Early October Stockton Councils Anti Social Behaviour Team had a surprising shock when conducting a routine nightly patrol around Dovecot Street, Stockton.
After hours of unpaid hard work painting the Dovecot Street tunnel as part of the Offender Community Payback scheme, Mike Lincoln from the Anti Social Behaviour team was disappointed to see several new names graffitied on the spotless white wall. In response, photographs of the graffiti were taken as evidence, and in-turn youths were identified and parents were very ashamed when they received an interview request letter from Mike. However agreeing to attend, all five young people along with parents came along to Stockton Police Station for an interview. After the youths were embarrassingly confronted all five admitted to the offence, with Mike revealing the shameful work of art they had committed.
The Anti- Social Behaviour team takes criminal damage very seriously and examples will be made of those who choose to commit. Three options of punishment were given; one, send evidence to Police who would not only charge them with criminal damage but land them with a criminal record. Two, a hefty £80 fine, and the third was, under supervision clean off graffiti using specialised kits. The youths, with encouragement from parents opted for option three. By giving the young people the opportunity to resolve the incident through a restorative process gives chance to understand the real impact of what they have done to the community and that they will have to do something to repair the harm. It was stressed that the youths would be supervised at all times, but if for any reason they did not turn up, the team would have no other option but to criminalise and fine them.
With parents consent and under female supervision, Mike and ASB team members met the youths on Friday November 13th. The youths, decked out in the correct safety equipment began to muck in with the dirty work, tough and tiresome scrubbing for over an hour proved to be very beneficial and once again the walls appeared bright and new. One of the youths in question noted;
"This is the hardest work I have ever done; it's just not worth writing my name on that wall, looks scruffy anyway"
The young people made a lot of effort to restore what they had done, but were warned that if the ASB team came across their names anywhere in the Stockton Borough they would get no more chances and would receive an automatic fine.
Mike Lincoln who organised the event noted; "I think this event was a great success and again a credit to partnership working. I believe that it had taught the young people a valuable lesson in not only caring for the community that they live in but being a responsible young person."
Parents were relieved to receive a letter of thanks for their child's participation and ultimately thanks for their supportive co-operation with the anti social behaviour team.
For more information regarding the anti social behaviour team or to report it, please our 24-hour hotline on 01642 607943.