vent about local gang

dumb_blonde

Hi just come on here to vent my anger.
My son got assaulted on Monday night by the local gang.They threatened him and tried to push him into the road.He was on his own and there was six of them. I called the police to report it and they said they would send someone round.I was really wound up and ion the phone i said if they didnt sort it,i would(not like me,but where youre children are concerned).I got warned it was a recorded call and to be careful what i said.
Its now Thursday and the police still havent come round.
This happened before when he got beat up by the same gang and the police only came round after my uncle (who was detective inspector at the time) intervened.
However ,the other week when my son and his friends were at the bus stop,the light was flickering so as my son is really tall for his age he tapped it to try to get it to work and it accidently broke.Someone reported him for vandalism and 2 cop cars turned up(for a broken light)!!
My son has now stayed in all week(hard work for a teenager)and i feel fed up that nothing is getting done about the local yobs.

RHemmings

How about contacting the local press?

But first, why don't you contact the local police, explain that nothing has been done about the assault, and say that you wish to make an official complaint about this inaction?

isplumm

Hi,

You need to keep having a go at them .... I wouldn't have waited 4 days to ring up again ... I would be calling 3 or 4 times a day .... write a letter of complaint to the Chief Inspector .,..

I've just been listening to Talksport, they've had the father of the kid who was murdered in the bakery last year .... very very moving 7 depressing .... we allow far too much to get away.

Mark

dumb_blonde

I know it really bugs me,thing is he has now decided he doesnt want to follow it through,some of the kids go to his school and i think he is worried that if he tells the police they will hassle him at school as well as local area.It upsets me because he is a quiet lad and we have taught him to walk away from trouble if poss, now part of me feels like telling him to smack them one but i hate violence.The problem is,one day, he might just retaliate and then he would probably get arrested.
Could i make a complaint myself?

MaximumImpact

Ok..Let me try and help here....

My son got assaulted on Monday night by the local gang.They threatened him and tried to push him into the road.He was on his own and there was six of them. I called the police to report it and they said they would send someone round

The offence that has been committed against your son is common assault of the very lowest grade and TBH, it is unlikely to proceed anywhere. This is due to the clause of ''in the public interest''. However, the threatening is a different matter. This, if continued can constitute harassment but would need to be monitored and recorded officially.

I was really wound up and ion the phone i said if they didnt sort it,i would(not like me,but where youre children are concerned).I got warned it was a recorded call and to be careful what i said

I know exactly how you feel, but please remember that the people who take your calls, are people too. They do their best to help but screaming and shouting the odds down the phone isn't going to help. They are having to juggle calls from your kind of incidents to armed robberies and possible deaths, suicides and car accidents.

Unfortunately they have no choice but to prioritise the calls and a call of your nature is going to be best dealt with by the local Neighbourhood Policing team who have the time and knowledge to deal with your son and his issues more sensitively and more in depth than the officers that rush round on blue lights putting sticking plasters on incidents that are ''come here, come now, come quick''.

This happened before when he got beat up by the same gang and the police only came round after my uncle (who was detective inspector at the time) intervened.

Please don't do this, people are always quoting ''my brother is....'' or '' I know the Chief Constable...''. Calls are not prioritised by who you know but on how serious the incident is an dthe impact on the community.

However ,the other week when my son and his friends were at the bus stop,the light was flickering so as my son is really tall for his age he tapped it to try to get it to work and it accidently broke.Someone reported him for vandalism and 2 cop cars turned up(for a broken light)!!

Unfortunately, whether accidental or not this is a technical crime. The definition of criminal damage states ''whether reckless....'' and even though he probably had the best intention as you and everyone else well know...when someone walks past, they only see what they want to see and the Police can only act on what they are told. I know that you say that 2 cop cars turned up for only a broken light, but perhaps they are aware of this gang and believed that they might be committing damage and there was an opportunity to catch them. If this ganag had smashed a light outside your home and you called the Police and no-one turned up...would that be OK?

thing is he has now decided he doesnt want to follow it through,some of the kids go to his school and i think he is worried that if he tells the police they will hassle him at school as well as local area.

That is why it is best waiting for your neighbourhood team. They will help your son and explain all the options to him and you and what they can do if this problem continues at school.

Could i make a complaint myself?

You could as your son is under 18 but he would have to be prepared to go to court etc etc and if he isn't then it isn't worth you making a complaint.

It must be really frustrating for you but I can assure you that it is just as frustrating for the Officers who want to come and help you but there are so many people like yourself with problems and so very few Officers to deal with things so sometimes there is a few days wait to see a local Officer.

If the Police are guilty of anything it is not keeping you updated on what is happening and perhaps giving you an idea of when they are coming to see you. Perhaps you could give them a call and politely remind them of your predicament and ask when it is likely an Officer will come to see you.

I always say to people to remember that like ambulances, if it's an emergency, the Police will always get to you as quickly as they can. But like Doctors, if it isn't an emergency then you may have to wait a while. Also, in some forces now, they will make you an appointment, there and then on the phone so that you know when or can arrange for an officer to call.

I hope this helps and if you need anymore advice, please feel free to PM me.

hollydays

If you want help from the Police,you have to be reasonable with them,or you get the reputation of being a troublemaker whos child is never wrong.

What happened last time he was beaten up,what was the end result?How old is he?
When you say "gang",are the school /Police aware of this "gang",or is it more about bullying?

dumb_blonde

MaximumImpact
Regarding your post,I did apologize to the lady on the phone for my comment, yes i understand a lot of your points and agree with them.I didnt use my uncles superiority to get a response, he heard of it through the family grapevine and intervened without my knowledge, the police mentioned him when they came round. Thankyou for your post and points taken.

dumb_blonde

Hi Hollydays,I know what you mean,my son is no angel but he isnt into gangs and fighting, He is 15 by the way.Last time he got beaten up,the police came round but he was a bit scared to take it any further as they were talking about courts etc.I said i wanted the incident logged in case anything further happened and that was it.
Yes, the police are aware of this gang,dont know if anyone has actually taken reports further as theyre reputation is such that people are scared to report. There has been bullying and violence and anti social behaviour.

hollydays

The trouble is,the only way to stop it is to stand up to them sometimes.

Reggie_Rebel

Call Plod again and tell them that their are a group protesting about the economic situation, they will be there mod handed quicker than you can say

"Officer please stop hitting me with your baton"

chnelomi

I'm afraid to say but what has happened to your son is now unfortunately very common. On a regular basis i have seen gangs of youths causing trouble and attacking other youngsters and the police if they even show up just say "but what do you expect us to do about it".

Its kids being kids is what i hear all the time but i'm sure they would react just like you if they had to deal with it(without an entire police force behind them). try to contact your local police officer and ask him to keep an eye on these boys perhaps your son is not the first person to be beaten by them. hope your son gets over it soon, summer is on our doorstep he should be out enjoying it.