SN chap causing trouble at work ...

[Fecklessdizzy]

This is more of a What-Should-We-Do than a AIBU but here goes anyway ...

There's a cafe at work that gets visited by lots of cyclists on a Sunday. For years and years a local chap with learning difficulties ( let's call him X ) has shown up on his bike on the same day. I don't know the exact nature of X's problem and he doesn't seem to have a carer. The trouble is he's very unpredictable ... Sometimes he's quiet but oftain he shouts and swears at the staff and customers although he's never actually got violent with anyone.

He doesn't like women. For years a retired policeman who worked with me would intervene if things were getting difficult but since he left just before Christmas the situation has deteriorated.

We thought we could deal with X if we stayed firm and fair, and it worked for a few weeks, then he seemed to realise my ex-police collegue wasn't coming back and he started pushing the bounderies a bit further each week. He calls people names, accuses them of telling tales on him and recently he's started demanding hugs off the restaurant staff and getting abusive if he doesn't get them.

We got in touch with the community police and they said they'd have a word with him ... We don't know if they did or not but he's still coming every Sunday and the phone number they gave us to ring if he shows up goes straight to answerphone.

It seems too small a thing to call 999 for ( Oooh, there's a sweary man, help! Help! ) but the girls in the restaurant and the rest of us are fed up with being on tenter-hooks all day waiting for him to kick off.

Thoughts? ( Please don't flame me for being anti-special needs as I'm really not, I don't want to ban the poor bloke as he seems to enjoy coming but we need to find a way of him doing that without scaring all the waitresses every weekend )

I think all you can do is 999. Verbal abuse is verbal abuse and you sound like you've been pretty tolerant so far. If the community police haven't fixed the problem, bump it up the ladder to the regulars.

It isn't an emergency so 999 is a bit OTT, try 101 non-emergency number instead.

I would call 999 too. It does seem like a ridiculous waste of resources, but it might be the only way to get anyone to notice that this man needs some support.

The problem with the neighbourhood team is that it'll be a very small team (likely max 6 people) and won't be able to provide 24/7 cover. Try 101 instead.

Yes, try 101 or find out the switchboard telephone number of your local police station. Call the police every time he causes a problem. If he is shouting, swearing and being abusive he is committing a public order offence, it might be reasonable to use 999 in those circumstances. Unless you keep telling the police there is a problem they won't know that it is persisting.

Don't worry about getting the man into trouble. The police are generally sympathetic to people in difficult circumstances. If he does need assessing or more help than he is getting the police may be able to get him into the system.

Thanks guys, we did try 101 and it eventually ended up at the same answerphone as the two community police numbers.

Same goes for the local police station number, I'm afraid ...

Can you go to the Police Station and talk to someone? Or isn't that something you can do anymore, do they have an 'enquiries' desk? Just a suggestion. It may be easier to explain face to face.

Did you leave an answerphone message? If they get enough of them I suppose they will act. Have you tried the main Police station for the County? This is a rural area and Police stations are rare as hen's teeth anyway, but I have got through to a switchboard by calling the number for the area from the phone book.
Our local Police have been very good with DS2 who has Aspergers. I was surprised how well they dealt with him. They should also be able to involve other agencies if he isn't involved with them already.

Is it possible to deny him access to your business? If his behaviour is threatening or abusive does it matter that he might have SN?

We have an open site and have no actual security, anyone can come in ...

I did leave a message but as yet have had had no response. We did ring the main police station but got a message saying ring 101!

To be honest I'm not holding back on getting the police involved because he has SN, rather because he's a pest and not an actual threat so far and I don't want to waste their time..

Do you know where he lives and if he has any family who could help. Perhaps they don't know he is making a nuisance of himself like this and if you had a word they might be able to do something.

Call 999 if he does this again. It's not your responsibility to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. If he can't help himself then you'll be helping him by alerting someone about his problems.

When I had problems with a neighbour the police told me to call 999 if I felt threatened.

I explained that she wasn't violent or abusive, just very insulting and provocative. They said officers would attend to prevent a breach of the peace that might result from her provoking me beyond endurance.

I hesitated a few times and then I did it. They turned up and advised her to go away or they would arrest her. It stopped.

You should speak to the police and this is why:

If he has a learning disability then he will have had an assessment of needs performed by Social Services. If his behaviour is getting worse, then the Police need to make SS aware of this, and they can send someone to reassess him. He might need a carer to accompany him on his outings in the future, to supervise him and assist him in his daily life.

If SS aren't aware then nothing will be done, and he might end up in a situation that he doesn't have the ability to cope with.

You're actually doing a kind thing by reporting this behaviour, please do speak to the police.

I agree with Huge; it's best to dial 999 to get the police to intervene.
Hopefully this man will then get help; plus you will be meeting the duty of care that u have towards your staff - particularly as this man's behaviour towards them is worsening.
The danger is that without intervention the man may insult someone who will hurt him; or he could push the boundaries too far & touch one of the staff inapproriately.

He is vulnerable really. His behaviour round less understanding folk could end up with him getting seriously hurt so it is also his interests being taken care of too. Or
Organise the Local police to come and chat with him and you lot around the table and see if that can be of any use. Or would that just upset him? but, abuse is abuse and it needs to be dealt with. Do feel sorry for you.

Can you talk to the community police again today, explain you had trouble getting hold of them on Sunday and ask what you should do if this happens again next Sunday? (chances are, they'll tell you to call 999).

As others have said, if he needs help, this is a good way to make sure he gets it. You also have to be a little business minded about it, if there's someone regularly screaming and swearing and causing a bad feeling in your cafe, the cycling group and other regulars will find somewhere else to meet for their sunday morning break.

Thanks a lot everyone.

We've organised a meeting with the community police and they're going to find out where he lives and what sort of a care package he's got in place. With any luck they can sort him out with a carer so he can get out and about with no more confrontations ...

Cheers!

Glad you've got a plan