Anti-Social Behaviour

Local concerns about Anti-Social behaviour in the Hampton, Sunbury and Molesey areas were aired at a meeting at Hampton SC on the evening of 28 June.

The gathering organised and chaired by Hampton SC, included Police Inspectors and Community Officers from both the Met and Surrey forces and representatives from local clubs, businesses, and resident associations.

The purpose was to brief the Police on the problems being encountered and decide on a course of action to combat them. Each representative was given the opportunity to outline their particular troubles; many were common, while others specific.

It became apparent that Hampton SC has far worse problems than our own with groups of youths regularly getting out to the club and using its roof as a diving board. It's now got so bad that the club has recommended to its members that no one should go to the club on their own or even in groups of two or three during the week.

Their roof has been damaged and several boats vandalized, although, to date, the club itself has not actually been broken into. Stone throwing and verbal abuse was another serious concern voiced.

Several businesses in the area, including the Hampton ferry, offices, boat yards and pubs reported vandalism and minor theft. I covered AQSC problems and made a useful contact at the Millennium boathouse which has its own problems, including a little known public right of way that goes clean through their property.

The Police then outlined their current strategy concerning youth disorder on both sides of the river. They stated that a number of gangs and individuals were known to them and that intelligence was being gathered in order to do something about them.

The use of ASBO's (Anti Social Behaviour Orders) was discussed along with a range of other actions that could be taken if suitable evidence could be assembled. This, the Police advised, was the single most important activity that the local community could contribute. They highlighted a recent case where four youths had been caught and charged at Hampton because a local resident had been able to photograph them in the act of vandalizing a waterfront property.

Contact points within the Police were another area of concern discussed together with late, or no, response. It was agreed that an information sheet would be prepared jointly between Hampton SC and the Met & Surrey Police detailing Police contacts telephone numbers, email address etc, that should be used to report anti social behaviour in the area, on either side of the river.

Both forces admitted that under manning and the lack of a marine capability was a problem, but they seemed genuinely anxious to engage with the riverside problems and urged everybody to start keeping 'incident logs', and where possible take video and still photography evidence.

Further meetings are planned in the future and I have offered Aquarius SC as an alternative venue to Hampton SC if needed.

Mike (The Commodore) Baker