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

[fr8neck]

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.

 

Photo taking rights. Courtesy of JoeP.

 

Entirely legal.

[Enola]

It is a terrible shame that the Police will not respond to a case which involves people being harassed in their own home. I have relatives in the States who could happily shoot such antisocials, in the safe and righteous knowledge that the Police would congratulate them.

 

What a shame we can’t do the same over here.

[mancom]

In my experience I'd say a lot of people are totally fed up of criminals ruining their neighborhood, or the police & courts not having the resources to enforce the law to its full extent to arrest & prosecute criminals.

 

I personally don't like the idea of people taking the law into their own hands but if the authorities didn't have too many restrictions & could perform their duties correctly maybe ordinary decent people wouldn't think about forming vigilante groups?

 

Most people don't advocate violent behavior that can be avoided but sometimes maybe people feel disillusioned or let down by the Police & Courts due to all the restrictions in place?

 

I think some people may feel there's no other alternative but to use violence against violence or other unlawful ways to protect their property & the decent people in their area?

 

I can't imagine any decent person enjoying or wanting to be behaving in drastic unlawful ways but sometimes they may feel let down & their is no other alternative?

 

What do all you forumers think?

 

The best people to use it on are muggers. I think vigilanteism is a necessary evil. I believe there needs to be a certain amount if vigilantism to keep society in check.

[NorthernStar]

I would never condone vigilantism though I would have full sympathy with anyone under such duress as some of the posters here having to take antisocial behaviour to such a magnitude as described.

 

However, if I'm not mistaken a person(s) can perform a citizens arrest using reasonable force as necessary, now if the criminal in question were to sustain injuries in their futile attempt to escape (perhaps from a nasty fall down some concrete steps or something) this would of course be an accident unless proved otherwise, and of course a nasty little toerag would claim it was some else's fault by way of mitigation for when he goes to court for the crime he was being apprehended for.

 

The law's an ass, use it to your advantage; it's how it looks, not what it is.

[Kthebean]

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.

 

I think a lot of the time the front line staff of the council/ha/police are well aware of whats going on but they have to work to the law.* They can't simply storm into mordor. If you want to change the law you've got a job on your hands.

 

* I dont work for any of these agencies btw!

 

I dont necessarily disagree with vigilantism for problems like smashing of windows, verbal abuse, if it is clear who has done what.

 

WHat I do disagree with is when someone's brother takes a disliking to someone and decides to tell all his mates that person was perving at his little sister at they all go round and break his legs.

[nightrider]

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, So is there any alternative other than forming some kind vigilante groups to get rid of the scum & end these problems once & for all?

 

I'd be careful - the police won't hesitate to throw the book at you if you get caught. So you could end up in jail?

[nightrider]

It is a terrible shame that the Police will not respond to a case which involves people being harassed in their own home. I have relatives in the States who could happily shoot such antisocials, in the safe and righteous knowledge that the Police would congratulate them.

 

What a shame we can’t do the same over here.

 

thats one thing I noticed whilst living there. If you complained about neighbours they would be round straight away and make sure they know they cannot do it again. I think they are a lot tougher on crime generally.