A councillor who called for boozed-up teenagers to be put in police cells says he stands by his comments, despite criticism from opposition politicians.
Lochgelly SNP councillor Ian Chisholm urged police to lock up drunken youths after officers were called out six times in one night to deal with underage drinking and anti-social behaviour in the town.
Fife Constabulary says up to 150 young people are using Facebook to plan outdoor parties in the area and has since branded Lochgelly a ”hot-spot for anti-social behaviour”.
The town’s Labour councillors Mark Hood and Linda Erskine went out on the beat with officers on Friday after they were contacted by residents about ”large numbers of young people in the area”.
Mr Hood said: ”Certainly where young people are breaking the law they need to be dealt with. However, the calls by a local councillor to put these young people in detention is simply wrong.
”Communities will only be weakened if we start to demonise young people after the bad behaviour of a very small minority.”
Mrs Erskine said: ”I find it astonishing that any councillor would be calling for large groups of teenagers to be locked up. Ian Chisholm does not appear to understand the law.”
But Mr Chisholm defended his stance, saying: ”Anti-social drunks of any age should be held in police custody until they sober up. I am absolutely against criminalising youngsters with the consequent damage to their prospects but I do think they should be held in detention centres without charge, as happens in other countries, until they sober up and a parent comes to bail them out.”
Sergeant Tom Brown, who is responsible for community policing in the area, said the force has no plans to put drunken teenagers in police cells.
”It is important to deal with these issues in a managed and proportionate manner,” he said. ”The residents of Lochgelly, Cardenden and surrounding areas can rest assured that robust measures are in place and are being taken to address the problem.”
Police deployed a CCTV van to patrol the area and reported a reduction in anti-social behaviour over the weekend.
Mr Brown added: ”The majority of youths in Lochgelly and Cardenden are well behaved and respect their community. However, there are always some who unfortunately become involved in anti-social behaviour, which is often fuelled by alcohol.”
Mrs Erskine said: ”What Mark (Hood) and I saw was the police dealing with the situation very succinctly and showing a great understanding of the young people they were working with.”
Mr Hood added: ”I’m keen now that we put in place an action plan that addresses the root causes of any anti-social behaviour and that we all work together to find solutions to any problems which do exist.”