Author Topic: More Vandalism (Read 19609 times)

reedos · « **Reply #80 on:** July 05, 2005, 22:22:10 »

Hello all - it's the mindlessness of it all. I've had my portable greenhouse (them plastic tent types) stolen lock, stock and barrel by a load of kids who "play" and by play I mean drink and smoke in the woods next to our site. They also nicked a load of carpet which was being used to suppress weeds and some stuff my neighbour uses to wrap leeks up in (expensive apparently).
Twice this year I went over the fence to chase them - once just after an empty Lambrini bottle missed my head by inches and once when a bottle went through my proper greenhouse. On all occasions the incidents have been reported to the Police and they've promised to send the Community Police around - never seen any yet.
Yesterday I went looking for my greenhouse and found it in pieces, the little buggers had quite enterprisingly build a den out of all the stuff the pinched. The greenhouse was damaged beyond repair. I actually caught two of them - wasn't sure who was most surprised, me or them. Having tried chasing, threatening and reporting them, this time I tried talking to them. Told them nobody minds them playing, but when they break and nick stuff it p*****s everybody off. Told them if they wanted to make a den why didn't they just ask for stuff cos like most allotments there's all sorts of plastic/wood etc lying around. Anyway 20 minutes later a bunch came round and apologized, brought with them the roll for the leeks, and asked if I'd meant what I said about having stuff to make a den, they obviously denied nicking the greenhouse, it was some other kids apparently. Anyway after I'd given them a piece of my mind, they apologized again andpromised not to do it again. I got them some plastic sheet which is now the roof of their den. Only time will tell if appeasement will work. In the meantime I'm getting a load of barbed wire.
Sorry about this rambling on just wanted to get it off my chest !!

Andy H · « **Reply #81 on:** July 05, 2005, 23:02:32 »

Well sounds like you did well,getting them to ask for stuff to make a den is furthr than we have got. Seems they have some morals.
Well Done. But the only way to get the police to come out is MANT reports... this is a logical and statistical method and no fault of the police but red tape and beauorocricy(spelt that wrong). but many have to report to make things happen. Take photo`s seems to work for us, done nothing with them so far but no need to date. have them in case though.
Paedophile crap! Sod it, it is photographic evidence and to hell what anyone else thinks. It seems the kids are not scared of us or the police(I was young once) but of mum & dad. photo evidence would stop that. Even if you dont have a digi camera then hold your mobile "brick" sideways and move your finger and Hey Presto! they think you have a camera in a modern phone and run like like buggery!
As for being a paedophile... I have been police checked to pick up up kids for school runs etc but all this proves is that, if you are a paedophile then you haven`t been caught yet(just the same as all the teachers that had to be checked).
Take pictures )or pretend to) and call the police...and get all others to call them so they take an interest.

This covers yourself against taking photo`s if been reported.

Don`t bother having a go at them,it is fruitless,just take photo evidense and keep quiet.

Let them do some thinking by you being quiet...........

good luck and enjoy your plots whatever happens.........

reedos · « **Reply #82 on:** July 06, 2005, 22:34:10 »

Well would you believe it - went down to the allotment tonight t find a Panda car and a couple of policemen having words with the kids. Will have to wait and see whether this will calm things down or just wind them up :-\

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #83 on:** July 06, 2005, 23:12:03 »

It's got to be good, but so unusual to see a cop in an allotment environment as they are powerless unless they see someone breaking into a shed or something similar. ::)

Andy H · « **Reply #84 on:** July 06, 2005, 23:14:22 »

Are allotments private land if one hasn`t subscribed to the annual fee???

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #85 on:** July 06, 2005, 23:21:18 »

Well I suppose it would be no different if they saw a vandal ie: a person standing in someones back garden and behaving themselves like in a normal manner, there's nothing to suspect?

Andy H · « **Reply #86 on:** July 06, 2005, 23:27:43 »

bet they don`t know you have to be a certain age to have an allotment then >:(

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #87 on:** July 06, 2005, 23:45:53 »

Bet they do as according to our local copper the police have no jurisdiction over an allotment unless there is wilful damage.

Andy H · « **Reply #88 on:** July 07, 2005, 00:12:21 »

But surely trespassing is trespassing if under age to hold allotment plot?

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #89 on:** July 07, 2005, 01:03:21 »

I have to stick up for the police, at least in our area. They are always supportive and every time there has been an incident at our Site they are straight round giving advice and making their presence felt. Our Community Officer is first class and as I have mentioned on the board, he was at my house only yesterday in response to my having a bench and two chairs removed from my plot. In our area it has been made an offence to drink alcohol outdoors in the playing fields near us, to try to deter young people from congragating and making trouble. Northumbria Police even supplied free shed bars last year from their Crime Prevention Officer to those allotment members who wanted one. I got one and they are very secure.

