[fatbelly]

On my journey home I pass our allotment site.
It was about 6pm and no one was there but as I went past on my bike I heard a sound like breaking glass.
 i slowed down looked at our site and saw two teenagers breaking glass on greenhouses as they walked along the main path that dissects our site.
I shouted to them to stop which they temporally did.

I didn't go on the plot nor did I try to apprehend the vandals basically I thought it better for me to carry on home and get home in one piece than tackle them and wait an hour or two for the Police to arrive and risk a verbal or physical assault as I was waiting.

I do now feel a coward and that I have let my fellow plotters down but what can we the decent majority do?

I knew that if I went onto the site and stopped the vandals then I would be risking my safety. I am not looking forward to going down to the site tomorrow and having to tell my friends and fellow plotters that I witnessed these vandals smashing their greenhouses up but did nothing to stop them.

[agapanthus]

You did what you could!!! Nobody would expect you to take on yobs!!! You phoned the police....exactly what most of us would have done! Give yourself a pat on the back for that and please don't knock yourself.....you did good!!

[richyrich7]

You did the right thing !! phoned the old bill thats their job not the ordinary person in the streets, problem is if they had assaulted you you could have ended up really hurt or worse, what's a few panes of glass compared to that.

 Your fellow plotters will be grateful that you took the action that you did.
Some people would have just buried their heads and done nothing at all.

[gobs]

You did nothing wrong. Next time if at all, you might want to get help on your side before doing more than you did.

A guy on our site did confront some youngsters a few years back about such doings and they just chucked a brick at him. He needed his temple stitched.

[jack russell]

you definitely did the right thing mate   you hear and see the news of men being beaten up and sometimes killed by the youth of today  :cry: for standing up to them.  You just got to call the plod and let them deal with it.

[JimG]

Oh dear!  I went to my allotment earlier and found the padlock broken.  I reported it to the council but, it being Friday afternoon, it seemed to be beyond them to come and secure it.  I'm worried that I'll find the results of the work of some invited 'visitors' but am powerless.  Fingers crossed!

[PAH48]

Hi...FB... as the others have said you did all that you could and should have done, can't expect one to do out else unfortunately, well done.
Had you of apprehended one of 'em, there's always the chance of futher poblems , no! let the cop's deal with 'em.
Bye PAH

[Ruby Red]

On my journey home I pass our allotment site.
It was about 6pm and no one was there but as I went past on my bike I heard a sound like breaking glass.
 i slowed down looked at our site and saw two teenagers breaking glass on greenhouses as they walked along the main path that dissects our site.
I shouted to them to stop which they temporally did.

I didn't go on the plot nor did I try to apprehend the vandals basically I thought it better for me to carry on home and get home in one piece than tackle them and wait an hour or two for the Police to arrive and risk a verbal or physical assault as I was waiting.

I do now feel a coward and that I have let my fellow plotters down but what can we the decent majority do?

I knew that if I went onto the site and stopped the vandals then I would be risking my safety. I am not looking forward to going down to the site tomorrow and having to tell my friends and fellow plotters that I witnessed these vandals smashing their greenhouses up but did nothing to stop them.

 
   
     Did the police actually come though. Or was it deemed not serious enough for a call out.

[shaun]

they will give you a crime number over the phone no problem at all  :roll:
you done the right thing fatbelly think of that poor chap in warrington

[The Thin Blue Line]

At a time of detection driven mindset a quick arrest and charge for criminal damage is going to bring us out on the blues,


Leave the thumping to us

[WhippetMaster]

At a time of detection driven mindset a quick arrest and charge for criminal damage is going to bring us out on the blues,

Agreed police will "SHOULD" attend as this fits the response policy as "crime in progress" and "offender nearby" but they may be delayed if resources are not available or other more immediate incidents (stabbings, assaults) are occuring at the same time.

It should be reported, as a serving officer and former community cop I policed an area with several allotments that had large amounts of vandalism often on a nightly basis by the usual fraternity of local yobs.

The management will not send out any extra patrols unless a particular area has been identified as a "hotspot" i.e lots of REPORTED crimes.

It's easily cured, whilst working I sat in a shed on my patch, alone and in the dark with a large flashlight. An hour later a local oik started ripping up plants and smashing pots. Well he did until I pounced on him, frightened him a bit as he cried (literally) with fright. I took him home and suggested that his parents sell his playstation 2 to pay for the damage. Which they did.

This lad now is friends with the allotment owners and does some digging with them over the weekend for a bit of cash in hand.

There are many ways to skin a chav....

[The Thin Blue Line]

skinning chavs... are we allowed to do that now ?


Ill have to check regs.

[WhippetMaster]

Yes but only with a sharp knife or it infringes their Human Rights,

Article 220-the right to vandalise.

Article 230-the right to assault.

Article 236-the right to breed faster than slugs under a scaffold board.

Oh and Article 240-the right to shout and swear and act how/when/where and when they feel like it.....

Chavs, don't you love em.... Is it any wonder the human race is heading for destruction....

[Sir Growalot]

Don't let the kids take over and ruin your plot get onto your local councillors or community police teams, we invite them down to the allotments for a brew and a chat and they seem to patrol the area for us and tell the kids to stay away. It seems to work for us.

[richyrich7]

Hi Sir Growalot
welcome to the forums