Vandalism

What I find astonishing is that although they walked through Church Street, St Flora’s Road, Horsham Road, Elm Grove and Blakehurst Way, creating havoc and making quite a lot of noise, no police officers were anywhere to be seen to apprehend them.

Your editorial states that they were seen, and I feel sure someone must have phoned in and reported them, so how on earth did they get away with it?

Damage to vehicles also took place in Sussex Street, Stanley Road and Beaconsfield Road, and all in the name of ‘having fun’ while either drunk or affected by drugs.

I wonder how those responsible would react if their only means of transport was smashed up by thoughtless vandalism.

On at least five occasions in the last month I have passed pedestrians openly smoking ‘pot’ in broad daylight, (the odour is distinctive and easily recognisable) so there’s a lot of it about, but the point is they know they are not going to be stopped, so the problems of drugs will only get worse.

It’s all very well for the neighbourhood policing team to state that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable, but one of the jobs of the police is to PREVENT crime happening where possible, and this cannot be achieved without their presence on the streets when the pubs and clubs are beginning to empty, not reducing their manpower in cost-cutting exercises, or sitting in offices waiting for the phone to ring.

By the time a caller reporting a disturbance has answered all the questions required by the police the perpetrators are tucked up in bed, sleeping it off!

In the area that I live we are often woken by inconsiderate early morning revellers making their way home, dropping litter and beer bottles and cans, usually in the early hours of Saturdays and Sundays, and the foul language has to be heard to be believed.

I often hope for heavy rain on those nights as that usually results in a peaceful night’s sleep. I would very much like to see police on the streets during the hours of darkness when most of the trouble is happening, or at least close by in their cars so they can respond quickly.

If the vandals realise that there is a chance they will be caught then they may be deterred.

Norman Long

Cornwall Road

Littlehampton

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