Lawless towns

[worlybear]

WTF is happening in our towns?
I live in a small seaside town in the S.E. of England.
Over the last 2 years the police presence has diminished to practically nil.
From 6 pm in the evening it is unwise and unsafe to walk through the town centre or along the harbour due to a burgeoning and aggressive underclass of "homeless " people/drunks.
They pester for money and are very intimidating.
One person I know when approached said "sorry I've no money on me"-so the guy offered to walk him to a cash point!
Unbelievable!
Every night and I mean EVERY night the drunken brawls screaming and fighting carries on through drinking time until the early hours of the morning.
It's not safe to be out.
People are bedded down in shop fronts, both vacant and in business .
The police seem to shrug their shoulders and turn away ,probably because they have no resources or stomach to keep addressing these issues.
I understand that there is a local,homeless shelter but some people prefer to beg.
I'm sick to death of it and want to see some action to prevent this significant minority of morons from terrorising the town.
Personally I think that an active police presence with permission to use tasers would improve the quality of life for many law-abiding people.
AIBU?

YANBU to want to feel safe in town but unfortunately, so many services have been cut to nothing that there isn't the support there for people in difficulty.

Yes, these people may beg for money but in all honesty, in their shoes, I'd probably do the same. They probably get agitated when told no because they are desperate. Quite often, homeless shelters charge people for an overnight stay - so they may be begging for that and it must be disheartening to be refused over and over.

Homelessness isn't a police matter.

@ExEUCitizen "let's not forget that unprovoked violence and intimidation on someone who is just passing is unprovoked violence, whatever the reason / excuse."

Aggressive threatening behaviour were the only things mentioned by the OP, but it was enough for her to want firearms officers to deploy tasers on unarmed homeless people! 🙄

We don’t have a big issue with homelessness in our area but we do have a similar drunk aggressive underclass who are particularly fond of frightening women and screaming their lungs out in the middle of the night to wake people. If the police were out moving them along this would be an issue at all for us. And a much better expenditure of public money than the local ‘museum’ (I.e. ting collection of old tapestries and bits of masonry) or the never ending funding for arts programs which don’t ever include any real art because they’ve been taken over by the tasteless old biddy committee.

A police presence is invaluable wherever you have antisocial people in the vicinity.

@ExEUCitizen ""Vile creature" is uncalled for, imo."

That's your opinion, but it's absolutely accurate and called for in mine!

She said aggressive and fighting and mentioned a few scenarios I've seen. It isn't nice walking past groups of people like that. Tasering is an overreaction unless we're into civil unrest territory though, I prefer what's termed the 'left wing' public services and plain policing myself.

@Reginabambina "we do have a similar drunk aggressive underclass"

Anyone who refers to fellow human beings as "underclass" is showing that they themselves have no class! Shame on you!

As soon as you used the description 'underclass' YABVVU. And downright pathetic.

Anyone who refers to fellow human beings as "underclass" is showing that they themselves have no class

Agree.

However, the Tories are hellbent on creating one.

@ExEUCitizen There is nothing 'left wing' about discriminating against any group! Can you imagine if she had suggested what she has about homeless people, on any other group? How about people of colour, homosexuals? Women? Teenagers? It's ridiculous and shameful and she is a vile creature!

I live in a town with a huge drug gang problem. Regular gang murders, including a shooting at 6pm in commuter traffic and the recent dismemberment of a 17 year old. That is lawlessness. Homeless people not so much.

Retroflex (and some others), you sound as if you've never had to be frightened by a bunch of - drug users and dealers, it's been for me rather than just drunks - hanging around abusing women for the fun of scaring them, or living off their highs. There is such a thing as the underclass, and using an identification label is not automatically discriminating against them. England does often seem lawless in some places. Friday night is argument night I guess. Enjoy your virtuous raging and your own highs, I'm old and off to bed.

If you have genuinely been homeless then you know the reasons why so many turn to drug, drink and don't want to be placed into dangerous hostels and shelters. You would know that public service cuts have destroyed the systems ability yo help people from mental health help to safe accommodation, to police on the street.

