What would you have done?

[El Prez]

I went to CTC yesterday to watch a friend's passout parade. Great location, weather perfect. During the morning I stupidly allowed myself to be irritated by the behaviour of a few guests (yes I know guests behaviour should always be tolerated), teenagers dressed for clubbing without any idea of the importance and meaning of the day for the recruits, becoming Marines. As the King's Squad marched off, followed by the band, the group of four loitered along with their shirts hanging loose, hands in pockets, smirking and sniggering at the ceremonial. I'm afraid I lost the plot a bit when they stood on the edge of the Sylvan Glade taking the piss out of four nods who had halted and stood to attention as the King's Squad passed. I walked over and said very quietly "This is the Commando Training Centre, please take your hands out of your pockets" three did immediately, stopped smirking and even straightened up; the fourth was 'wellard' until I looked directly at him and very quietly said "Now". I'm oscillating between being glad I did something, that the training team are not permitted to do, due to the time honoured tolerance displayed towards guests, but equally every now and then I get a twinge of regret that I crossed the line. I did apologise to the training team leader for my arrogance, but he was delighted that I'd opened my big mouth.
What would you have done? Answers on a piece of 4x2 please.

[Black Rat]

Three cheers for you for doing what everyone there should have done.
To much looking the other way these days, it's easier to walk past than to stand up and do the right thing. We all owe you a sherbet.........perhaps in the River Exe Club or the Blue Pig, if they are still there!!

[Mutley]

Remarkably tolerant of your Rob!

If I knew how to paddle this thing I would give you a big thumbs up!

I think you handle things exceptionally well not like my bull in a china-shop approach when I did some voluntary youth work. Eventually got sick of one of the little toe rags always coming up with, 'F Off you cant do nowt, you cant touch me'

I walked into the office, turned on the mic and said "I quit here's my card.". I then walked very calmly towards the snottyas he backed away all round the club, strange how quiet the place became. Eventually he reached a corner, I got close enough to see that he might need to shave in a couple of years. and quietly suggested that he had better cross over to the other side of the street if he ever saw me again. I also suggested that as I now had some time on my hands if he had a problem l would gladly see him and his brothers at closing time.

Funny, heard he went home early that night and didn't reappear for a couple of weeks..........

[Rotary Booty]

Rob, well done indeed! It does make you wonder though if these guys were 'guests' or 'gatecrashers', and where were their probation officers at the time!! I get it in the neck from 'she who must be obeyed' for interfering in other peoples' 'civil liberties' at times; a guy with his dog in a kids' playground, contrary to a huge notice on the gate, springs to mind.
It HAS got it's risks though, and coincidently, here in Dorset, it is the anniversary of the death of a guy who 'had a word' with some yobs outside a supermarket, and ended up dead; they still haven't caught them.
For you, it worked, good on ya.

[El Prez]

Derek, the lads in question were part of a family group. Perhaps families visiting Lympstone could be sent a short note, prior to travelling, informing them about the protocol on the day. They are too excited to read the pages of the passout booklet.
I've always worked on the principle that bullies in groups or gangs are cowards. By fronting up quietly, politely and being very up front (difficult when vertically challenged) I have always found it possible to talk to the majorityof a group; the hardnut leaders never listen, by isolating them temporarily you reduce them in the eyes of their little friends. THEN I turn my attention to them, I leave them in no doubt about their prospects. I admit to them that their gang could kick me down the street, but, I'd take the chief doomer with me!
When I lived north of Aberdeen our village was plagued by the children of oil industry parents, pockets full of cash, but no incentive or direction. The offspring were bullying three old men in their 70's, knocking them off the pavement, damaging gardens etc. One day I turned up at the secondary school, with a police officer and with the headmaster held a seminar for the 120+ pupils from the village. The message was straight; 'this will end'. They were informed that the men who were being persecuted by the small band of thugs had all gone ashore on D-Day. They had more balls than all the male students combined and neither myself nor the police were going to let the situation continue. When I eventually stopped talking I was confronted by the sight of the majority of the children reacting very emotionally, they had no idea that these wrinklies had been real hard men in their time (one still carried the German binos he liberated from an artillery OP in France), the children had no concept of life changes, and advancing old age affecting themselves.
I then set up a terrapin building for the yoblets to use as a club-house, where they could get stoned/laid, whatever. weeks later it was smashed and burned by the junior yoblets. The older lads came to me absolutely distraught and very angry about the burning, I was then able to explain that they now knew exactly how the adults in the village had felt while the yobs were on the rampage.
Perhaps our glorious leader, Prezzy Blair, (as you say he has a cult following) should crusade for a move in culture away from the likes of the Royale Family. Or is it too late, are we doomed, will we ever see the light of day. As they say in the Hereford Gun Club, 'Who cares who wins'.

[ratso]

I moved to the country side to escape the yobs and to bring up my youngest two daughters in a way that hopefully will keep them away from the culture that is everyday life of Old People mugged and killed and street crime.
I think it is time the police were given powers of aresst where younger kids are concerned and the right to over night detention in cells. I work occassionally in secure units this can help and does in one in two cases to sort them out. Though the powers the police have mean we don't even see then get out their cars. I always remember the local bobby clipping my ear for scrumping the getting the belt when I got home, bloddy hell get the EU in for my human rights.... This country is going to be in a hell of a mess in another ten years.
I think you did real well I would have kicked the nearest and taken them by the scruff to the re-gain tank for snorkle lessons. We need to see national service brought back mainly for the trouble makers....

[SYB]

I think you did the right thing. The youth of today have no respect for themselves let alone anybody else.
They know the cost of every fashion item. Be it nike trainers,a splif or bag of brown. What they dont know is how to value things.
They expect everything on a plate?

To say it's frustrating working as a police officer is an understatement.

If a young dog Sh*Ts on the carpet, it gets a quick smack with a paper and learns by its mistake.

If a juveille robs your house, they normally get taken out somewhere by a social worker.
If they reoffend, they go to strangeways and have an ensuite room with a TV and Playstation?

Its not going to get any better until the Prem makes some tough decisions which will upset the minority rather than the majority??

Regards Simon

[owdun]

In my youth,there were training ships(sail)where young offenders were
sent for training in the working of merchant ships,yes,we had a large
merchant fleet in those days.We also had the cane and men teachers in
our infant schools,and the birch in the Borstals and Prisons.Borstal and
Prison life was not just being locked up,hard labour was part of the
punishment too,I've seen convicts breaking rocks outside Dartmoor
Prison,and that was in 1947,while training at Cdo.school,not a million
years ago.Can you honestly see Blurr, and others of his ilk,having the
guts to buck the liberal elite,and bring back real,effective punishment,
no chance.
Owdun

[ratso]

Appologies to the younger people the Blurr in the last is el-presidante Bluuuuurrrrrrrrrrrr not the pop group though I dare say we can find some similarities between them.
We still have Intrepid needing a new home Borstal with sail training in the mid Atlantic sounds good and bugger the birch a cat and nine kept Nelsons day in order.

[JR]

When I left the Royal Marines, I joined the Prison Service And my best posting was HMP Dartmoor,in those day's before all the do gooders got into the act, it was a hard place no messing about, as the old type Governor used to tell all the hard men? play up in this nick "son" and you will be bounced all around the wall's,Mind you in those days all the Prison Governor's were from a Military back ground, and the old man's proud boast was this is the only "Nick" with a Royal Marine detachment?.
Yours Aye JR