Yobs disperse after police blitz on gangs
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1589478.0.yobs_disperse_after_police_blitz_on_gangs.php
A teenage gang has disbanded since a police team was set up to tackle their thuggish and antisocial behaviour.
Police launched a task force in April this year to put a stop to the youngsters whose victims included foreign students and members of the gay community.
The yobs, who were exposed by The Argus in April, called themselves the Yung Ofenderz and bragged about their sickening attacks on internet sites Bebo and My Space.
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They even posted footage of themselves carrying out so-called "happy slap" attacks on the website.
The ringleaders of the group were thought to have been responsible for a third of all violent crime in central Brighton.
Since the team was set up, a page on Bebo bragging of their activities has been shut down and police have made 38 arrests of youngsters for crimes including drug offences, burglary, attempted robbery and grievous bodily harm.
One of the ringleaders, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was recently sent to a young offenders institution for 12 months for assault and robbery.
The 17-year-old had approached three men in Upper Lewes Road in the city centre in March and punched one of them round the head and face before demanding cash.
Officers in the team have also made 580 "stops" - taking down the details of young suspects for police intelligence reports.
The city's troublemakers have in the past been predominantly male but recently a group of four girls aged 15, 16, 17 and 19 were hunted down by officers after the teenagers began running up to random members of the public and slapping and punching them.
Police dealing with the gang have described them as having a "happy slap" mentality but there is no evidence to suggest they have filmed any of the attacks.
All four of the teenagers have been arrested for offences including assault, attacking a police officer and theft.
Officers have been targeting key areas where the youngsters gathered including Churchill Square, St James Street, the Palace Pier and on the seafront near the West Pier.
Since then there has been a significant fall in the number of hate crimes and attacks on foreign students, although team leader Sergeant Donna Gibson said this could be down to a number of factors including by victims failing to report crimes.
Hate crime in the city fell more than 50 per cent last year, down from 35 offences between June 2005 and May 2006 to 14 offences in the same period a year later.
In July there were seven hate crimes committed - less than half the 15 recorded in July last year.
Sgt Gibson said: "We've had good results which gets the message across that we are dealing with youths but there are still issues.
"Many of the arrests have been breach of bail and breach of Asbos. Officers have been visiting homes to make sure these youngsters are obeying bail and Asbo conditions.
"There's been a massive disruption to the "pack animal" behaviour.
"We want the public to come to us if they have been a victim of any of these crimes."
Anyone with information should contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Have you got a problem with teenage yobs in your area? Do you think more should be done to stop young hooligans bragging about their crimes on the Internet? Leave your comments below.
5:46am Thursday 2nd August 2007
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CommentPosted by: get slapped, brighton on 9:50am Thu 2 Aug 07
i'm judging by your comment that you have never been happy slapped. let me tell you it is one of the worset things as you can't do anything back to them as they are only kids, maybe someone from the public should happy slap you at night in the streets of brighton and then you'll know how it feels.
i'm judging by your comment that you have never been happy slapped. let me tell you it is one of the worset things as you can't do anything back to them as they are only kids, maybe someone from the public should happy slap you at night in the streets of brighton and then you'll know how it feels.
Posted by: reasonable, brighton on 9:51am Thu 2 Aug 07
Another day, another argus story about a minority of youths making life a misery for ordinary decent people in Brighton & Hove. Shame they only got 12 mths I say. The sooner the rest of us can go about our daily business without harrassment from scumbags the better. Probably never happen though since there are more to take their place - just look at this site day after day after day...
Another day, another argus story about a minority of youths making life a misery for ordinary decent people in Brighton & Hove. Shame they only got 12 mths I say. The sooner the rest of us can go about our daily business without harrassment from scumbags the better. Probably never happen though since there are more to take their place - just look at this site day after day after day...
Posted by: Ben, Brighton on 10:25am Thu 2 Aug 07
Sorry reasonable, but doesn't the article say that the gang has dispesed and that hate crime in the city fell more than 50 per cent last year? That's good news isn't it mate? You should have seen their reaction on Bedo when the Argus and the Police got at them. They were all scared and asking all the members to leave the site. They are just young cowards, and they won't spoil the spirit of Brighton and Hove.
Sorry reasonable, but doesn't the article say that the gang has dispesed and that hate crime in the city fell more than 50 per cent last year? That's good news isn't it mate?
You should have seen their reaction on Bedo when the Argus and the Police got at them. They were all scared and asking all the members to leave the site. They are just young cowards, and they won't spoil the spirit of Brighton and Hove.
Posted by: reasonable, brighton on 10:34am Thu 2 Aug 07
fair enough Ben, yes, but what I'm concerned about is the day-to-day aggravation people put up with on the streets, outside their houses, on public transport that goes unreported, that we just shrug our shoulders and try to ignore. I hope the good work the police have done doesn't just end at this point now this particular group has been dispersed.
fair enough Ben, yes, but what I'm concerned about is the day-to-day aggravation people put up with on the streets, outside their houses, on public transport that goes unreported, that we just shrug our shoulders and try to ignore. I hope the good work the police have done doesn't just end at this point now this particular group has been dispersed.
