How Would You Deal With This Anti-Social Behaviour?

Severard

You should definitely contact the Gardai on this issue. As for the Gardai possibly not treating this seriously - well they should - your property could be damaged, I'm surprised they haven't broken one of your windows at this stage and what's worse is that they might get more creative if they do manage to break them or get bored of throwing stuff at the windows.

Although installing CCTV could be a good idea, it could cost a lot and you spending money to solve a problem that you didn't create is not right.

Is it just your apartment they are targeting? Or are other people being harassed by them as well? Did you have an altercation with any kids in the area in recent times? If so, this might be an indication of why this is happening and might give you a clue as to who is doing this.

As for the 13/14 year olds attacking your house shortly after the 7 year old stopping, this is likely not a coincidence. You should talk to the mother of the 7 year old and see if she knows any kids fitting that description.

Lastly I know this would be tedious but you should try asking a relative or a friend to stay in your apartment while you are at work, if the kids do attack the apartment, they could be followed at a distance by a relative or friend and see where they live. This could easily take hours if not days to work, but if all other avenues are exhausted then I would consider it.

MrWalsh

Here's where the law stands on CCTV in Ireland (note, it may well be different in the UK).

http://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Data-Protection-CCTV/242.htm

moc moc a moc

the_syco wrote: »

If the camera points at public land, it can't be used in court.

I don't believe this is true, particularly as I have personally supplied video evidence to the Guards many times upon request. Any links to back this up?

Shane Fitz

Rataan wrote:

So if CCTV footage clearly shows somebody throwing a stone which breaks a window, this cannot be used as evidence?

Rataan wrote:

The car is parked on a public road outside the apartment.

Of course it can

the_syco

Rataan wrote: »

The car is parked on a public road outside the apartment.

So if CCTV footage clearly shows somebody throwing a stone which breaks a window, this cannot be used as evidence?

My mistake, seem it can.

Last year, thieves broke into someonee house, but the footage was not allowed to be shown online, without the consent of the burglars, as per the Indo.

MrWalsh wrote: »

Here's where the law stands on CCTV in Ireland (note, it may well be different in the UK).

http://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Data-Protection-CCTV/242.htm

From the above;

Cameras placed so as to record external areas should be positioned in such a way as to prevent or minimise recording of passers-by

If your camera was pointed outwards towards your car, I'm guessing it would be recording passers-by?

Any person whose image is recorded on a CCTV system has a right to seek and be supplied with a copy of their own personal data from the footage.

Also from the above. The parents could legally demand to see what footage it captured of the kids.

Severard wrote: »

Although installing CCTV could be a good idea, it could cost a lot and you spending money to solve a problem that you didn't create is not right.

With the management company's consent, as most apartments only offer a 999 year lease.

Severard wrote: »

This could easily take hours if not days to work, but if all other avenues are exhausted then I would consider it.

The <SNIP> parents would probably report said person for following their kids. It's a good idea, but would probably work out badly for the person if the <SNIP> parents got nasty. Especially the ones who think their **** is a little angel.

firemansam4

Only my opinion, and I know others would disagree, but I wouldn't be so quick to contact the guards on this.
As you already said, there is very little they can actually do on this, and when the little s***** find out you contacted the guards on them you can guarantee they will get a lot worse, and will probably escalate there antics.

Rataan

firemansam4 wrote: »

Only my opinion, and I know others would disagree, but I wouldn't be so quick to contact the guards on this.
As you already said, there is very little they can actually do on this, and when the little s***** find out you contacted the guards on them you can guarantee they will get a lot worse, and will probably escalate there antics.

This is what I fear will probably happen. Even so, I am going to bring it to the guards' attention because I've tried ignoring it and it hasn't stopped. When my car was vandalized they smashed the glass on one of the wing mirrors. I reported that to the guards over the phone and a couple of nights later 2 guards arrived at my house to take a statement. The next day they came back and ripped the entire wing mirror off the car, in broad daylight!

As I said, ignoring it hasn't worked, so I think I'll just have to report it.

gosplan

If your one dealing with a parent has been productive, then you should contact the other parents, however you manage to find them.

Explain your situation. Say next you'll have to install CCTV and take it to guards.

ixus

Talk to 7yr olds mother again. Maybe she can offer a solution/help?

jimd2

Maybe try this.

Next time you see them doing any of this behaviour go straight out and call them back, call them back and inform them that any more instances of this that you will inform a. their parents and b. the gardai. Tell them that you are not reporting what has been done to date but that it is NEVER to happen again, a last warning.