There are homeless drinkers in my area.they hang out together. In little groups. I have never ever seen them cause people hassle or beg. That does not mean it does not happen but normally they just want their can and a sit on the bench.

There are a couple of drug users. That hassel though one lady knocks on peoples doors in the early hours saying shes a nurse and needs to get a cab. Another hassles when at cash point. Have to firmly tell her to go away.

But police are not the answer. They have enough to be dealing with. It's pretty sad really in the past theses people probably had jobs and familys now they have very little.

Who did you vote for out of genuine interest OP?

And a much better expenditure of public money than the local ‘museum’

I don’t think cutting the arts is the answer here, in fact I don’t think more cuts is the answer at all. This is a direct result of Tory cuts- nothing more, nothing less. They have cut the police, cut social care, cut the NHS, cut education, cut local services. What do you expect really? But yeah, the answer is to stop funding art galleries and museums so people cannot experience anything remotely cultured or fun for free.

@ExEUCitizen you have absolutely no idea what I do! Or who I come across during my days! I will not get into an argument with you, hopefully though, you'll call somebody "underclass" in real life, although I doubt that you would! It's very easy to say whatever you like on an annonomous forum!
"using an identification label is not automatically discriminating against them." she specifically suggested targeting homeless people with tasers! That is discrimination! As for "Enjoy your virtuous raging and your own highs" I have absolutely no idea what you mean by my own highs? And to be honest, I don't hold your opinion in high regard. You're sticking up for a vile creature who hasn't bothered to justify her comments, nor defend herself!

Blossom hell the taser suddenly ramped it all up. I’d imagine if you added tasers randomly being fired off it would make me even less likely to go out in your town - it went from a grim deprived scene to a full on horror film !

It's the same in Chester. Too many people, not enough affordable housing.

Youth services have been slashed.

Drug and alcohol services have been decimated, as have mental health services.

Meaning more people on the streets who will do whatever they need to get their hands on drugs.

Less kids benefiting from early intervention so more likely to go down that path.

Less police / services to manage the current shitshow.

Less of a family network, grandparents have to work longer or are scattered about.

Oh and more and more families have parents working all hours to live in poverty, so not as available to deal with the most important years. Kids are being left to bring themselves up through their teens. And all they're seeing is poverty and little hope.

I've noticed a real change over the last ten years and it isn't good. Where I live the dealers don't even bother to be discreet anymore........it was like Asda on Christmas Eve last week. There was a big crowd gathered waiting for the arrival.......I rang 101 and the only response I got was 'how do you know they're dealing drugs ? 'I've resorted to filming them and Facebook messaging our local police the videos of what I have to walk through to get home. I'm actually starting to think we need legal, dealing areas. At least then it would get it away from decent homes and families.

Very simply. Anyone who voted tory at any election during the past 10 years has contributed to the situation in the OP's town. It will only get worse because the tories were voted in again, in an apparent confirmation that the country is happy with the changes that have been made over the last ten years.

There is no chance of them reversing their polices to re-fund the police, social services, schools, etc. etc. to previous levels.

I suspect that the OP lies politically to the right as they divide people between the underclass and law-abiding. There is a solution: vote for a political party that offers support for those that struggle. The result is a nicer place to live for everyone.

I have never and would never vote Tory.
Those of you who shriek "vile creature " in response to my original post that's your opinion.
I support my family and work hard.
I pay my taxes and don't break the law.
I know that there is massive inequality in people's lives but why is it considered acceptable to behave like this?
I thought the law applies to everyone.
Clearly I am wrong.

The law does not allow the armed police to target one demographic... It is vile to even suggest that in the first place!

OP I agree with you and certainly don't think it makes us "vile". Some people are just desperate to be seen as woke and holier than thou. It just smacks of hand wringing to me.

Fgs heard it all now ! ‘Woke’ and ‘hand wringing ‘ ? next minute we’ll be accused of being ‘liberal lefty do gooders’

'Underclass' is an entirely useful sociological term

To whinge about its correct use is worthless and brings nothing to the issue