More security at Town Park
Thursday 24th November 2011, 2:59PM GMT.
States police officers on patrol - it has been suggested that private secruity firms should be employed to provide extra cover
SECURITY at the Millennium Town Park is to be increased after residents
complained about rowdy teenagers making their lives ‘unbearable’.
Louisa Jones, who lives opposite the park, wrote an open letter to St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft that the area has become a ‘mecca for anti-social teenagers’.
Mrs Jones said young people were gathering nightly in the park and staying for hours – sometimes as late as 4 am.
A meeting of police, St Helier parish officials and representatives from Transport and Technical Services held this week agreed to implement tougher security at the park.
The new measures include hiring private security officers to patrol the park at night, wardens patrolling the area, and locking up facilities from 5 pm. The introduction of brighter street lighting and CCTV is also being considered.
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I went for a walk past the park at around 10.10 on thursday night, was confronted with a large group of kids (12-15 year olds), drunk shouting and screaming abuse whilst using the swings and frames. I know Jersey states and police dont really care at all about underage drinking as they do nothing about it, but it is a little bit much for people to have to cope with when walking home and living near the site. Funny thing was there were two police offcers who walked straight past them and did nothing, didn’t even look at them. Shows how good the police are over here and the politicians. This Good idea could turn sour.
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Even more expense but it was predicted.
Will the new security patrols also have to gather up the discarded needles?
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More money to be wasted on this ‘ring-binder’ mistake.
The best move would be to wait to it is fully trashed (as was always going to be the case), then turn it back into a Car Park!
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Agreed !
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Shame for the residents really!
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Why oh why do they never listen to the public?
Right from the beginning of this park,we the residents said it will need high rails and locked at night.
The rails they have put up are inadequate,they have even put a foundation which can be used as a stepping stone to easy climb over!
I could climb over it with ease,meaning it will be a waste of time and money to lock it up now.
I hate to say I told you so,but I did!
Does any-one think Howard-Davis would be as nice as it is, if it had not been walled and gated?
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I agree. I never supported this Millennium Park idea from the beginning because I could see it ending up as the new Parade Park- an area to avoid, particularly at night.
Look what has happened- all my worst fears come true. I am so glad I don’t live near to it. It has become the most expensive skateboarding park in the world.
By comparison, Howard Davis Park is still a tranquil oasis, but I am sure the credit for that must go entirely to TB Davis and the restrictions he must have placed on its use before gifting it to the public.
Things must change at Millennium Park urgently. Perhaps somebody should organise a 2nd petition to demand that the anti-social element and feckless skateboarders get kicked out before they start getting too comfortable.
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Totally agree Jerry.
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They should have built a 6 foot deep HA-HA the other side of the fence with Gorse or Holly growing in it.
That would stop the blighters.
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Who seriously thought this wasn’t going to happen? What makes me laugh is that these people moaning about the noise and anti-social behaviour are probably the same muppets who wanted this complete and utter waste of money.
Well done SOJ, it was very generous of you to build this glorified skate park.
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BR, maybe you should direct you thanks more at
Simon Crowcroft.
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“the area has become a ‘mecca for anti-social teenagers”. Yes I think that practically everyone that comments on this site said this would happen, has the glass statue been smashed yet?.
What will the cost of policing be, seems that £10 million was only the first installment.
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Surprise Surprise!!
Another albatross around the ratepayers necks.
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I knew this would happen and so should they have. So, as well as a £10,000,000 spend we now have extra upkeep costs!! This place is a complete one-off when it comes to clowns managing our Taxes.
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AND WHO WILL PAY FOR THIS……….
The levels of genius actions are getting more fabulous by the day.at the Mad Hatters Tea party.
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I see much older kids in that childrens play area after lock up time. I watched a few jump over the gate. Its not hard. Someone will injure themselves and then sue the states i imagine. As for the residents, i feel for them, i really do. Nothing worse than a new meeting place right outside your homes.
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I wonder if there will be the same furore about the underage drinking and anti-social behaviour going on in this one small area as there was about a handful of drunken tweenies at Jersey Live, of course not. Shut down Jersey Live was the cry, its a blight on our beautiful island, wait to they get a load of the town park in a few more months, soon to be Jerseys largest open air toilet.