Posted by: Adolf, the nanny state on 10:40am Thu 2 Aug 07
How about happy slapping them with iron bars then showing the footage to their peers? This 'softly softly' approach is just asking for trouble, fight fire with fire! An eye for an eye seems a good way to me, if they get the same pain and humiliation back as they give, they won't be so anxious to do it a second time! I would say knee cap them, but why strain our medical resources any more than they already are! These scumbags are what I call useless eaters, why keep scum like this alive when half the world is starving? No, I haven't lost the plot, but for all the 'do gooders' out there, you reap what you sow, they are young thugs now, wait a while and see how much more vicious they become in adult life!
How about happy slapping them with iron bars then showing the footage to their peers? This 'softly softly' approach is just asking for trouble, fight fire with fire!
An eye for an eye seems a good way to me, if they get the same pain and humiliation back as they give, they won't be so anxious to do it a second time! I would say knee cap them, but why strain our medical resources any more than they already are! These scumbags are what I call useless eaters, why keep scum like this alive when half the world is starving?
No, I haven't lost the plot, but for all the 'do gooders' out there, you reap what you sow, they are young thugs now, wait a while and see how much more vicious they become in adult life!
Posted by: christian slater, brighton on 10:43am Thu 2 Aug 07
er...dont think their website has been shut down.... just saw it on bebo (maybe they just changed their name) stick www. in front of the next bit and you'll see what I mean.... .bebo.com/Profile.js p?MID=367137231&Memb erId=3312696303
er...dont think their website has been shut down.... just saw it on bebo (maybe they just changed their name) stick www. in front of the next bit and you'll see what I mean.... .bebo.com/Profile.js
p?MID=367137231&Memb
erId=3312696303
Posted by: Tracey, Brighton on 11:51am Thu 2 Aug 07
The Argus people, why delete the comment i made earlier, do we still have the right of freedom of speech in this country? It appears not!
The Argus people, why delete the comment i made earlier, do we still have the right of freedom of speech in this country? It appears not!
Posted by: Mel, Hove on 1:40pm Thu 2 Aug 07
And isn't it time the law was changed, so that these thugs could be named in public? If they are old enough to carry out such crimes, they are certainly old enough to be named and shamed. And shouldn't the parents take some of the blame and punishment? And what is the use of such short sentences?
And isn't it time the law was changed, so that these thugs could be named in public? If they are old enough to carry out such crimes, they are certainly old enough to be named and shamed. And shouldn't the parents take some of the blame and punishment? And what is the use of such short sentences?
Posted by: G, Brighton on 2:59pm Thu 2 Aug 07
Good news for sure - but isn't it all just closing the door after the yob has bolted? Where are the questions about why they were doing this in the first place? Why is "status" (the ultimate aim of filming these things) seen to be more important than creativity or respect? It'll just keep bubbling up while what we expect of people is for them to shut up, grow up, and become rich. "Youth" is fast becoming a dirty word - how depressing.
Good news for sure - but isn't it all just closing the door after the yob has bolted? Where are the questions about why they were doing this in the first place? Why is "status" (the ultimate aim of filming these things) seen to be more important than creativity or respect?
It'll just keep bubbling up while what we expect of people is for them to shut up, grow up, and become rich. "Youth" is fast becoming a dirty word - how depressing.
Posted by: Dave, Brighton on 4:27pm Thu 2 Aug 07
They are all sad little mugs,that will cry for mum once those London boys get hold of them in prison.About time the police,and the public were given the all clear to hit them.
They are all sad little mugs,that will cry for mum once those London boys get hold of them in prison.About time the police,and the public were given the all clear to hit them.
Posted by: Steve, on the narrow edge on 11:08pm Thu 2 Aug 07
[quote][bold]reasonable[/bold] wrote: fair enough Ben, yes, but what I'm concerned about is the day-to-day aggravation people put up with on the streets, outside their houses, on public transport that goes unreported, that we just shrug our shoulders and try to ignore. I hope the good work the police have done doesn't just end at this point now this particular group has been dispersed.[/quote] A very good point, I had a nervous breakdown two years ago, my blood pressure went sky high and I lost my bus licence! All this was due mainly to my job and the continual harrasment of the night time yobs, school gangs and other work related incidents over a period of five or six years! Yobs rule, citizens try to ignore this and believe me, it doesn't work! I agree with Adolf AND reasonable, we can't allow this to continue happening!
reasonable wrote:
fair enough Ben, yes, but what I'm concerned about is the day-to-day aggravation people put up with on the streets, outside their houses, on public transport that goes unreported, that we just shrug our shoulders and try to ignore. I hope the good work the police have done doesn't just end at this point now this particular group has been dispersed.
A very good point, I had a nervous breakdown two years ago, my blood pressure went sky high and I lost my bus licence! All this was due mainly to my job and the continual harrasment of the night time yobs, school gangs and other work related incidents over a period of five or six years! Yobs rule, citizens try to ignore this and believe me, it doesn't work! I agree with Adolf AND reasonable, we can't allow this to continue happening!
Posted by: G, Brighton on 12:09am today
[quote]About time the police,and the public were given the all clear to hit them.[/quote] Hurrah, let the spiral of violence commence! I am off to stock up on baseball bats and metal trays.
About time the police,and the public were given the all clear to hit them.
Hurrah, let the spiral of violence commence! I am off to stock up on baseball bats and metal trays.
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