The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Following another case of vandalism in Crowland, the town council has urged residents to report every incident of anti-social behaviour to the police.
The town’s public toilets on West Street recently suffered “substantial damage” said Police Inspector Gareth Boxall.
Crowland Parish Council clerk Brenda Stanojevic said it was the third or fourth time the toilets had been vandalised this year and estimates the cost of the damage in this incident is £300. A door was broken during the trouble.
Mrs Stanojevic said there have been problems in the town all summer but police are working to tackle the crimes. However, she says police need to be kept aware.
“The police are trying to keep on top of it and make enquiries but it’s evidence they require.
“We put in every town magazine please report antisocial behaviour to 101.
“The police have got to log it. Even if they can’t come out they’ve got the incident and it gives them the figures they need to get more police here.”
Over the summer there was an increased PCSO presence and an initiative to steer errant youngsters straight by encouraging litter picking with a PCSO and a reward for staying off the police radar for a few weeks.
“They had high hopes but in the end I think only two youngsters took part but that’s two better than zero.
That was a good initiative that the council fully supported,” said Mrs Stanojevic.
Mrs Stanojevic says she hopes the onset of winter will reduce the number of youngsters on the streets after dark but insists the best way to tackle the problem is to keep the police involved.
“Keep reporting everything. The police may not be able to come out right away but there may be an officer in the town,” she said.
The problems in Crowland are known to the police.
Insp Boxall chairs the monthly Anti-Social Behaviour Risk Assessment Conference (ASBRAC).
While Insp Boxall says he cannot discuss particulars of the meeting, he has this meesage for the recent offenders:
“Once the CCTV images are available for publication we will release them to local and social media to identify the offenders. My advice to those responsible for this damage would be to contact Lincolnshire Police (quoting Inc 173 27th Aug) and avoid having your face published in the paper and on social media.”