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simple just fit higher fenceing and lock it up at night job done simples
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I live near the park, and it is indeed like a warzone at night, people bombing around on BMX’s in the dark, kids hassling for cigarettes and so on. I am a 32 year old male, and even I am not keen walking through at night. I spoke to a centenier on the opening day, and mentioned how they would have their hands full due to the park being open all night. He agreed wholeheartedly, as I am sure anyone in Jersey would have done! Get a wall up as soon as possible, and lock it off at night. Howard Davis park is the nicest piece of tranquility in the town area, so lets use that as a template. It’s laughable how poorly thought through this project has been.
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Conversely there is a lack of noise coming from the previously loud mouthed proponents and supporters of the Town Park. Not so vociferous now then eh ? Time for some solutions rather than simply disappearing into the shrubbery.
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I am sorry but they should leave these poor kids alone. It’s their Town Park as well as others and personally I think these killjoy Town Residents are just being selfish.
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Well Tania, you can tell that you don,t live next door to the park!!!!
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So it is all right to be outside people’s homes screaming and yelling at 1am in the morning.
I assume, unlike them, you have no job to go to
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Ah poor kids, i feel for them there is just nothing for them to do on this Island….send them to Afghanistan, that should sort their “boredom” out.
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It is with stories like this that I am glad I am not a teenager anymore – always tarred with the same brush when events like this happened!
I wonder if the people who signed the petition back in the 90′s to get this park are happy with the final result. If it was something along the lines of Howard Davis Park then fair enough, however this park is a real disappointment, Grass you can’t walk on, benches in the middle of the path, imported granite, bumpy roads painted red, Sculptures?…. hmmmmm no. Oh and can’t forget the derelict “landmark” in the background.
And of course, add in other facilities that are going to attract the “anti-socials”. Yet another project that the states have buggered up on and now everyone’s fears are becoming a reality.
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The actual point is the complete lapse in parenting, lack of any sense of responsibility and lack of any real consequence which leads to the anti social behaviour remaining un-checked. Confiscate the booze continuously, fine the parents and the drinking there will decline as it will be a significant enough dissuasion for those the decide to drink there. No consequence, no respect, and police walking past while underage drinking is going on is a disgrace
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well closing it at 5pm means that most people who finish work at 5 will not be able to walk through it then………..not quite user friendly as the planners want it to be …………yet another c**k up by TTS
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also private security at £12.00 an hour, 5pm to 8am = £180.00 x 365 ……a total of £65,700…….not a bad little earner for somebody!!!!
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Parks are always a magnet for teenagers. I used to hang around with a group of mates at our local park and, though we did nothing more than swig a little woodpecker cider and the odd bit graffiti (I’m not condoning this) looking back we must have looked intimidating to some.
That said, our behaviour was considerably more acceptable when ‘parky’ was in attendance. He had his own little shed, with a kettle and kept us all in check. I’m not sure how this would work now, but perhaps the reintroduction of some kind of ‘parky’ should be considered. Somebody would no doubt appreciate the position and it might help keep children safe too.
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Different culture now: ‘Parky’ would be the victim of harrassment and ridicule and wouldn’t last. Kids would probably call him a ‘paedo’ and the position would quickly become vacant again.
Nice idea though.
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I’m a resident and the town park is the best thing to happen to the area. It’s somewhere parents can take their kids and many people use it throughout the day responsibly, which totally outweighs these street kids just doing what kids do. Get over it ! and toughen up
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I don’t understand these residents, they harped on about wanting a park, they get a park and now all they do is moan! You guys really should have thought about the possible consequences of your wishes.
On the other hand I certainly don’t condone these kids behaviour. Why are parents allowing their children out late at night to cause such a nuisance? Just because there is a park for them to “hang” out in now doesn’t give them the right to make peoples lives a misery.
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We all said this would happen and it has.
Wait until the first late night rape has happened and you will all see the out cry and “it wasn’t me” who said to build it.
Ozouf should be indicted for criminal waste of taxpayers money for what he has done.
The man is a financial liability.
