Issue 122 - the Pembury Village Website

CRIME IN PEMBURYIN THE LAST issue of the parishmagazine, I stated that there should be anoticeable reduction in the next figures to bepublished, i.e. Jan, Feb, and March 2005. Icouldn’t have been more wrong. The figureactually rose to 74 and I cannot find an equalto that in the records I have kept.Many thanks to the people who took the timeand trouble to contact the police and obtainincident numbers, that is the only way we canget a picture of what is really happening onour streets. Whilst I do not like criticisingpolice at local level, unfortunately a recentincident tells me that there is no improvementin communication facilities and response.Certain local people, who had had enough ofcontinual night-time yob harassment, foullanguage, emptying of rubbish bins, bottlesbeing thrown at their houses, sometimes at2.30am, contacted me because of their lack ofconfidence in the police system. So I took iton board to contact the police myself anddespite telling them CCTV footage wasavailable, 70 hours later no contact had beenmade with the complainant.Regardless of what our three main partyleaders tell us, whose endless rhetoric atelection time would have us believe that theyare all members of the Magic Circle, i.e. oneMONTHJanuary 2005February 2005March 2005TOTALROADA21BBeagles Wood RoadBellfield RoadBrickfieldsBulls PlaceElmhurst AvenueHastings RoadHenwood Green RoadHenwoods MountHigh StreetLower Green RoadMaidstone RoadOld Church RoadRomford RoadTonbridge RoadWoodhill ParkTOTALAssault54110222111110BurglaryDwelling1231113Burglary Other112112CriminalDamageFraud andDeception9652011125126120213666Drugs1111can produce 10,000 more police, another25,000 and so on, it is time they stopped thewaffle and collectively produced some positiveaction. They are fortunate in as much thatthey are provided with round the clockprotection paid for by us, the taxpayer.We should then ask ourselves when does ayoungster become a nuisance, a bully, a pettycriminal, a serious criminal? Does it start athome, with parents foul mouthing in front oftheir children and showing a total disregardfor any discipline or law and order? Do thesechildren then go to school and foul mouthteachers and disrupt classes? Do otherchildren then follow suit? How many parentsgive the teachers, who are actually trying toprovide a future for their children, a hardtime, and so on?Collectively, because we allowed it to happen,teachers’ hands are very much tied and itmust be extremely frustrating for teachers andgood parents alike. How many parents areaware that their fourteen and fifteen yearolds, sometimes younger are out on the streetat 11.30 at night and what they are up to.They’re certainly not waiting for the chippy toopen! I would also say to some of the parents,when your children join a school, they join aclub. Live by its rules.Theft fromMotor VehicleTheft of MotorVehicleVehicleInterference2371211111211211221311131111Theft Offences7531522117215Other Offences1111TOTAL30222274122132810115111725374One last word goes toMr Mike Fuller, ChiefConstable of Kent.I attended the meetingat Tunbridge WellsBorough Council lastyear with many otherparish representativesand, Mr Fuller, despitemany promises, localpeople have yet to seeany reduction in thelevel of local crime andharrassment asdiscussed at thatmeeting.Hugh Boorman36