Yob behaviour incidents rise in Rasen

The public toilets in John Street were closed following a recent incident

Coun Stephen Bunney made the comments following a recent spate of incidents, which included forcing the indefinite closure of the town’s public toilets last Wednesday, March 1.

There were three further incidents last Friday evening, which Coun Bunney reported to the police on Sunday morning once he had been told of them.

He said: “I fear that after a relatively quiet period things are beginning to escalate.”

Coun Bunney said one of the incidents he reported involved a group of youths on the roof of the Festival Hall making loud noises and running into the building, forcing organisers of the event taking place to lock the outside door as they were ‘annoyed and frightened.’

He also reported the pulling down of a large security fence between Rasen Park and Middle Rasen, which saw the footpath blocked.

There was also the removal of a small tree from one of the market place planters, which Coun Bunney says was not for the first time.

Coun Bunney said: “The incidents were not reported until I did so – I am not sure why but can guess.

“Reporting by 101 or online is cumbersome and not user-friendly and is therefore off-putting.

“People are also not sure when to call 999, as they do not know what would be classed as serious. I would say the Festival Hall incident was a 999 call.”

He said there are also issues with mobile phone and broadband ‘not-spots’ that litter the area, making it impossible to report using a mobile device – often the only available means at the scene of an incident, as well as a reluctance to report as ‘when – and if – police do turn up, the incident is over and so little can be done’.

He added: “There is also fear of reprisal – bricks through windows, cars keyed etc – for anyone reporting the incidents.”

Though, Coun Bunney has highlighted the issues on reporting, he also supports a call for fairer funding.

He said: “I can understand that the reporting process is tedious and off putting – however, if the incidents are not reported they are not recorded and so ignored when policing priorities for an area are being determined.

“Lincolnshire Police need to put more resources into neighbourhood policing, reporting systems and response times. An increased presence on the street is a deterrent that reduces anti-social behaviour making the community safer and more pleasant for the residents.

“It is ludicrous that one of the largest geographical police forces should have the lowest per-capita funding for police in the country.

“A fairer scheme is required where all people in the country, whether they live in a city, town, rural area, north or south get the same amount of money spent on them for policing”.

Lincolnshire Police was contacted to provide comment on these issues but was unable to do so ahead of our print deadline.