Monday 23 May 2011

Putting All The (Bad) Eggs In One Basket...

...sometimes has consequences:
Two pairs of ASBO teenagers are the ‘ringleaders’ of gang causing trouble around a centre aimed at keeping wayward youths on the straight and narrow, police said.

The so-called ‘Witches of Whitebirk’ Tori Duxbury and Amanda Holt and brothers Paul and David Stafford were given ASBOs in separate cases after terrorising their communities.

But now police say they are leading a group causing trouble around the Accrington Road Community Centre in Blackburn.
I'm shocked, shocked, I say...
The teens are banned from being in public together, but this does not apply to the centre where they are taking a programme aimed at turning their lives around.
Well, yes. Obviously. But then you'd expect that the centre would have some way of dealing with them while they're there, and it seems that's not the case:
Meanwhile it emerged that the youths had been sent on a number of diversionary activites, including trips the the cinema and bowling alley, playing in football matches and even going on a canal boat at Eanam Wharf with snacks provided.
Spare the rod and spoil the child; the progressives have selective deafness on the first part of that phrase...
Some critics have condemned the trips saying that youths were being ‘rewarded’, but the council said overall the project reduced re-offending.
Clearly, it doesn't.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Mark Cruise said: “You only need one rotten apple and when they are all gathered together the problem quadruples.

“That is the purpose of the recent ASBOs: to take it out at the top.

“I wouldn’t say the scheme is backfiring, but these activities for young people mean nobody is excluded. That means it becomes a place for young people to congregate, similar to off-licences and shops.

“It only takes Tori, Amanda, Paul and David Stafford coming together for things to escalate.”
Not that he's critical of the scheme, oh dear me no!
Sgt Cruise defended the ‘diversionary activities’ which he said gave disadvantaged children opportunities they would not otherwise get.
Opportunities to hang around and make mischief while the authorities wring their hands? I thought they had plenty of those.

But that was rather authoritarian, compared with the utter drivel issued by the council:
David Fleming, manager of Blackburn with Darwen Council's youth offending team, said: “Diversionary activities are offered to young people who are at risk of, or already engaged in anti social behaviour in order to channel them into positive, rewarding and educational pursuits.

“This includes engaging with young people to find positive activities which interest them in an effort to put them on the right track to prevent them offending, causing harm to their communities and damaging their opportunities of gaining employment."
Newsflash, David; IT'S NOT WORKING!
Another resident said: “Having all these like-minded children in one place is a recipe for trouble.
“In these days of austerity is spending such amounts of money taking them out on barges really the answer? ”
Question asked and answered, I'd say...

11 comments:

A bigger splash said...

"is spending such amounts of money taking them out on barges really the answer? "

Only if they fell in.

WV = state = we are in

Tattyfalarr said...

"In these days of austerity is spending such amounts of money taking them out on barges really the answer? "
...
If it also entails dumping them over the side then yes.
...
It may not be common knowledge but I have it on good authority that not only do these activities apply to asbo kids but also to the offspring of social workers who get a "free" holiday on the taxpayers acting as "mentors".
...
If you are not part of the solution there's good money to be made by prolonging the problem.

Gordo said...

And the message it sends to well behaved children?

Mark said...

'Diversionary activities are offered to young people who are at risk of, or already engaged in anti social behaviour in order to channel them into positive, rewarding and educational pursuits'

Translation- Diversionary activities are a form of Danegeld extracted from the poor saps who pay Council Tax, and distributed by 'Youth Offending Teams' with more money than sense.

Shinar's Basket Case said...

"
Only if they fell in."

Pray God NO! Can you imagine the insurance claim? The social workers rushing to the scene? The WATER KILLS KIDS headlines in the Daily Xenophobe?The Royal Inquiry resulting in the banning of waterways anywhere near children because of the risk of third hand cancer or whatever.

Rob said...

Either Progressives are terrible at judging human incentives, or they are deviously good at it.

David Gillies said...

What I can't understand is why someone doesn't stuff them in the back of a Ford Transit, drive to the roof of a multi-storey car park, and throw them off.

No, seriously. I'm not suggesting this should be done, just that I am amazed at the lack of vigilantism in the face of such a salient breakdown in law enforcement.

staybryte said...

Two things:

1.

"At risk of anti-social behaviour". Why don't you just fuck off Mr Fleming with your revolting doublespeak? (pardon my terms of expression JuliaM)
The only young people "at risk of anti-social behavour" in that area are the nice ones being terrorised as they try to go about their lives.

2.

All, and I mean ALL of these centres do nothing except form a hub of criminality, nihilsm and disorder. The worst example of them all is the utterly execrable Kids Company run by that appalling Camilla Batmangelidgh (sp?). The fact that Cameron has taken her spiel on for his Big Society is a decent cause for abject despair.

Anonymous said...

Just wait until these terror-kids start getting superinjunctions!

JuliaM said...

"Only if they fell in."

SNORK!

"It may not be common knowledge but I have it on good authority that not only do these activities apply to asbo kids but also to the offspring of social workers who get a "free" holiday on the taxpayers acting as "mentors"."

*amazed*

No wonder so many are heavily invested in it!

"And the message it sends to well behaved children?"

Exactly!

"...just that I am amazed at the lack of vigilantism in the face of such a salient breakdown in law enforcement."

Maybe that's why the recent Michael Caine film, 'Harry Brown' was so popular?

JuliaM said...

"The only young people "at risk of anti-social behavour" in that area are the nice ones being terrorised as they try to go about their lives."

Spot on!

"Just wait until these terror-kids start getting superinjunctions!"

Heh!