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Safer Neighbourhoods PC Carel Le Masson with Councillor Lisa Spall |
Youth clubs ‘stuck in table tennis past’
Ask kids what they want, say police on estate that’s teenagers’ ‘playground’
POLICE who are on the front-line in the battle against crime have called for more clubs to keep marauding teenagers off the streets.
At the same time, community workers argue that too many youth clubs are stuck in the past, still providing table tennis and computer games.
Instead, say workers, youth clubs should be laying on non-structured activities, including a meeting hall and mini-cinema.
South African-born Safer Neighbourhoods PC Carel Le Masson, who patrols the troubled Bemerton estate, off Caledonian Road, warned this week that anti-social behaviour was still a big problem in the area.
He spoke out during a walkabout on the estate with youth worker and Labour Caledonian ward councillor Lisa Spall, herself a former special constable.
PC Le Masson, who has been beat officer on the Bemerton estate for three years, said it had become a “playground” to a large number of youths who do not live there. “Anti-social behaviour, drinking and smoking drugs are all problems,” he said. “It can be quite challenging when you have up to 15 youths at a time, particularly at the weekend, causing problems.”
Personally, he opposed the estate being made a gated community – as is being done at the Andover estate in Finsbury Park – because for some residents it would “feel like being in a prison”.
He explained that police are currently cracking down on off-licences which sell alcohol to under-age youths.
“We have visited off-licences and outlets with briefing packs and they are warned what happens when they sell drink to minors,” he said.
“There is a big reduction in off-licences selling alcohol to minors since we started our campaign with Islington Council. However, we do get the problem of kids asking adults to buy booze for them. These adults need to realise the consequences of what they do.
“Off-licences have been made aware that if there are groups of kids hanging about outside and an adult goes in to buy alcohol they should not sell it to them.”
Fortunately, knife crime is not a big problem in the area, according to PC Le Masson, because police regularly stop and search youths. But in some parts of the borough weapons are being concealed in parks and open spaces.
PC Le Masson said: “We do regular knife sweeps in our parks and open spaces. I’m glad to say we haven’t come across any knives recently.”
He would like to see more money invested in youth facilities for the area, where there are three or four youth clubs. “I would like to see the clubs opened later at night and seven days a week,” he said. “Ask the kids what they want and provide it. It would mean fewer youths hanging about on the streets.”
Cllr Spall, who has won a national youth club award for her voluntary work, said that Islington needs to put more money into youth provision. She added: “It’s not just about table tennis and computer games. Provide activities the kids want to do. They want a proper meeting place with a coffee bar.
“Why not have a cinema room and a place for advice. Let’s get away from the structured activities that mark youth clubs with the past.” |
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