Hilsea anti-social behaviour 'came out of nowhere' - but police commissioner not keen on a heavy-handed approach

A SPATE of anti-social behaviour in the north of Portsmouth has 'come out of nowhere' and taken authorities by surprise, Hampshire police commissioner has today admitted.
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Over the past few months, police have been dealing with anti-social behaviour in Hilsea, with gangs and moped riders causing mayhem for residents.

It has been one of the biggest spikes in crime the city has seen in recent years, and increased patrols, dispersal orders and stern words from firefighters after a fire at Hilsea Lido in July have not brought an end to the chaos.

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Tackling antisocial behaviourTackling antisocial behaviour
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Hampshire's police and crime commissioner, Donna Jones, says the rise in crime came as a surprise to the force.

The former Hilsea councillor and Portsmouth City Council boss said: ‘There are some parts of Portsmouth where crime happens often and always has done, but that area in Hilsea has seen crime come out of nowhere.

‘We know it's youths - both boys and girls - and we know they're between the ages of 14 and 20. It's low-level and nothing massively sophisticated here, but we are seeing drug-taking and subsequent anti-social behaviour.

‘I’ve been in contact with the temporary inspector for the Portsmouth North team and we have a plan that we're working on.’

Police and crime commissioner Donna Jones. Picture: David GeorgePolice and crime commissioner Donna Jones. Picture: David George
Police and crime commissioner Donna Jones. Picture: David George
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Initial police reports indicate that this anti-social behaviour stretches back to December last year, when children between the ages of 12 and 16 were causing a nuisance in the area.

Earlier this year, the Hilsea Community Centre in Howard Road was broken into and ‘substantially’ vandalised.

St Francis Church in St Francis Crescent also had one of its outside walls brought down by vandals.

Further reports of vandalism, drug dealing and racial abuse also began to surface.

Firefighters pictured at the scene speaking to some children who saw who started the fire in Hilsea last monthFirefighters pictured at the scene speaking to some children who saw who started the fire in Hilsea last month
Firefighters pictured at the scene speaking to some children who saw who started the fire in Hilsea last month
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In May, Councillor Scott Payter-Harris of Hilsea ward explained some people were 'scared to go out of their homes' due to the rise in anti-social behaviour.

One resident described an incident where people were seen driving mopeds across the children’s play park at Mountbatten Centre.

At the end of May, a dispersal order was issued by police, banning groups from loitering in and around the Howard Road area.

Police also stepped up patrols that weekend in a bid to deter youths from returning, as part of what they called Operation Relief.

Police officers in the streetPolice officers in the street
Police officers in the street
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While this saw some success, the fire service has since seen a spate of arson attacks in the field opposite Hilsea Lido.

Over the course of two days, crews from Cosham were called out three times to the grassy plain.

The group of youths, had been setting fire to patches of grassland and burning deodorant cans.

Speaking at the time, Cosham station manager Lee Sheen said: ‘We will always be here to respond, but deliberate acts of arson like this are a waste of our resources.

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‘Each of these jobs takes time, potentially tying up engines and crews which could be needed for a genuine emergency.

‘The hot and dry weather we’re currently experiencing also means that fires in the open may very quickly get out of control.

'So I’d like to ask our local community to stay vigilant, report fires when they see them, and talk to their children about the impact their actions may be having.’

Mrs Jones added that many of the young people involved may be coming from traumatised backgrounds and so while the public may want police to clamp down on their actions, she believes a less heavy-handed approach is required.

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The commissioner has been leading the way on trauma-informed policing, giving cops a deeper knowledge of the signs of trauma and how best to engage.

She said: 'Some of these young people might not have any role models in their lives, depending on their circumstances, so we need to break the mould and look at things differently - you have these children who do these things to make themselves feel better, numbing the pain of growing up with adverse childhood experiences.

'That trauma can stunt emotional development, it builds up and hinders the chances of those young people growing up to be successful and well-rounded adults.

'If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got. The system fails them through childhood and then we lock them up as adults, when we're meant to have a duty of care to these young people.'