Vigilante groups vowing to take action after burglaries (From Echo)
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Vigilante groups vowing to take action after burglaries
9:00am Thursday 15th November 2012 in Local News
Vigilante groups vowing to take action after burglaries
VIGILANTE gangs are starting to emerge on Canvey following a string of violent robberies.
Residents are threatening to take matters into their hands - after three robberies were committed in the space of 48 hours.
They are the latest in a series of appalling crimes where armed robbers have been targeting shops.
The latest raid happened at the Co-op, in Meppel Avenue, where a man marched in and demanded cash from the till at about 4.30pm on Monday.
The staff member saw a knife in his pocket so they handed over a two figure sum of cash.
An elderly lady was also mugged after she withdrew cash from the machine by BP garage in Long Road at about 8pm on Saturday.
Sick robbers also knocked another elderly woman to the ground as they stole her handbag. Another robber struck as their elderly victim was crossing a bridge over the dyke in Meadow View Walk.
They caused a cut to her hand when they ripped the bag from it, at about 12.45pm on Monday.
A brave youngster chased the robber and managed to retrieve the bag.
One man, who would not be named, said people had enough and had been talking about taking the law into their own hands.
He said: “There has been a spate of muggings, burglaries and robberies on Canvey and now a vigilante group are out after blood. People have been out there in cars trying to search for the robbers, and taking baseball bats trying to hunt them down. “They are trying to take matters into their own hands because there doesn’t seem to have been any response from the police.”
Supt Andy Prophet said: “We’ve heard reports that some people in Canvey have said they will carry out patrols but we can’t condone such activities.
“If people want to help us we would prefer that they dial 999 if they witness a crime in progress or call 101 if the information is less urgent.
“Residents can also help by setting up Neighbourhood Watch groups or by joining the Special Constabulary.
“We do have a local Neighbourhood Policing Team based at Canvey and operating out of Canvey police station. Those officers are supported by colleagues from county-wide specialist units, as and when required. Special operations have been run in Canvey in recent weeks to tackle knife crime and burglaries, and these are continuing.”
The man who struck at the Co-op is described as aged aged 20 to 30, stocky, and about six feet tall. He was wearing a black waist-length hooded coat, grey trousers and trainers.
The robbers who struck near the cashpoint were white youths, about six feet tall, and were wearing hoodies.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments(26)
Rich\Carol
says...
9:27am Thu 15 Nov 12
Canvey now has had a massive increase in crime and its not all down to the ammount of migrents being housed on the island. OK that dont help housing overseas people but these crimes in Canvey is accross the board English and migrants.
The police are loosing the battle so these vigilantes are entitled to try themselves.
I say good for them and good luck.
huedash
says...
9:33am Thu 15 Nov 12
The irony is that the most likely people the vigilantes are after are actually their own 'friends'.....
crunch29
says...
9:41am Thu 15 Nov 12
huedash wrote:The whole of the island doesn't sit around all day sponging off the state and playing games consoles all day you know.... idiot.
Well at least the inhabitants of Canvey have now got something else to do apart from sit around all day, sponging off the state and playing some sort of games console......those that are not robbing people of course! The irony is that the most likely people the vigilantes are after are actually their own 'friends'.....
Major Incident
says...
9:43am Thu 15 Nov 12
Saxonpride wrote:Excellent logic - prevent violent crimes and restore law & order by committing violent crimes!
PLEASE let them catch the robbers in the act. Maybe a baseball-bat to the skull will finally establish some semblance of law on that benighted island.
largo1
says...
9:56am Thu 15 Nov 12
Major Incident wrote:i don't see how getting violent with thieving scum is a crime, they deserve all they get!
Saxonpride wrote:Excellent logic - prevent violent crimes and restore law & order by committing violent crimes!
PLEASE let them catch the robbers in the act. Maybe a baseball-bat to the skull will finally establish some semblance of law on that benighted island.
Olivia2847
says...
9:57am Thu 15 Nov 12
Saxonpride
says...
10:14am Thu 15 Nov 12
Major Incident wrote:It's actually the oldest logic in the book.
Saxonpride wrote:Excellent logic - prevent violent crimes and restore law & order by committing violent crimes!
PLEASE let them catch the robbers in the act. Maybe a baseball-bat to the skull will finally establish some semblance of law on that benighted island.
Maintain order through fearful acts. And yes, it works.
Do you think Vlad The Impaler had petty thieves in Wallachia? No, because his punishments were so barbaric that no one wanted to risk incurring them. It got to the point where drinking fountains had golden cups, because people were too terrified to steal.
Some say violence begets violence. But if the degree of violence meted out is so disproportionate and frightening, you can simply cow your enemies into submission.
It's a perfectly logical system.
Shoebury_Cyclist
says...
10:18am Thu 15 Nov 12
perini
says...
10:28am Thu 15 Nov 12
Stop going after the motorist - mobile phones whilst driving excepted - and get out of youir cars and onto the ground. Trouble is when they catch someone the judiciary give out some pathetic sentence, if at all!
Red Hand Gang
says...
10:30am Thu 15 Nov 12
Things can't be any worse. Labour and Conservative are almost the same.
Olivia2847
says...
11:02am Thu 15 Nov 12
Olivia2847 wrote:Thank you! This does not happen in Italy and try it in Singapore and you will be flogged .....
Bring back National Service, leave the EU, stop all overseas aid. ........
bongking
says...
11:11am Thu 15 Nov 12
SpiffSpaffington1984
says...
