want to see more police officers on the beat.

"They want to see proper police officers patrolling Parks and Walcot."

One dad told the meeting how his daughter's life had been made hell by bullies who had sent her death threats.

The teenager is too frightened to go to school, and he is now being taken to court by the education authority.

He said that he and his neighbours had stood face to face with gangs of up to 40 youths who had congregated outside their houses shouting abuse.

"What I, and I think most other people in this room, want to know is when will my daughter be able to go out and play safely in front of our house?"

He received a round of applause as he sat down.

Alicia Bolton and Reg Patterson, who both live near Welcombe Stores, said that things had been getting worse.

Since Thursday, Alicia has collected a bin bag full of empty beer and vodka bottles from her garden.

Both she and Reg had also had stones thrown at their homes.

"It's horrendous, it really is," said Alicia.

"The store has been banned from selling alcohol but their youngsters are still getting it from somewhere.

"We have been asking the council for things to be done for months, but nothing has happened."

Reg said that the group used the trees outside their homes like a private playground.

"There are some low branches and they climb up them and swing from the higher ones like monkeys," he said.

"I don't know what they are doing in the store's car park but they are now throwing stones at each other.

"You can see the marks in the walls and on the ground where they have thrown them at each other."

Just last month the Adver reported how Derek Holmes was hospitalised when a gang of yobs stamped on his face, just 24 hours after they had smashed up his garden fence.

The 55-year-old Park North man was hit with a length of plastic pipe as he retreated into his garden in Buckland Close.

Blears: 'People need to stand together'

LISTENING to the concerns of residents in Parks and Walcot, Hazel Blears said she was very concerned.

She started by outlining for residents the powers that are now available to the police and local authorities to tackle the type of anti-social behaviour that they were living with every day.

They include Asbos, dispersal orders, changes in the licensing act and changes in the law regarding mini-motos.

But she said that one of the newest powers to be introduced, Community Call for Action, could be particularly beneficial to the area.

"People were saying it is all very well talking about these new powers but what if they are not being used to the greatest effect," she said.

"This power allows residents to raise issues through the council's scrutiny committee.

"It can then call those responsible, it could be the council chief executive, the housing department or any other group, to task."

Mrs Blears addressed each concern that was raised at the meeting.

She said that the police call centres were one of the biggest issues facing the country's forces.

"If it takes you a long time to get through then it can colour your view of the rest of the service," she said.

But she said with direct lines to neighbourhood policing teams it would resolve some of the problems.

"The idea of neighbourhood policing teams is to ensure that the community gets to know their officers and form a relationship with them," she said.

She defended the use of dispersal orders saying that more than 400 had been put in place across the country.

"It may not be a long term solution but it can give short-term respite to those who have had their lives made hell for three weeks.

"It then gives people time to get activities and other opportunities in place for young people to take advantage of."

She added that the most important thing for communities to do was interact more.

"A lot of old people think all younger people are bad apples and that is not true," she said.

"People need to talk more and stand together to tackle the minority who make their lives uncomfortable.

"People should be able to live in peace and quiet without having to worry about the things you have told me about today."

Police response

LEADING the neighbourhood policing team for Parks and Walcot is Inspector Steve Bridge.

He said he would like to see the police and other agencies working much closer in the future to improve the area for everyone.

"We can do a lot for you and we do, it may not be enough but all my officers work incredibly hard and have big case loads," he said.

"We have got a role to play and we are more than happy to do so but we need the support from other organisations to make it even more effective."

Insp Bridge said that he would like callers to have the phones answered within seconds, but it was about balance and he didn't want officers waiting for calls when they could be out policing the streets.

When one resident mentioned a recent case of one officer having to deal with a group of more than 30 youths, he said: "While I would never send an officer into a dangerous situation the constraints sometimes mean we can only send one officer out, as that is all that is available at that time."

Responding to the call from residents to have a return to the Swindon-based non-emergency number, he said: "The decision was made in conjunction with the police authority and there is very little we can do to change the decision.

"However, it doesn't mean that it can't ever be changed."

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