News | Shepway focus
downsmail.co.uk ‘Feral’ youthswreaking havoc
ON paper, it should be one of the safest places to live in the county…just a stone’s throw fromKent Police headquarters. But in reality, the people of
‘Shepway shops’ say the forces of lawand order have lost control of their streets. Terrified of reprisals but driven
to the brink of despair, they have broken cover to reveal a catalogue of crime. Intimidation, breaking and en-
tering, criminal damage and drug dealing are part of an almost daily diet for residents inNorthumber- land Road. And the criminality is exacer-
bated because the culprits are kids. “Feral” youths, the youngest
just eight, the oldest in their late teens, roam the neighbourhood unchallenged. They go where they want, do what they want, takewhat theywant. Residents lay the blame on bad
parenting, a legal system more obsessedwith the rights of the of- fender than those of the victim, and an under-funded police force. The conditions, they say, have
created gangswith nomoral com- pass, concerned with their own rights but contemptuous of the rights of others. Eddie Powell, borough council-
lor for Shepway South, said: “These youths are feral. They have no boundaries. They face no consequences for their actions. “The people living here are their
victims. It’s unbelievable that this is allowed to happen. Residents have been badly let down.”
Presence ‘is a deterrent’
Cllr Eddie Powell (left) with newsagent Umesh Patel, who says he is on the brink of “shutting up shop”
A delegation of householders
told Downs Mail that, in the last year, they have endured self-im- posed curfews night after night in an effort to stay safe. They revealed howyouths call-
ing themselves The Shepway Ball Gang: Regularly kick-in the communal door to the flats. Deal and use drugs in the stair- well. Launch projectiles fromthe bal- conies, hitting cars below. Are rowdy and abusive throughout the night. Laid siege to aman’s home after he asked them to keep the noise down at two in themorning. Hurled abuse at a youngster for looking at themfromher balcony. Forced a pizza delivery driver to leap a flight of stairs after barring his exit. Stopped a young family from
entering their home, by blocking their doorway. Openly steal fromshops. “We’ve had nights when there
have been upwards of 60 youths,” said one mum. “I’ve even seen parents dropping themoff in their cars… what kind of parent does that? “They come here because they
get a kick out of intimidating peo- ple. It makes them feel big… it’s their turf. “Most of the time, I think they
want to push people into con- frontation. “They brag on social media
about carrying knives and Iworry it’s just a matter of time before they’ll use them.” Newsagent Umesh Patel is one
of the few locals prepared to be named.He says he is on the verge of shutting up shop. “I’ve had enough,” he said. “I don’t think things around here are going to change.” The youths are contemptuous
CCTV footage of a small group of youths in the area
IN A desperate effort to highlight their plight, the beleaguered resi- dents of ‘Shepway shops’ con- tacted DownsMail. These are their experiences, in their own words: “I work hard for a living. I pay
my rent. I paymy bills. Sowhy am I expected to put up with this? I can’t sleep at night. I sit in the dark crying. I watch through the curtains as this gang takes over
4 Maidstone October 2019
the flats. The noise, the threats, the swearing. My boss even lets me adjust my working hours so I can get indoors before they start congregating in the street. I dread going home.”
“I’d be out of here in a flash if I
could. The only way I can move is if someone else with my housing association is willing to swap
of the police, say residents. On one occasion, a teenager put his arms around a PCSO who was quizzing them. “It wasn’t a sign of friendship
or good humour,” said a grand- mother who witnessed it, “it was a message to all of us watching that they’re untouchable.”
homes. But when youmention you live at the ‘Shepway shops’, they run a mile. It might as well be twinned with Syria.”
“These youths know how to
play the system. If they end up in court, they claim they’ve got a condition…attention deficit dis- order or autism. It’s rubbish. I have people in my family who
POLICE Sergeant Nick Hatcher, from Maidstone Community Safety Unit, said: “We are aware of the concerns fromresidents in Shepway regarding antisocial be- haviour in the area, and we are working proactively with the local housing association and the Shepway community to continue to resolve the issues. “Our PSCOs have been visit-
ing families and engaging with young people to explain the ef- fects of antisocial behaviour on others. “Officers will continue to pro-
vide a visible deterrent and we ask residents to continue towork with us, report incidents, keep a diary of events so we can con- tinue to crack down on the small minority who insist on making lifemiserable for others.”
More police on the beat
MATTHEW Scott, Kent’s Police andCrimeCommissioner, said: “I am committed to providing Kent Police with the resources they need to pro- vide an effi- cient
and
effective serv- ice. Thanks to money I have r a i s e d t h r o u g h council
tax,
Kent Police was able to recruit an ad-
ditional 291 police officers in the 2018/19 financial year. No other force in the country increased its strength by asmany.”
What it’s like being a resident in the ‘Shepway shops’area of our county town
genuinely have these conditions and guess what? Not one has re- sorted to criminality.”
“When we complain to the po-
lice, they ask us to put our names to witness statements, but what’s the point? These kids get a slap on the wrist from the courts and they’re back on our doorsteps the next day.”
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