Graffiti vandals went on the rampage at Chalkwell railway station causing hundreds of pounds of damage.
They had armed themselves with a pink spray can and scrawled tags along Ridgeway ending up in the ticket office.
Not an unusual occurrence, it seems, either.
Barry Bond, who lives in nearby Undercliff Gardens, said graffiti was a persistent problem in the area, which he regularly helps clear up.
He said: “It’s never ending. I don’t think there’s an answer to it apart from punishment, and there’s no punishment given.
“If there’s a deterrant, people wouldn’t do it. I remember when I was a lad you dared not ride a bike without a light on the front and back.”
Never a truer word, Barry, never a truer word…
PC Chris Abbott, neighbourhood specialist officer for Chalkwell Marine, said they keep an eye on all suspected graffiti taggers in the area.
What exactly is he a ‘specialist officer’ in? Keeping an eye on things?
“If anybody sees anybody doing it then they can call 999. Or, if they see new tags, come up let us know so we can go down there and have a look at them.
“We generally have a list of suspects who have links to different tags and if they are tags we are aware of, then obviously those suspects will be spoken to.
Yeah, I bet they are shaking in their trainers at the thought of being ‘spoken to’ by PC Art Critic…
Yes and in Harrogate this week we see the country’s most popular tweeting police man. An officer that seems to be alone in using his skills to make a positive difference in policing in his community. The difference between now and 20-30 years ago is not imagined. Police officers at all levels have been managed into several categories that simply did not exist, some of which are incapable of talking crime.
ReplyDeleteSome are like most used to be capable of using common sense and backed up by their establishment and the public in getting results for their community. So dragging a kid kicking and screaming to their parents for criminal behaviour otherwise known as a minor indiscretion where there is little or no personal damage worked and still works. Kids now know nothing happens to them and taunt the police with a confidence that would have earned them a good hiding 20-30 years ago.
Some police officers have become anti social themselves. Using new laws treating all of the public with contempt and suspicion. These officers don’t solve or prevent crime and are entirely self serving, either individually or in groups their aim is to satisfy targets and promote themselves rewarded financially or in terms of career having no effect on crime or the causes of crime leaving society to decide to deal with issues like graffiti themselves or worse punishing us when we try to do something about it.
When a soldier goes to war apart from some very basic rules they do what it takes to get the job done. The police are now either choosing or prevented from being effective. Its not just their fault as there are areas where the public actively prevent them from doing their job, if I were in one of these areas I would question the point of trying. The rise in attacks on other emergency services like fire and ambulance highlights this public attitude and the areas I allude to, I also suspect graffiti is just one more social disease prevalent in these areas. I’m not advocating that the police should take the law into their own hands but need to take ownership of their actions in dealing with crime proportionately and supported by us and the system.
Describing a need for or the existence of specialist officer to deal with graffiti is absolutely pathetic and a good indication that the police have become unfit for purpose. All officers should be willing and able to deal with this crime as a prerequisite of being a police officer. Specialists in dealing with fraud, terrorism, firearms or sexual assault perhaps but graffiti no.
yes, yes, incapable of tackling crime, lol
ReplyDeleteWhat the Hell is a 'tag'? I think the policeman means the moronic gibberish that is smeared on public property.
ReplyDeleteThe first sign that civilisation is losing the battle is when its supposed representatives start using the enemy's language.