What's Your Thoughts & Opinions On Vigilante Groups To Fight Crime ?

[tom3t0]

Right now I've really had enough, earlier on today my other half was walking an elderly neighbous dog in the woods near by & there were some lads riding motorbikes to intimidate & chase kids out of the woodland, she tried to intervene & ask them politely to stop, she managed to get the young girls out of there safely , shortly afterwards a petrol can was thrown into our pond (also reported) which has now killed a lot of the fish. We've reported the incident to the police who still haven't done anything, I & others cannot see any alternative other than forming some kind vigilante groups to get rid of the scum & end these problems once & for all.

 

Unless anyone can see another alternative?

 

i'd suggest ringing the police, they seem to be giving you a fair amount of information on how to play the game, they haven't appeared to object to petrol cans being thrown about.

[King Rat]

To be blunt King Rat: you need to move.

 

The police are not going to bother to do their job in the foreseeable future.

 

The council are not going to bother to take effective action in the foreseeable future.

 

Look at it objectively: the scumbags are going to continue being scumbags until they are forcefully corrected, and that is simply not going to be done.

 

They will continue being scumbags whether you are there or not.

 

From your point of view it is unnecessary stress for zero gain. If you can remove yourself you avoid that.

 

You have my sincerest sympathy:I have been in this position, but with one difference. The scum were one family and the 'decent people' everyone else. When, after listening to their complaints and tales of abuse and assault I explained the proper legal method of evidence collection and construction of a dossier of ASB, all said 'yes we'll do that'.

 

Then, without exception, they all backtracked. The complaints they would make to me, they wouldn't tell to the police/pcso's. They all moved away and left me to deal with the rubbish on my own.

 

The police attitude, to my face, was: 'We're not going to collect evidence nor make arrests, short of assault on you, as it's not a priority and it has costs to our budget.'

 

If you feel you need to go the other route: I understand the impulse but can you avoid it by moving? And so avoid the hazards involved?

 

I see your points fr8neck & this would be the obvious solution without me or any other decent person risking themselves getting into trouble themselves with the police. Which is why we're now seriously considering buying a flat off someone we know on Attercliffe with no neighbours which sounds fantastic to us at the moment but with obvious other losses such as no garden which I really enjoy & other amenities however it is affordable to us at present with our combined incomes.

 

As you pointed out though, it really does bother me knowing that the scum have got one over on us when myself & other people i know could potentially end the problem by other unlawful but practical means once & for all.

 

Our elderly neighbour though is obviously going to be more at risk if we did do move, and she refuses to budge, so we would feel awful if anything did happen which unfortunately is very likely.

 

I personally see myself as a very peacefull & understanding person, I can understand why some youths behave as they do with their upbringing & parents but obviously despise the end product & sometimes cannot believe myself & others are seriously considering taking the law into our own hands.

[Yellowrose]

The trouble is, no move is easy these days. I dont know if you buy or rent, but renting a family house through housing associations or the council is virtually impossible unless you have priority or 15 years on the list and then its not immediate. Private renting is so expensive. Mutual exchanges ... well if anyone would exchange with you their spot might be worse than yours. If you can afford to buy, great! But like you say, its giving in to the scum, and the problem continues. We have neighbour nuisance but its not quite as bad as yours at the moment. We have no idea what to do either.

 

It is sometimes a nice thought that if you could catch one of the little scrotes on their own and give them a pasting they might give you a wide berth, but they are equally likely to come along with their mates and chuck things at your property etc.

 

I think its about time the police, the council and the housing associations got to grips with these problems and woke up to what its doing to peoples lives.

[King Rat]

The trouble is, no move is easy these days. I dont know if you buy or rent, but renting a family house through housing associations or the council is virtually impossible unless you have priority or 15 years on the list and then its not immediate. Private renting is so expensive. Mutual exchanges ... well if anyone would exchange with you their spot might be worse than yours. If you can afford to buy, great! But like you say, its giving in to the scum, and the problem continues. We have neighbour nuisance but its not quite as bad as yours at the moment. We have no idea what to do either.

