Police / Multi-agency work ongoing around anti-social behaviour, police chief says
SHETLAND’s police chief says there is “ongoing dialogue at a high level” between different agencies around reported anti-social behaviour in Lerwick.
Area commander chief inspector Chris Sewell said there is “not a simple fix” but said it is about getting the “right people around the table”.
The issue was raised at a meeting of Shetland’s community safety and resilience board on Thursday.
It came after two teenagers were taken to hospital on Friday after being assaulted by other youths in Lerwick’s town centre.
Board chairman councillor Allison Duncan said there has been repeated instances of antisocial behaviour in Lerwick, pointing in particular to people congregating at the Park Lane community garden.
He said he wanted to make it clear that anti-social behaviour is coming from a “very small number of youths”.
But the councillor said there has been “further deterioration” in behaviour in the Lerwick Lanes and Esplanade areas.
“Discipline starts in the home and it seems to be with a certain few it’s not happening,” Duncan said.
He claimed that some teenagers are congregating in certain areas and drinking alcohol, allegedly smashing vodka bottles and mixing the glass in with soil in the public garden.
Duncan also alleged there has been evidence of two youths “climbing over roofs”.
He highlighted reports from residents of noise and anti-social behaviour in the lanes, which is “extremely disruptive to normal life”.
As the police is investigating Friday’s assault, Duncan said he did not wish to comment on the matter.
But he said “we don’t want to see anything like this happening again”, and added that lanes residents were “not surprised” that it took place.
The councillor added that one family had moved to the lanes area but is now planning to sell up as a result.
Duncan said police are “doing their best” but cannot be everywhere at once.
Sewell said everyone could agree that the level of violence in Friday’s assault, which was captured on video and shared on social media, was shocking.
Placing an emphasis on prevention, he said if police are responding to serious violence then there has been missed opportunities to provide positive intervention.
Sewell also highlighted previous success from a community cohesion group in the lanes area.
“There is ongoing dialogue at a high level, at a strategic level, between the police, social work and education around certain individuals to see what can be done to support families to reduce harm coming to our young people,” he added.
But Sewell said “we cannot be in this position every summer” where lighter nights draw to folk to commit antisocial behaviour.
Shetland Central councillor Catherine Hughson said the issue is a Shetland one, and not restricted to a single agency.
She also lamented the situation being played out on social media.
Shetland North member Andrew Hall meanwhile said there “could have been a death” if the incident was not stopped by an adult.
He said it has affected the whole community, suggesting that there could be some young people from outwith Lerwick worried about what may happen if they come to Lerwick on a Saturday.
“We want our young people to feel free and safe if they’re coming to town from county areas,” Hall said.
Shetland West member Liz Peterson meanwhile questioned if more could be done to encourage people not to stand and simply watch an incident such as the assault, and instead to try to intervene.
Sewell said in response that there has been work taking place around an “active bystander approach”.
Meanwhile the police chief also said anyone aged under 18 is treated as a child when it comes to criminal offences, although the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is 12.
He said matters can go to the children’s panel but this is not punitive, with this approach about “supporting that child to understand the impact of their actions”.
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