We must take back our streets...

[pasty]

That was my whole point. Some magistrates will give out harsh sentences which could well deter some youngsters and others will give conditional discharges for the same crimes.

Fair enough - I missed your point.

Should I turn round to them and say no you can't have this or that ?

To a certain extent, yes. Mrs P's daughter knows that she has to earn and deserve the nicer things in life. The "withdrawal of privileges", even simple things like no using the computer, or loss of pocket money for a week seem to work.

 

[Yorkie]

Alright then what else can we do.

I actually said to my kids whilst away in Cyprus I would hate to be them when they have kids as their kids expectation would be in the stratosphere !

I just don't get it as kids expect everything these days - no thank yous, no thanks for the holiday to the parents they really do get it all and perhaps we are wrong as parents spending some of our disposable income on them - who knows !

Should I turn round to them and say no you can't have this or that ?

You are responsible for your kids and yes, it doesn't do any harm to tell them no. I brought up my kids to realise they couldn't have all they wanted (in fact they got hardly anything they wanted as we didn't have the money)
I also worked as a youth worker two evenings a week in a very rough council estate trying to keep other kids off the streets. That was my contribution.
I know you run a football club for kids.

I am seriously thinking of trying to become a magistrate when I retire as I have seen some strange decisions especially with regards to sentencing as I have already commented.

 

[Beach Hut]

To a certain extent, yes. Mrs P's daughter knows that she has to earn and deserve the nicer things in life. The "withdrawal of privileges", even simple things like no using the computer, or loss of poket money for a week seem to work.

We do withdraw things at times but I am talking PSPs, MP3s, Xbox, WII etc. They are usually Xmas / Birthday presents or bought by kids with their own money.

 

[Beach Hut]

You are responsible for your kids and yes, it doesn't do any harm to tell them no. I brought up my kids to realise they couldn't have all they wanted (in fact they got hardly anything they wanted as we didn't have the money)
I also worked as a youth worker two evenings a week in a very rough council estate trying to keep other kids off the streets. That was my contribution.
I know you run a football club for kids.

I am seriously thinking of trying to become a magistrate when I retire as I have seen some strange decisions especially with regards to sentencing as I have already commented.

I do take full responsibility for my kids and that is probably one of the bigger issues as many don't and let them roam free hence a murdered 16 year old and another 15 year old about 30 minutes from death after drinking two bottles of vodka in our area. Fortunately the laters mother had the sense to go public and show pictures of his state in the local press so all the other kids can see not such a good idea.

I despair at my eldest at times and really hope this is just a phase for him because my own opinion is he is not always with the right crowd but I can't lock him up.

 

[Bozza]

Ah right, so we're just talking about what everyone else should do. Sit back and blame the parents or the teachers or something.

You are responsible for your kids

So, to make it clear - is it OK to blame the parents (at least partially) or not?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I am seriously thinking of trying to become a magistrate when I retire as I have seen some strange decisions especially with regards to sentencing as I have already commented.

Sorry to say this, Yorkie.

But we don't need more retired people on the magistrates' bench. We need people in their twenties and thirties.

 

[Beach Hut]

Sorry to say this, Yorkie.

But we don't need more retired people on the magistrates' bench. We need people in their twenties and thirties.

I sincerely concur having been on the wrong end of a magistrate who was totally clueless of society and youths.

 

[Uncle C]

Should I turn round to them and say no you can't have this or that ?

Yep, you got to be cruel to be kind.

 

[Yorkie]

So, to make it clear - is it OK to blame the parents (at least partially) or not?

Are they members of Nsc?

 

[Bozza]

Are they members of Nsc?

Yes. The whole world is.

 

[Yorkie]

Sorry to say this, Yorkie.

But we don't need more retired people on the magistrates' bench. We need people in their twenties and thirties.

I would agree but they don't tend to volunteer. That's one of the reasons I posted what I did. In the meantime until we do then I would like to try.

Not long ago witnesses turned up to give evidence for a trial which couldn't go ahead because there weren't 3 magistrates available. It had to be rearranged for 6 weeks later. A waste of money for the taxpayers.

 

[Bozza]

I would agree but they don't tend to volunteer. That's one of the reasons I posted what I did. In the meantime until we do then I would like to try.