 

It is sometimes a nice thought that if you could catch one of the little scrotes on their own and give them a pasting they might give you a wide berth, but they are equally likely to come along with their mates and chuck things at your property etc.

 

I think its about time the police, the council and the housing associations got to grips with these problems and woke up to what its doing to peoples lives.

 

Great post & could not agree more

[Yellowrose]

My latest idea is when I communicate with the housing association about neighbour nuisance, I also send a copy to my three local councillors. Im hoping they get fed up with the deluge of mail and do something. It is perhaps not a bad idea to send a copy to the community police as well. Im not big enough or fit enough to weild a weopon so it gives me the feeling Im doing something.

[fr8neck]

My latest idea is when I communicate with the housing association about neighbour nuisance, I also send a copy to my three local councillors. Im hoping they get fed up with the deluge of mail and do something. It is perhaps not a bad idea to send a copy to the community police as well. Im not big enough or fit enough to weild a weopon so it gives me the feeling Im doing something.

 

Are your problem people tenants?

 

If so I suggest that you keep copies, properly written up, of all incidents. If others are suffering too: get them to write each incident up and add it to the dossier as a signed statement. When you have a substantial file: Require effective action from the landlord. When they fail to produce this: see a lawyer and sue them, jointly with the other victims. Sue for loss of 'the quiet enjoyment' of your property, and personal distress. When their tenants start to cost them they will act; otherwise they'll take the easy option and do nothing.

[Yellowrose]

Are your problem people tenants?

 

If so I suggest that you keep copies, properly written up, of all incidents. If others are suffering too: get them to write each incident up and add it to the dossier as a signed statement. When you have a substantial file: Require effective action from the landlord. When they fail to produce this: see a lawyer and sue them, jointly with the other victims. Sue for loss of 'the quiet enjoyment' of your property, and personal distress. When their tenants start to cost them they will act; otherwise they'll take the easy option and do nothing.

 

I have been keeping incident diaries on official housing association forms for months and when each one is filled in it is sent in. At the moment it is difficult to know who to get together with because lots of people here are "connected" and though others moan, you see them taking lifts off the perpetrators too, so its difficult.

 

I didnt know you could sue for quiet enjoyment of your property. Who do you sue? the tenants (who probably dont have anything anyway) or the HA?

[fr8neck]

I have been keeping incident diaries on official housing association forms for months and when each one is filled in it is sent in. At the moment it is difficult to know who to get together with because lots of people here are "connected" and though others moan, you see them taking lifts off the perpetrators too, so its difficult.

 

I didnt know you could sue for quiet enjoyment of your property. Who do you sue? the tenants (who probably dont have anything anyway) or the HA?

 

 

You are entitled to "the quiet enjoyment" of your residence whether you be it's owner or a tenant.

 

The target of legal action is the landlord of the tenant.

 

If they are a Housing Association the tenant has signed a tenancy agreement with a great deal of behavioural requirements in it. Non-compliance with those requirements is, contractually, cause and legal justification for action by the landlord.

 

Failure to take sufficient action to produce compliance in the tenant, or remove the tenant, is grounds for legal action against them.

[Yellowrose]

I will mention this to the HA next time I send in a diary.

 

Our latest problem is that someone has bashed into my partners car in the communal car park and of course no one has seen anything. Its made a right old mess and of course we have to pay excess plus loss of no claims. There was a policeman attending another incident when we discovered it but he wasnt interested and said it could have happened anywhere. Problem is, we hadn't been out because the little uns were ill and we found a broken bit of bumper yards away from the car.

 

There is absolutely nothing that anyone does about this, but it is annoying and upsetting if you are the victim.

[Yellowrose]

fr8neck or anyone else:

In order to identify one of the perpetrators who was throwing stones at my window I took a few photos. As they are minors is this against the law? I was going to send it into the housing association with my diary sheets.