Booze-fuelled crime: PCSOs are welcome (From Chard & Ilminster News)

Booze-fuelled crime: PCSOs are welcome

6:06pm Tuesday 28th August 2007 in Chard By Steve Sowden

IT became very noticeable on Friday evening that people are genuinely pleased to see the police community support officers out and about while I walked the beat' with PCSO Dave Travers.

Two ladies walking their dogs in Jocelyn Park stopped and chatted for a while and said they were concerned about broken glass in the park, and that the language of some youngsters left a lot to be desired.

PCSO Travers confiscated and poured away a bottle of lager from one lad who was sat with a couple of girls by some swings. Although he was 19, he was unaware of the no-drinking designated area rules and could have been given an £80 on-the-spot fine, but common sense dictated and was given a warning.

Moments later he stopped a 15-year-old girl who was smoking a cigarette and such was her poor attitude and obvious distain towards authority and discipline, her parents will now be receiving a letter from the police. Whether that will do any good, one can only guess?

Next it was onto the grounds of the Holyrood School where we bumped into the two startled youths with their bottles of lager. Throughout the evening PCSO Travers spoke to everyone we passed on our travels, especially the youngsters, the majority of whom were well-behaved and polite.

We marched on through Victoria Park and then to Henson Park where there were a lot of young people playing in the evening sunshine.

PCSO Travers has already found a number of nooks and crannies' in the town where young people tend to congregate to drink alcohol and, possibly, take drugs.

One of those places is the Old Sewage Works off Henson Park, but on this occasion there was nobody to be seen, although there was plenty of evidence of drinking with discarded bottles and cans strewn about.

Next on the agenda was the Chard Reservoir area and all was quiet, although a few spots in the woods looked as if there had been get-togethers of youths judging by the litter.

PCSO Travers received a call about an alleged incident of youngsters throwing eggs at somebody's house nearby in a quiet estate. Following a conversation with the complainant, we then met with other residents and they were given calling cards' giving them details on who to phone in case of a problem.