Not long ago witnesses turned up to give evidence for a trial which couldn't go ahead because there weren't 3 magistrates available. It had to be rearranged for 6 weeks later. A waste of money for the taxpayers.

Well, if one good thing has come of this thread, then it will be this particular 30-something exploring this further (already read around the application website)

Not that I think it will make a blind bit of difference to the scum that put paid to the poor fella in question.

 

[clapham_gull]

I used to live just down the road from there, about 15 years ago. I went to the local University Campus and lived on site. I was living there at the time of IRA bombings.

It's actually outside of Warrington itself but near a small district called Padgate.

I remember the street very well, because I had to walk down it to get to the nearest cash point. Actually quite a lot of countryside, and not really as depicted as some inner city slum.

Don't remember it being particularly nasty, it (was) near a primary school, but there were some rough estates nearby, but nothing like London really.

What I do remember was there was quite a bit of poverty and local kids who were up to something saw it as means of getting out it. I know that isn't an excuse, but when you come from an affluent area of sussex and see how the other half live it's an eye opener.

Not relating that to what's happened, but I do recall a fair bit of drug dealing and petty crime. Nothing really serious though. I was at college with many lads who were there to get away from being sucked into the local crime scene or had come out of it.

Having said that Warrington has VERY affluent parts and is also a major business area. Bit like a Reading of the North, huge technology parks etc. One of the reasons the IRA targetted it.

When I was there certain areas were Tory strongholds, but alongside some absolute dumps. Really was a place of extremes to be honest.

I found myself there on the way to the Wolves away game a few seasons ago (coming from the North) and was amazed to find myself in a mini cab that had an elaborate reinforced plastic glass separation between the passengers and the driver.

Never seen anything like it before - only in a black cab, but this was much more severe. I remember talking to the driver and said I lived here a few years ago, he said times had changed.

Sad.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Going back to the original statement, if you are going to play the vigilante like this bloke did, you'd better be able to look after yourself if things get violent. He should've just called the police.

 

[Bozza]

Going back to the original statement, if you are going to play the vigilante like this bloke did, you'd better be able to look after yourself if things get violent. He should've just called the police.

It's a good shout but isn't the point "why should it be like that" ?

Should we have to be curtain-twitchers before jumping on the blower to the rozzers, or should we be able to go out and say "come on lads - this isn't good, is it" ?

 

[ditchy]

Boot camp style punishment .. Rather than just have thenm sitting around in jail , make them do some suitable style supervised work , be it roadbuilding or other government funded projects .. Make them the souce of cheap labour and put them to use ..

Yes Very draconian , but extreme measures for extreme people !

 

[Stat Brother]

I doubt the man in question had any confidence that the police would be able to 'effectively' deal with the situation, if they arrived at all.

 

[Yorkie]

There was a case recently in Shoreham where a 9 year old was robbing old people with an older kid (15)
The 9 year old cannot be punished as he is 'under age'

I think more activities should be run (like Beach Hut's football team) to give them something to do instead of running the streets. Boys clubs were started for the same reason, offering boxing etc.

With reference to Bozza's curtain twithing, maybe more of us should be nosy and report what is going on, but people don't want to get involved.

In the meantime, kids who are left to run wild know they can get away with it, so they do. Their parents don't bother, the schools hands are tied and no-one else really cares.

 

[NMH]

Kids are discouraged from doing healthy activity in today's world.
They can go less places alone, there are more restrictions on their movements, and they get bored.
That the chavvy parents are their only guide to a future is unsurprising.

Organisations that train kids to socialize are lowering in profile, and are seen as 'cissy' by lower classes (i.e. Scouts, Sea Cadets/Army Cadets etc).

In fact, football clubs can do something by creating a 'community youth league' with the club as umbrella organisation - and at the same time be able to be represented in the young people locally - and be able to view the local football talents.

Society places a lot of importance on tv, film, music and sports stars - but almost none on nurturing the kids.
Who gets all the big money? The former group. Some of that dough needs to find a way to giving kids hope for something for themselves, and a way to show their own abilities.

 

[Blackadder]

I believe parents should take more responsibility.

I watched the program on gang culture in Newham on Panorama last night. Unfortunately I didn't see one father.

In a lot of families, up and down the country, the 2 parent family is not the norm. In a lot of cases, mothers can't control their wayward sons.