Be prepared to follow through with saying it to the parents & reporting to gardai if paents dont get t sorted. In the meantime get more backup information such as diary of what happened, if you could get photos of them in the act it would probably be a help.

pandoraj09

With no disrespect intended to anyone who posted here, calling these kids back and giving them a last warning is not going to work. The incident about the wing mirror is indicative of the fact that these people, and most of their parents I'd say, don't give a damn about authority and being reported. My suggestion was to contact the community guard of the estate, not the guards on duty who come to take a statement and are seen at your door and therefore make the situation worse. The Community Guard is someone who knows a lot of the residents and deals with situations like this in a more behind the scenes kind of way. Putting up perspex would make OP even more of a target. OP, do you own this apartment? If you're renting I would move. End of. Life is too short to be so stressed about these little feckers that you have to spend precious time on a forum looking for a way to peacefully enjoy your home. It's all very well to say not to give in to them. There are plenty more where these kids come from. As I said the ones throwing stuff now will get older and move on, but there will be more to take their places.
Are you a female living alone? Don't answer if you feel this is an inappropriate question.
Also, I would not go near the 7 year old's mother. She may end up becoming a target herself.
I hope you get some peace soon. This will start to affect your health if it goes on as the daily stress takes its toll. Warning to others looking to buy/rent properties too.

jimd2

sorry I dont agree that speaking to them will not work.

I have dealt with individuals in perhaps a slightly less threatening situation and we spoke to individuals concerned, gave them a chance to stop and they stopped bat a couple of minor incidents.

If the OP is a female living on their own, maybe some support when approaching the teenagers or their parents would be of benefit. What about the neighbours beside the OP, could they help?

The community guard would be a good option but I would give the direct approach to the individuals and parents first, always a better long term way of solving something like this.

JuliusCaesar

pandoraj09 wrote: »

The Community Guard is someone who knows a lot of the residents and deals with situations like this in a more behind the scenes kind of way.

I'd back this up from my own experience. The Community Garda probably knows who they are and will have a quiet word with them and their parents. It solved the problem in my locality.

TheDoc

As mentioned OP community Guarda a decent shout. In some areas they are good at their job, and already have inroads with troubled families or kids. Have to say its a different world now from when I was a kid,and that was only like 12-13 years ago.

Did the knick knacks and all that messing. But it was just about the thrill of the "scatter". You got caught you got a stern talking to and you shat yourself incase you got slapped. Nowadays the kids don't even run, they saunter off, you come out and give it loads, and you get told to go **** yourself.

I'm in my late twenties, but have a bit of old school about me it seems. But I find myself in that weird place of what I would do, I need to stop,. Cause it was fine x years ago, but now youd find yourself in jail or getting sued like mad.

My area thankfully is relatively fine, I'm near enough where I grew up. The kids in the area do the knick knacks and the messing, but they aren't bad kids. I came home a few evenings to find egg on the windows and the wall. Bit of egging, no harm done. One Saturday night the gang of local kids were congregating outside on the road as normal, so me and the misses armed ourselves with some eggs from the kitchen. Saw one of them through the window throw so we burst open the door and started peppering them. turned into a mini egg fight and a bit of craic.

Once or twice if the knick knack happens when I'm up I'll open the door and give a quick chase, but I wouldn't do anything if I caught them.

Point being not all kids are knackers as might be portrayed. The kids in my area are harmless and I know the faces now, and they know us, and we have a quick hello and stuff down the local shop or if they are around when I come home from work.

Cause I remember back being that age, wasn't much to do, so you made a bit of fun for yourself. You never caused actual damage or aggro, and if you were asked to move on or keep the noise down you weren't a prik about it and you moved on or said sorry. Would like to think I have that with the local kids, and I havn't had to really ask them to move or keep it down as they aren't a nuisance. Kids being kids.

But then that drastically depends on the area. I know some areas where its a nightmare. My girlfriends relatives are out in Clare Hall and that place has a genuine problem. Bit stupid me I happened to be around on a few occasions when stuff happened and took the old school approach. Guards and that had been involved for so long with nothing happening. And as that lack of action grows they just get bolder and braver.

another option OP is to get in touch with a local elected rep or TD. Only last week was in girlfriends parents house when local TD knocked on the door and came in for a chat and update. Her father had got in touch about some anti-social behaviour that wasn't being dealt with via the Guards due to lack of resources. He went through the right channels and had Guards form another area come in, sweep up all the teens and their parents and they all got a final warning on the matter. Only been a week but the nonsense appears to have stopped. I hate that parish/pot hole fixing politics, but ****it sometimes you need to do it to get things done.

Hope it all works out for you. Sure kids will be kids, but I know of the areas first hand where the youngsters just haveno care for authority and have a real don't give a **** attitude and its nearly impossible to deal with.

Has the OP mentioned the area we are talking abuot, or is that being kept out of the loop?

realdanbreen

Rataan wrote: »

Thanks Pandora. I might just contact the guards. I just thought there's probably nothing that they can do unless some actual damage is caused, plus I thought they'd probably have a lot of more pressing issues.

I know exactly what you mean about loving the rain though! All summer I've been checking the weather forecast and rubbing my hands with glee every time I saw rain forecast!

Go to the guards, but don't go with an ' I know you have more pressing issues' approach. This is an issues that is bothering you and bothers a lot of people particularly those who live alone.Tell the guards that you want something done about it. The parents of these little brats might start behaving like parents should if they get a bit of Garda attention.

dixiefly

Hi OP,

I would approach the Gardai on the quiet. There may be a community garda to speak to. Explain your concerns about inflaming the situation. I would also speak to the neighbours on either side and get their perceptions of the problem and what could be done about it.

Best of luck.