Criminal Damage By A Special Needs Neighbour And Kid Around Corner

[Ladywriter1968]

We fell out with a neighbour with special needs a year ago, he knows what he is doing and just causes deliberate trouble for attention. A couple of months ago our car was done over, now alas no car, 6x now our windows been broken. My husband saw kid around teen age last time, CCTV picked up same description as my husbands when he saw teen run away, only person we fell our with is neighbour downstair, and he mixes with this kid. Kid around 18 and neighbour is late 40's.

The police have not bothered to let us know result of investigation of CCTV or what is happening, we even had stones as evidence but they wasnt interested, I thought this could be evidence for court to say, these were used.

Police do not question residents even the suspects they have not bothered so far. We feel they are not doing their jobs.

My husband works nights and I am alone all night here, and nervous now, as neighbour downstair knows this and he arrange for our windows to be broken during the night, and 6 times this happened so far, all our front windows are damaged, the council keep replacing them.

The neighbour has caused a lot of grief in our block and upset other residents as well. But I think he is given special treatment due to his condition.

We know he has arranged for the kid around corner to break our windows as he is trying to force us out of our place, I have high blood pressure and ill health, depression which is returning.

What else can we do?

I feel the system is not working for us. the police come every time, give us a crime card and then leave. End of.

If persons are caught what exactly will happen? and how long will it be before it goes to court? will he get off because of his special needs?

[bednobs]

not quite sure how you know so much, or how you know what your neighbour thinks. have you ever considered moving?

[pixie373]

Sounds a nightmare. Police can be unhelpful, we found that when a drunk driver wrote off OH's car and they didn't even speak to the witnesses. I don't know what special needs he has, it might mean he gets help/treatment rather than being punished- which might be more appropriate anyway. Have you tried making friends with him?

[boxtops]

If you are in a block of flats, is there a managing agent you can tell about your unpleasant neighbour downstairs?

How do you know he's arranged for the kid to break your windows?

Go to your local paper with the story- that'd make the police take attention.

[EDDIE51]

Stones are no good as evidence, they could just be stones you have picked up, nothing to tie them to the broken window. You need CCTV of the culprits actually throwing the stones. Does the CCTV show what is happening? I would complain to the Inspector at your police station and ask why the CCTV has not been investigated if the officers are not doing anything.

[Orderlimit]

Terrible situation and I am afraid the police as an organisation have a poor track record dealing with repeat ASB reports. (management issue).

How long ago was this latest offence reported Ladywriter?, the case may still be under investigation but the police have a duty to keep a victim updated on at least a monthly basis where no suspect has been dealt with, up until the point where the case has been filed undetected or closed.

Lower level criminal damage and vehicle tampering offences do not usually qualify for automatic referral to Victim Support however, as this is repeat victimisation you can request this service which may be beneficial in many ways.

Contact the force or officer dealing with the case and ask what progress has been made and whether the case has / is being referred to your local Neighbourhood policing team who work with other agencies to try and resolve these type of ongoing matters using various other methods.

If no joy then as Eddie states book an appointment to speak to the station duty Inspector and request a review of all reported matters etc.

As already stated, the stones offer no real value to the case in this type of incident.

[Ladywriter1968]

6 x windows been broken, they did it twice in one week. reason suspect neighbour is because had previous trouble in our block involving him with yobs before because they chucked fire bomb things into the block and wrote bad stuff on his door, When other neighbour asked him how he knew them to start with, he did not answer her. and the person who lives around the corner is pally with him and matches description on CCTV and of what my husband saw thru the window, they picked up the person chucking the stones up but have not come back to let me know nothing. They always do this in the night as neighbour downstair know my husband work nights. he is just a trouble neighbour. He also been abusive to us shouting up abuse and he pressed my buzzer at 1am several times.

[Ladywriter1968]

its very hard to explain unless you had to live in the same block with this person. We are in a small block which holds 4 neighbours including us. he is on ground floor and we are on the first floor. he even climbed up a ladder once to look into our window. he does childish things to people as well. you have to live with it to really understand to be honest.

[Peter Pedant]

You want a quiet life as we all do

However you need to get CCTv yourself - and you know -keep it on !
and carry a digital camera with you.

The system is not working for you
because you are not doing what you can do for yourself

even the thickest young man realises that if he is photographed breaking a window he will get into trouble

[tonywiltshire]

Your landlord also has a responsibility, you are entitled to quiet enjoyment of your property which is an implied covenant under common law if it is not an express term.

[Orderlimit]

Senior police management need to take these ASB offences more seriously and robustly deal with these menaces that are a burden on decent society.

These are the type of offences that quickly get filed with very minimum or little investigation whereas the never ending reports of silly and annoying 'insult incidents' are given higher priority and a more thorough investigation. Victims of repeat crime do not complain enough unlike complainants of these 'crimes' of being insulted who make allegations of discrimination that senior officers fear (well...any officer really). But don't expect any change soon.

[saxy_jag]

Do the flats belong to the council? If you can't make the police listen then councils now have a duty to take action over ASB by tenants. Ultimately they can be evicted.

It could be worth getting together with a few neighbours who have experienced problems with this family and then presenting your case together.

[Ladywriter1968]

Police gave me the result of the CCTV today. They do not know who the person was. Great news and on top I have flu now as well. Yes its council, and we cant afford to buy expensive camera equipment ourselves or alarm systems, thats why we live in a council flat.

[Ladywriter1968]

I guess I will just have to put in to move and wait on the council list.

[DJHawkes]

you must be really fed up,

[Tilly2]

How can you bear to live in that situation. Can't you move?

[Ladywriter1968]

I told the police all the trouble we had with neighbour downstairs and felt he may be a suspect or put some one up to it. This is the stupidity. The police came to my door, I invited them in as didnt want the neighbour I suspect hearing the evidence. Before the police came in they say to me on the echoey balcony. We dont know who it was on the CCTV. and the neighbour I heard him downstairs. I thought Oh great! if he heard that. I said to them, dont say that on the balcony. How can I trust them if they cant even do a simple thing like that and be discreet. They may as well just posted a note through his door of the result.

[Tilly2]

Can you move into private rental accommodation?

[Ladywriter1968]

I am really fed up, plus on top I am sick now as well with Flu, it came on last night. Thing is with council properties you can wait months years before being moved. Even if you are on the waiting list. council properties in UK are for the poorer people who cant afford mortgages or to buy or rent privately. But council places are becoming very few as they dont build new ones now. When I go to bed at night now I leave the light on all night, as my husband works all thru night and I am here alone. I just lay in bed waiting to see if another window will get smashed and make me jump out of my skin, even when I hear bangs in the street now I jump.

[Ladywriter1968]

We cant afford private rental accom, the rents are to high here. they charge like £400 rent a week in London for private rent, in dollars I think that would be around $600 per week. Guessing on rate exchange etc. We are in council because thats what we can manage.

[Tilly2]

If it was me I'd move into the cheapest rented flat I could find rather than live through that. It must be intolerable. Do you have to get up for work in the morning?