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Ah just post a couple of skin heads down there they will have it sorted in no time
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This boils down to a total failure of the parents to install any type of respect and/or discipline in their kids. If the parents don’t care why should their anti social offspring. The fact is that the park could be a great success (in every one’s eyes) if it is controlled properly which means that you set rules and make sure they are kept to. If you also need to stop access at certain times through walls/gates etc then so be it. The area has to be effectively ‘policed’ and the kids confronted and kicked out who are causing a problem. It is a sad reflection on society that we have parents who are themselves somewhat ‘lacking’ and are happy to let their kids grow up to be like them. I feel desperately sorry for the poor kids who turn up to play who have nowhere else and are subjected to these imbeciles. I would fine the parents too.
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serves the residents right, this could be seen a mile off. kids were always going to be a problem here.
i say dig it up and put a multi storey carpark there, it would serve town better
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Couple of underfed Rottweilers should do the trick.
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If the park had been developed as a roof garden on top of a couple of storeys of parking, it would have been a piece of cake to secure the top floor at night – and the parking would have paid for the upkeep.
As usual we got the worst and most expensive (in the long run) “solution”
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They should have installed a sprinkler system which activates every 5 minutes from 10pm to 5am and sprays the entirety of Ring Binder Park with water for 20 seconds.
It would clean the park, water the lawns and stop kids hanging around during the night.
It would be cheaper then security, which will have to be employed every night for evermore or until someone comes up with another solution.
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SHOCKING!!! hahaha i’m sorry but i could have told you this (pretty sure everyone did) would happen before they built the thing.
So apart from the park being a waste of money in the first place when loads more people would have used it as a car park. now we have to have policeman patrolling the area which spreads them even thinner and we have to pay for security to patrol the area. It will now end up getting locked down all the time so people won’t be using it
Also is it true your not even allowed on the grass. HAHAHA sorry but the stupidity of the whole situation is just funny.
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How long will it be before they give up and decide to replace it with a car park?
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Dont be silly, I’m sure Dandara are drawing up plans as we speak !
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Surprise Surprise, the not needed town park has attracted anti-social behaviour.
Well done everyone!
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I’m sad to say it, but it’s a perfect reflection of the island we now live in. We have some very poor parents in Jersey, who aren’t doing enough to install discipline into our youngsters.
Last week, I walked past there at 10.30. Drunken idiots acting like packs of wolves can be very intimidating, even on an island as small as ours. They were shouting foul language, and telling my girlfriend to lift her skirt. A complete bunch of morons.
Why the heck should we have to put up with these youths? In my opinion, the Police and States are not showing enough urgency to deal with these situations in Jersey, because they are becoming more frequent and annoying
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They should put the money they are going to pay a private security firm towards installing a wall or high fencing around it and closing it completely off at night. Closing some areas at 5.00 pm, as suggested, is far too early – especially in the summer months. Closing it around 8.00 to 9.00 pm would be more reasonable.
I’m guessing the kids under 18 are probably telling their parents that they are staying at their friends house and vice versa and the parents are not following this up with the other parent(s). Mine were not allowed to sleep out during a school week and I always checked with the other parents if they slept out over the weekend. And yes my kids were caught out quite a few times by doing this!
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At least it is quieter around my area now… lol
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It would seem that the police haven’t learnt anything about the youngsters in Jersey since 1996 when we lived at First Tower by the park and first had our fill of youths having a ‘good time’ at the expense of everyone else. Most years up until 2000 we had to call out the police on Christmas Day night because of the trouble they caused – egg throwing etc. We left in 2000 and have been reading about the same problems all over Jersey and now there is a new place for the yobs to ‘play’ if that’s what you call it.
16 – Tania, you should grow up or are you one of the yobs – they included females in 1996 and 21 – just hope it stays fun for you in the next year or so.
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Simply answer zero tolerant not just in the park, around town and parishes, underage drinkers, trouble makers what do the police do nothing – and the kids know they will do nothing, so until the police grow a pair and deal with problem nothing is going to change.
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People who do not live anwhere near the Park usually have the most to say.
Prime example is Deputy Jackie Hilton who said “there should not be any fence around the Park”
In fact, the only reason there is one, is because the authorities were concerned that a child may run onto the road and have an accident, otherwise, people like her would have had their way.
The fence is not high enough, the real “fun and games” will start in the Summer.
I wish it was still a car park!
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If the police were doing there job properly ( at night time also) we wouldn’t need private security.