11:29am Thu 15 Nov 12
Shoebury_Cyclist
says...
11:33am Thu 15 Nov 12
perini wrote:Proper enforcement of ALL laws is what is required. And zero tolerance of an attitude that accepts 'small' offences as being ok, such as road traffic offences (yes, including cyclists who ignore road traffic law). Because that attitude leads to people thinking if 'small' offences are ok, then slightly bigger offences are ok, and so on, until their children see their parents ignoring the law and so those children grow up thinking it is ok for them to ignore laws too.
Good for them - I can see this happening all over the county as the PC service still bury their heads up their collective ar*es and believe that crime is falling!!
Stop going after the motorist - mobile phones whilst driving excepted - and get out of youir cars and onto the ground. Trouble is when they catch someone the judiciary give out some pathetic sentence, if at all!
Zero tolerance of ALL lawbreaking. It's the only way.
perini
says...
11:42am Thu 15 Nov 12
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:I agree - but a fat chance of it happening. Too many bleeding heart yoghurt knitters for that! I do like the idea of 3 strikes and you're out - even for offences of littering. Zero tolerance is the only way!
perini wrote: Good for them - I can see this happening all over the county as the PC service still bury their heads up their collective ar*es and believe that crime is falling!! Stop going after the motorist - mobile phones whilst driving excepted - and get out of youir cars and onto the ground. Trouble is when they catch someone the judiciary give out some pathetic sentence, if at all!Proper enforcement of ALL laws is what is required. And zero tolerance of an attitude that accepts 'small' offences as being ok, such as road traffic offences (yes, including cyclists who ignore road traffic law). Because that attitude leads to people thinking if 'small' offences are ok, then slightly bigger offences are ok, and so on, until their children see their parents ignoring the law and so those children grow up thinking it is ok for them to ignore laws too. Zero tolerance of ALL lawbreaking. It's the only way.
Sign of the times
says...
1:22pm Thu 15 Nov 12
huedash wrote:I take offence at what you say.
Well at least the inhabitants of Canvey have now got something else to do apart from sit around all day, sponging off the state and playing some sort of games console......those that are not robbing people of course!
The irony is that the most likely people the vigilantes are after are actually their own 'friends'.....
What makes you think people who live on Canvey sit around all day?
Who are you anyway, some non-entity who obviously isn't working at 9.30 am, cruising the internet.
And insinuating that we all go around robbing people?
So, what part of the county do you come from then huedash? Let us all know.
It's very easy to write your sarcastic comments and hide on the internet but I bet you wouldn't say that face to face.
Nebs
says...
3:53pm Thu 15 Nov 12
org/wiki/Guardian_An
gels
Brunning999
says...
4:14pm Thu 15 Nov 12
Despite the fact his Government will cut Essex Police Budget by 20%.
No doubt like all politicians he will be able to talk himself out of a paper bag.
Vote Mick Thwaites the only man that can stop Government Police Control in Essex.
Brunning999
says...
4:32pm Thu 15 Nov 12
1. People no longer report crime due to no faith in the Criminal Justice system
2. Most Police Stations have been shut.
3. Essex Police telephone system is diabolical when trying to make contact.
4. People actually feel guilty about asking the Police to do anything.
We have a Chief Constable that has decimated Essex Police and completely demoralized staff.
We have a 20% cut in Essex Policing budget which any reasonable person other than a politician must accepts that would destroy most companies or any family budget.
And we now have this pathetic PCC election with a good chance that Nick David Cameron's supporter will gain control of Essex and twist the knife in deeper OR WILL HE SAY ESSEX POLICE ARE IN BIG TROUBLE !
I doubt that because he will be under the party whip.
Eric Whim
says...
4:37pm Thu 15 Nov 12
SpiffSpaffington1984
says...
5:23pm Thu 15 Nov 12
Brunning999
says...
6:32pm Thu 15 Nov 12
SpiffSpaffington1984 wrote:Not nice.
In the jewish neighbourhoods in east london they have their own security force, the shomrim, security teams like that funded by the residents are the future of the uk, that and gated communities
EssexPerson
says...
9:18pm Thu 15 Nov 12
If parents brought their kids up properly and we (as a country) had a proper police force then residents wouldnt have to resort to this.
I used to live in the Avenues area of the Island but moved after getting windows smashed and the police took 2 months to turn up. And from what I've heard that area has just gotten worse, pleased I moved from that area.
snowbarney
says...
9:42am Fri 16 Nov 12
It's quite clear the police have no powers any more, no inclination and certainly not the manpower to find these scum.
I used to live in Leigh but thankfully I've escaped to the peace and calm of North Devon.
However, it saddens me to see the way things are going in Essex, which is clearly trying to twin itself with Moss Side etc in Manchester.
Both areas, and the people living there, should be nuked and wiped from the face of the earth.
sharry
says...
3:14pm Sun 18 Nov 12
huedash wrote:Obviously you, like most people who have something negative to say about Canvey Island, don't actually live here. We are a close knit community, we care about what happens to our property and the people in our community. The crime rate (relavent to size) is minimal compared with Southend or Basildon. unemployment (again relevant to size) is minimal. So let me see, where would i feel safer walking the streets, Southend, Basildon or Canvey Island-no brainer really......
Well at least the inhabitants of Canvey have now got something else to do apart from sit around all day, sponging off the state and playing some sort of games console......those that are not robbing people of course!
The irony is that the most likely people the vigilantes are after are actually their own 'friends'.....
Saxonpride says...
9:24am Thu 15 Nov 12