A CAMPAIGN has been launched by Warwick District Council encouraging parents to be more aware of where their children are following a spate of anti-social behaviour in local multi-storey car parks.
According to the council, there have been increasing incidents of groups of young people aged around 14 to 16-years-old gathering in the districts car parks at the weekends, in the early evenings and also during the school holidays.
The youths, usually wearing hoodies, have been lighting fires, daubing the walls with graffiti and damaging cameras.
On some occasions, the car parks have even been broken into, with teenagers accessing the upper storeys through the fencing.
As a result, Warwick District Council (WDC) has launched the campaign targeted at parents, and schools, asking them, do you know where your children are, who they are with and what they are doing, in a bid to nip this anti-social behaviour in the bid before a serious, or even fatal, accident occurs.
Coun Judith Falp, WDC’s spokesperson for health and community protection, told the Observer: “Not only is the behaviour of these groups causing distress to car park users, but it is also a safety issue to themselves and the public. Before this escalates into a potential tragedy, we would like to highlight the problem to parents and schools to encourage them to communicate the risks and potential consequences to young people, particularly as we approach the summer holiday period.”
While Chief Inspector Karen Jones from Warwickshire Police added: “Anti-social behaviour can have a real and devastating effect on individuals, and communities alike, it can also be extremely intimidating even if this is not the intention. Younger members of our community are reminded to enjoy the summer months safely, lawfully and with others in mind.”
WDC’s Safer Communities team works in partnership with Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire County Council, registered social landlords and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour and to protect our communities from harm.
Any resident who is concerned about anti-social behaviour can visit WDC’s website for further information and contact details.