They only have to walk in the park, check for booze,take a few names, call them back if disorder s been done. That should chill a few.
I think they are paid enough to do that or may be paid too much so we can afford them to do their job properly.
CCTV is good but they normally used when damaged as been done. Prevention is better then prosecution.
As mention before, some needs to grow a pair…
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Kermit & Cam
Again you take an opportunity to have a go at the Police. I am assuming when you say grow a pair you are suggesting that they have no moral backbone and are frightened. What a load of complete and utter tosh you speak whenever you comment on the Police.I hope you never need urgent assistance from the Police, but if you do at least it will change your view on them because you will see they are the first front and centre when dealing with violent individules including the women officers. Oh, and what do you propose the women officers grow?
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Anyone heard of the “Mosquito”? It makes a sound that drives young people crazy but adults can’t hear a thing! Ideal.
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Install high fences. Close at night, like Howard Davis park. Problem solved and no expensive “private security” (NB:on public land; isn’t that what we taxpayers pay police for?).
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Railings and gates locked at night to make this Town Park secure and exclude those involved in anti social behaviour, is the only sensible solution and it’s that simple.Why did Deputy Jackie Hilton object to railings?
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No cost should fall on the taxpayer because of this problem, the cost should fall entirely on the pathetic excuses of ‘parents’ that allegedly raised these kids.
When these parents are so desperate to get their kids out of their own sight and onto the streets to annoy the rest of us, the best punishment would be to make these very parents spend every waking minute with their child, for at least two months. Maybe they would finally start doing some parenting!
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3 plant pots upturned this morning I see,flowers scattered all over the place.
Some dirty B(bleep)d S..t on a bench,empty beer cans flung all over the place,looks like a war zone.
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I grew up around coppers, family has lots of them, I had 50 of them as neighbours and the only women there could kick anybody s ass.
Couldn’t returned the compliment over here.
You get private security for private work.
A public park is the police responsibility.
Pay them less and get more of them.
If we can’t afford to have them where and when we need them , what s the point of paying them 40K if not more.
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I’m sorry but your comments are no longer worth responding to as they have nothing in them to justify your sweeping statements.
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Funny how People’s Park doesn’t need railings, or The Parade Gardens…
Just put higher railings around the playground and lock it at night, if that’s where the trouble is. They won’t want to hang around the grassed areas, will they?
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45; Kermit would appear to speak a lot of sense. How much more of this “it’s a civil matter so we can’t get involved” (unless someone important makes a complaint) must we hear?
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On the opening day of the park, there was a little caravan thing on wheels where people were encouraging freinds of the park to join the ‘association’
If such an association stil lexists, why dont they arrange overnight patrols to watch over the park ? Alternatively, those who signed teh petition to get this white elephant built in the first place may wish to help.
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Why not let kids whom want to skate, skate?
And Kids drinking, Well just get the police up there to take a few names and take the drink away, hell… arrest some people if they have too. It’ll stop them hanging around there.
As for the residents stop having a go, you wanted it,you got it, deal with it.
What gets me is that is a bloody public park! Why kick people who are trying to have a bit of fun out when there not doing any harm!?
Most of the time you get nice kids in the park who are having a bit of fun, that may be noisy, but they won’t shout abuse or try to hurt anyone. On the other hand when the scum-bags in track-suits come out with their cans of beer and litres if vodka, smashing things and starting fights and shouting abuse, etc, they need to be arrested. As for the police. If the kids are causing trouble give them a friendly warning and most of the time they will be friendly back . Don’t run up all high and might and try to intimidate us. This has happened to me and my friends whom, at time may have been to noisy or too rowdy and a police man comes over, shouts at us and tells us to “get off the PUBLIC’S land”. And on a rare occasion a nice pair of police officers will come up and ask us to move along or tell us to quite down and most of the time all of us comply. Sometimes my mates may have a go at the officers but I’m the first to shut them up. They are people and so are we, if they come and try and intimidate us we will stand our ground.
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Today we read someone was knocked unconscious in the Town Park over the weekend.
We are now reaping what was sown when a decision was taken to waste £10 million of taxpayers money in creating a more modern ghetto than the parade.It didn’t need Derren Brown to forecast what was going to happen when the park opened.
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