Youth related incidents

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 28 Sep 2004, 08:20

Bob wrote:

Police report a large increase in the number of youth related incidents since the new school term, culminating in serious disturbances 3 weekends ago. Additional officers brought in to deal exclusively with youth issues, large quantities of alcohol confiscated, visits to parents, over 70 warning letters.

Thankfully we were for once unaffected by this. Good to hear the Police put in extra resources to deal with the problem. However, as Bonfire night approaches I begin to dread the frequent bangs from fireworks which help disguise the smashing of car windows etc. Anyone know what the current legislation is regarding fireworks? I know legislation has been passed in England but last I read was still to be brought in, in Scotland.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 28 Sep 2004, 09:27

Marya - did a Hootsmon search and got this

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=924202004

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 28 Sep 2004, 09:29

Cheers Poppy! It's much as I'd suspected then - not much the Police can do until the Parly gets its skates on.

Post by **wangi** » 28 Sep 2004, 09:46

Marya wrote:not much the Police can do until the Parly gets its skates on.

Eh, all we need is yet more laws! I'm pretty sure there's plenty of legislation that could be used in this situation, because afterall it's not legal to smash windaes!

And it is illegal to sell fireworks to under 18s!

So, what's missing?

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 28 Sep 2004, 10:03

It's like underage smoking Wangi. You can be prosecuted for selling cigarettes to under 16's but you can't be charged for under age smoking.
Similarly it's an offence to sell fireworks to under 18's but it is not an offence to let them off around the clock (adult or kid) at any time of the year. Follow Poppy's link to see what legislation is being introduced.
The atmosphere of anarchy that is induced at this time of year also gives greater impetus to carry out acts of vandalism, plus it's really difficult when sitting in our house to differentiate between the bang of a firework or that of our car windscreen shattering (night after night...).

How many shops in Porty are prosecuted for selling alcohol to minors I wonder? None I would hazard and yet we have plenty drunken youths .

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 28 Sep 2004, 10:10

How many shops are done for selling other drugs to minors? I hear a lot about surveillance but see nothing being done about that. Or they close such a shop down and shopkeeper opens a new one up the road. (Am i skating on thin ice here?)

Sorry - that was off topic slightly, but it makes my blood boil.

I hate the fireworks thing. And anyway, before I moved here I was told that it wasn't celebrated here - the saving of the westminster parliament and the king's life!

Post by **wangi** » 28 Sep 2004, 10:11

It's 18, not 16. However...

Do you not see the error in all this? We cannot currently police the illegal sale of fireworks, so the fix is to add even more laws, that the police will have insufficient resources to tackle!

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 28 Sep 2004, 10:23

What's 18 not 16?

A police officer would find it difficult to prove a shop was acting illegally without some sort of elaborate sting operation but a kid found in possession of fireworks could be swiftly dealt with. Simply having the right to confiscate fireworks from adult or kid would be a start!
Incidentally I love fireworks..but in my case at Guy Fawkes' night and New Year. The new legislation will also allow for other special occasions such as the Chinese New Year.

BB I've also heard scary rumours about drugs being sold to kids via a shop . Hopefully rumours are all they are...

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 28 Sep 2004, 14:21

Bellybabe wrote:I hate the fireworks thing. And anyway, before I moved here I was told that it wasn't celebrated here - the saving of the westminster parliament and the king's life!

Well - he was a Scottish king .....