OVER the last few weeks, my policing teams have been called to a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour which have had some far-reaching consequences for the community.
At the end of August, the bus service to Tranent was suspended on a Saturday evening after two 12-year-old boys threw rocks at a bus, endangering both the driver and passengers.
We have seen regular reports of wanton vandalism to public toilets, particularly in Musselburgh but more recently in Gullane by young people, which has led to closure of the facilities for lengthy periods of time, not to mention the cost of repair.
Last week, there was an incident at Lewisvale Park in Musselburgh where a group of young people shouted abuse and threatened people on the tennis courts, and finally in Tranent we have charged two 13-year-olds with assault after an incident involving a pregnant woman waiting for a bus.
We are taking a range of measures with our partners to deal with this behaviour and there will be additional high-visibility patrols in affected areas and on-board buses; however, there is a clear pattern of a small number of young people offending and blighting the communities for all. The behaviour is both selfish and at times reckless, and shows callous disregard for others.
I am meeting with all secondary school headteachers this week and my school link officers will be following up with the young people identified in these incidents in order to address the behaviour directly with parents and guardians. I am sure you will agree, however, that the job of teaching young people how to behave in the community is not the responsibility of either police, teachers or other services.
It is important that these issues are addressed within the community, with a specific responsibility for parents/carers to know where your young person is and what they are doing, as well as a collective responsibility as a community to discourage this type of behaviour and make East Lothian attractive and safe for both residents and visitors.
I would ask you to share the contents of this article with any child or young person you have care of to ensure they understand the consequences of anti-social or criminal behaviour for others, highlighting their own personal responsibility for their actions.
I again acknowledge that the majority of young people behave responsibly, respecting the community and environment but I hope by having this conversation you can reinforce the importance of being a responsible young citizen, keeping yourself safe and respecting others.
By working together, highlighting personal responsibility and an awareness of our actions, we can prevent anti-social behaviour and ensure that East Lothian is a safe and pleasant location for all to use and enjoy.
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