We can’t stop garden nuisance, say police

Chief Inspector Ruari Hardy and environmental services officer Jan Dockerill at the sunken garden where rowdyism and vandalism are a worsening problem. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0854433)

POLICE say they are powerless to prevent young people making a nuisance of themselves in the sunken gardens in Town.
The Guernsey Press has received many complaints about the state of the gardens and the language used by groups of up to 40 youngsters aged between 16 and 25 years old.
One visitor said they were ‘screaming and shouting utter filth, regardless of who sat around them or who was considering taking a seat’.
Chief Inspector Ruari Hardy said police knew that people were concerned about the gardens opposite the OGH Hotel and, while officers patrolled the area and there was CCTV, it was impossible to monitor it all the time.
‘There is no law to stop young people meeting there. These young people are part of our community. We can’t make them disappear,’ he said. But he did ask the groups to show some respect for the community.
Trees and plants have been damaged and the gardens are strewn with litter.
The Environment Department maintains the gardens. Environmental services officer (communications) Jan Dockerill said that while the department had no objections to young people using the gardens, they objected to the damage.
Paving slabs have been removed and branches snapped off trees. Staff have even been verbally abused while working there.
But young people using the garden said there was nothing for them to do – what was available was not what they wanted.
(from thisisguernsey)

they make me laugh .they are letting these thugs ruin a beautiful place
they could charge them with vandalism and littering for a start .
if the cost had to come out of their budget to repair it they might pull their finger out .dont let the thugs win......hose the buggers down

This is typical of how far away the police opinion is from public opinion.

These gardens are 100 yards away from the police station FFS, and CCTV is in place, and yet they are unable to do anything about the problem?

If a couple of them got off their fat arses and spent some time up there the problem would soon disappear.

One of our few 4 star hotels overlooks these gardens, what a lovely sight for visiting tourists and business travellers to have to see, let alone locals.

p.s. perhaps they could send some of the airport security staff down there, at least they's be doing something useful instead of pestering people for no good reason!!

If the youths are swearing in a public place with other members of the public present then they can be arrested for disorderly conduct. Also put some officers in the vicinity with a night scope and start lifting people for criminal damage.
Not a big issue perhaps some people should start thinking about how to address the problem instead of skirting around the issue.

he did ask the groups to show some respect for the community.

Mmm, has he actually been there and seen the problem for himself? probably not!!!!

I walked past the other day and 'the gathering' was about 30+ I would guess, but there were groups all over the place. Some were ladies College girls, another group was Elizabeth College boys and then a much younger group, who clearly trying to impress were the most objectionable and verbally abusive of the lot!!

In the garden was the 'arty' group or unemployed mob... I can never tell the difference!..... and they were just playing up IMO.... they were not swearing but were they loud!! I had to turn the old deaf aid down a notch or two!!!

Everyday, at the same time, there are loads of kids congregating. Never seen the police there.... perhaps George Le Page should make it a community area and let that Bridge PC chappie come along and sort them out like he seems to have done down at Delancey Park!




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What a load of bollox, does that mean that a crowd of people making a noise, shouting and swearing at the north plantation on a fri/sat night will not be moved on, i think not! Same arguement, just a different place!
Coppers wont do anything as it is easier to leave them there,as they know where these people are, if they move them on, people will complain about them where ever they go to next.
Just another p**s poor excuse from a police force who are too gutless to sort out any social problems, if it was a crowd of kevs in noisy cars they would soon be out, but dealings with a crowd of yobs, no chance!