Boston police issue message to parents and guardians amid anti-social behaviour from teens

The behaviour has reportedly included: the throwing of furniture or products, littering, fighting, shouting and swearing at staff, and being openly disrespectful towards employees and members of the public.

In several cases, the youths involved have refused to leave when asked, police say.

Other reports have included: underage drinking, door-kicking, door-knocking, and intimidating behaviour in nearby streets, police add.

The reports have been made to the Boston Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) over the past month and vary from family-friendly environments to premises intended for over-18s.

They form part of a social media post from Boston Police which begins ‘do you know where your children are and what they’re doing?’

“We are aware that some of these incidents appear to be driven by social media trends, including challenges circulating on platforms such as TikTok that encourage disruptive or anti social behaviour to gain online attention,” the post later says.

“We also recognise that many teenagers feel there isn’t much available to keep them occupied. It may help to encourage them to make use of local facilities such as skate parks, cinemas, bowling alleys, recreation grounds, swimming pools, or gyms. While some of these activities may involve a cost, it is significantly lower than the potential financial consequences of criminal damage.”

NPTs are actively dealing with these incidents, and individuals who persist in these activities can expect a visit from officers, the post continues.

“We are working to ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect both local businesses and the wider community,” it says.

“We would also like to gently remind parents and guardians of the importance of knowing where their children are, who they are spending time with, and how they are behaving when out in the community,” it continued. “Supporting young people to make positive choices is key in preventing further issues and keeping them safe.

“We appreciate the continued support from businesses and residents, and we encourage anyone witnessing anti-social behaviour to report it so we can respond effectively.”

Anyone with information or concerns is asked to contact the force in one of the following ways:

• By emailing their local NPTs – details at https://www.lincs.police.uk/area/your-area/lincolnshire/boston/boston-town-centre/contact-us/top-reported-crimes-in-this-area
• By calling 101
• By speaking with officers while they are on foot patrols
• Or anonymously, via the Crimestoppers website – https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously

“All intelligence is handled sensitively and confidentially. Together, we can continue to target anti-social behaviour and protect our communities,” the post adds, before offering a couple of links to youth programmes – the Boston sports programme: https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/directory-record/79412/boston-sports-programme and Boston Youth Hub: https://tonic-health.co.uk/bostonyouthhub/