I often see our Community Officer at our Site. They also work with the schools and do quite a lot of positive things as well as policing the area. I know our Officer has many a time taken action with kids found wandering around our Site. The other day he was telling me that they now have the power and means to transport young people home who have been drinking. It seems to be working very well. It is both a shock to the kids and also to the parents when they arrive home in a police van. They can't be everywhere and we still get vandals but I feel they do the best they can to be helpful to us. busy_lizzie

Derek · « **Reply #90 on:** July 07, 2005, 07:29:14 »

The Police are stretched with their duties and I am sure that allotments come well down their list of priorities.

The sites in our Borough have the same key/lock system so we supplied the Police with keys so they can access ay any time.
They have been seen wandering around the site in the evenings on odd occasions.

As an addition I have recently written to our MP over the gates to the site. We need new ones and the gate entrance widening as people entering/leaving often have to reverse onto a main road.
The Council have allocated funds but in Catagory 2....this effectively means that we may never get the funds to do the job as they rarely get Catargory 1 projects funded completely.

The point of this...my letter to the MP has not yet received a response BUT word has rippled through the Council workers and the Council members and they are really hopping about a bit.

If we, as a group, were to lobby our MP's over the vandalism issues would this achieve a similar result?

The number of people who use this Forum continually bombarding MP's would make them take a bit more notice of us....wouldn't they

We could have our own action group?

Derek

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #91 on:** July 07, 2005, 07:54:46 »

It's finally been agreed between us and all the other interested parties that there's going to be a gate at the top of the lane, which will be unlocked by the Tennis Club groundsman when he comes on duty at 7.30, and locked by the barman at 10.30. that should discourage at least some of the problems we get.

reedos · « **Reply #92 on:** July 07, 2005, 19:41:13 »

Hi Busy Lizzie,

My allotment is in Northumbria Police's area as well, obvioulsy I'm delighted they turned out last night, I'm sure it is well down their priorities in Gateshead, but the fact they came is heartening. ;D

Pegmumm · « **Reply #93 on:** July 26, 2005, 21:32:45 »

Perhaps its time to take up beekeeping on your lottie?

wardy · « **Reply #94 on:** July 26, 2005, 23:45:32 »

Sorry to hear about all this Roy :( No-one deserves this they really don't. I wonder sometimes if these kids realise the hurt they cause. I hope they don't or it would be even worse. I hope you can restore your lotty without too much work and expense but I can appreciate your duck is really knocked off >:(

Our lotties apparently don't get trashed as the gaffer is ex Chief Inspector of Police and he is s**t scarey :o He is a man mountain (although he is very ill but the vandals don't know that) He is the kindest, most honest lovely man but would beat their brains out if he caught them vandalising lotties ;D Shall we send him to you?

My dad built a tar pit and used to put razor blades round his cabbages to keep off sabateurs ;D

jennym · « **Reply #95 on:** July 27, 2005, 00:39:55 »

Its rotten when vandalism happens, but I am trying a long-term strategy. Every time I see kids at the gate, I invite them in (usually they are 6 - 10 yr olds). I invite them to help me dig spuds, find the odd raspberry, but chat to them all the time about things like: 1) There are ever such a lot of poisonous plants about, and some fruits look good but can actually kill you, so never eat anything without asking... and 2) There's lots of wildlife around, we've even got deadly poisonous snakes in the bushes, and the chap at the end thinks he saw a scorpion or something like it the other day... 3) I'm really poor and if my plants don't grow very well, I don't get anything to eat... I'll try anything.

ina · « **Reply #96 on:** August 05, 2005, 20:25:43 »

What a bummer for you Roy. It is so sad when these things happen. I know what it feels like.

TEL · « **Reply #97 on:** August 05, 2005, 21:05:27 »

sorry to hear about Vandals .
please report to the police & get a crime number it mite not help you but if you put in enough report's they have to take notice & its on file.
to many turds getting away with this this sort of sh.t .

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #98 on:** August 05, 2005, 22:22:19 »

We hada bit of vandalism while I was confined to the house, but it was that cow who was doing all the stealing a couple of year back. Serve her right! Funny thing is, that plot has such a solid gate (she's totally paranoid, not surprising given the amount of stolen stuff that must have passed through her hands) that it would be one of the hardest on the site to break. I suspect someone with a grudge did it, but that could apply to at least half the people there.

Gadfium · « **Reply #99 on:** August 14, 2005, 00:38:16 »

Have just got back from a fortnight's holiday :) ...

Only to be told the bad news.

Two allotments have been 'done over' at the site, and one of them is the half-plot that a friend and I have been tackling, our first foray into vegetable gardening, and the scene of many couch grass battles.

It seems - although I have yet to view the damage - that all the potatoes have been dug up and carted off (all three varieties), and the pumpkins have gone!

Sigh.

News:

Author Topic: More Vandalism (Read 19609 times)