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complaining about a half way house

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  • complaining about a half way house

    2 doors down from me is a house that has been converted in to 4 individual bed sits, totally legally and beautifully done, and the landlord is a dream to speak to, however..

    this house has been "aquired" by South Yorkshire Probation Service (i think) and is full of convicted criminals, mainly petty thieves etc, who are using it as a half-way house. There has been nothing but trouble since they arrived, I have had a window smashed (being compensated at £2.50 a month for that one) had flowers my my front garden trampled after they play ring a round the rosie with bottles of beer at 3am, and the neighbours are complaining about the loud parties and foul language at all hours.

    The landlord has tried, he has gone in with Police accompaniment to speak to the "tenants" and tell them to behave, but he can't evict them as the Courts have ordered them to be there!

    In my house there are 3 kids, next door there are 2 and next door but one there are 2 kids. Across the road there is a Sheltered Accomodation dealing with the elderly and adults with learning difficulties.
    Every so often (2 weeks or so) the street is full with police cars as one of the lags has jumped bail or not shown up for court, and the police are carrying tazars. My kids have to walk past said house to get home, what would happen if one of them made a break for it?

    Last night, about 1030 it started, shouting, effing and Jeffing as we say here, and a man walked up and down our road with a scaffolders pole, swinging it about and inviting every man in the street for "A rumble".
    I called the police to be told they were "Aware" and to call back if it got worse.
    Our man with the pole then had a stand up fight in the street with someone else out of the house and rewarded said person with the pole about his head. I called the police again and said "He's hit someone with the pole" to be told they were "Aware" and someone was en route, but could I (in my pyjamas I hasten to add) go out and see if the other person needed an ambulance.. with a drunk weilding a scaffolders pole... I won't write my response to that one, but phonetically the gist was foxtrot oscar!

    I had a sleepless night waiting for my windows to smash in, and my hyper vigilance has increased to the point I am sitting in the living room with the curtains pulled incase there is another bang!

    Moving is out of the question.. my question is.. How do we (as a community) complain about this?
    We were never consulted about it being put there, and we are 7 miles from our nearest Police Station.. we have closer ones if the little darlings decide to play up between the hours of 830am and 4pm!
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: complaining about a half way house

    I don't have any direct experience of this, but from indirect experience I would have to say that involving the local press, councillors and MP is generally more effective than attempting to deal with it "formally", because the formal procedures seem to go nowhere and take forever getting there!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: complaining about a half way house

      thanks Eloise,
      Our counsellor is less than useless (this is what happens when you vote for people cos you know their parents) but I may try the press!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: complaining about a half way house

        Originally posted by Hurricane Puffrose View Post
        thanks Eloise,
        Our counsellor is less than useless (this is what happens when you vote for people cos you know their parents) but I may try the press!
        You presumably have three of them like most other people? Try the other two! If that doesn't work, find the opposition party - most of them would delight in having a cause in a local area that might help them unseat a councillor come the next election. I live in a Lib Dem area, so I find the Labour Party and the Conservative Party are both very helpful if I want to complain about my councillors doing nothing! Doesn't mean I have to vote for them!

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        • #5
          Re: complaining about a half way house

          good thinking Batwoman!!

          I think I know who our Tory candidate is.

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          • #6
            Re: complaining about a half way house

            And be grateful they are only wielding poles and not balloons!

            It also occurs to me that your council should have a neighbour nuisance section. I think they generally fall under Environmental Health.

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            • #7
              Re: complaining about a half way house

              Originally posted by Eloise01 View Post
              It also occurs to me that your council should have a neighbour nuisance section. I think they generally fall under Environmental Health.
              I suspect those louts might be a bit too big for the local rat catcher.

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              • #8
                Re: complaining about a half way house

                And,,without having 'psychic' powers.I'm willing to bet the answer will be 'Well,,they have to go somewhere'........and then 'Anywhere we put them someone is going to object to'
                (And No,,I don't think a residential area is the right place......a shack in a field should suffice)

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                • #9
                  Re: complaining about a half way house

                  Can't you accuse them of kiddy fiddling?

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                  • #10
                    Re: complaining about a half way house

                    What an absolute nightmare for you, Puff!

                    A “halfway house” should be a means of re-integrating offenders into society (rather than the other way around). The below - copied from E-how (my highlights in red) gives the clearest description I could find of how a halfway house should be run, none of which would appear to be happening here. The article is US orientated but I have reason to believe (and please someone correct if wrong) the same principles apply here. If this facility is simply providing accommodation for recidivists to terrorize the community without any rules, support or rehabilitation then it’s not being properly run; it does seem unlikely that the courts or the probation service would have intended this if they do indeed support it as the landlord indicates.

                    You say the landlord is “a dream” to deal with – maybe if he provided you and other concerned residents with his rules and admission terms you might have a further starting point in detailing how the facility is being abused , what to complain about and to whom to complain effectively. It also seems likely (though I have so far failed miserably in finding any info on this) that the LL would have to have some sort of license/registration and official contract for the courts to “order” people to live there – it would be interesting to see what this entails.
                    As stated in the above posts, your most effective route may well be through publicity but additionally your MP, your new Police Commissioner (!) and the Probation service need to be persistently pestered IMHO and reminded of their responsibilities.

                    How to Open a Halfway House for Ex-Offenders
                    Written by nicole o'driscoll

                    One of the most daunting aspects of prison can be the prospect of release back into an unforgiving society.
                    For ex-offenders seeking a full reintegration into society, spending time at a halfway house is vital. A house that is professionally managed, with zero tolerance for alcohol and drug abuse, affords the opportunity for ex-inmates to commit to a new way of life. Offenders who alternate between prison and criminal behaviour upon release find themselves vulnerable often because they have no choice but to return to their former communities and lifestyles. A halfway house is a way to break the cycle of crime and establish hope for a better future.
                    Skill level:
                    Challenging
                    Instructions
                    1. 1 Contact your state Department of Corrections, Local Welfare Services and Probation and Parole Offices for funding to set up the halfway house. These agencies often set aside money for this kind of project. Determine the licensing, permit and zoning requirements for your facility by contacting the appropriate departments in your state.


                    1. 2 A well-run halfway house can help ex-offenders begin a crime-free life.

                    Find a location that can be purchased outright or rented for an agreed period. Inform the local police department of your location as they may occasionally be needed to handle any problems.

                    1. 3 Draft a budget. Set aside funds for rent/mortgage; furniture; bedding; utilities; kitchen equipment; office equipment; support staff and manager's salaries; hygiene supplies such as soap and paper towels; office supplies and stationary; inspection fees; insurance; and parking permits.
                    2. 4 Ensure that all repairs to the premises are carried out before opening.

                    Arrange to have the house inspected and made safe by a surveyor, certified electrician, plumber and gas maintenance technician. Make any necessary structural adaptations, such as installing handicapped accessible ramps and sprinkler systems.
                    1. 5 Indoor and outdoor recreation facilities provide invaluable social contact.

                    Equip the house with beds and sheets, laundry and cooking facilities, and a communal relaxation or recreation area with space to read, listen to music and socialise. Visit charity shops for donations of books, DVDs, music and games. Keep an inventory of all items that are the property of the house.
                    1. 6 Set criteria for admission into the house. Which candidates qualify will depend on how long they have been free of drug and alcohol use, their history of violence, if any, and their psychiatric history. Determine what you will charge each resident and how you will collect for services provided.
                    2. 7

                    Establish a relationship with neighbours as a way to counter the "not in my backyard" type of resistance to halfway houses. Although the purpose of the house can be kept confidential, it is a good idea to build trust.
                    1. 8 A clear no-violence policy must be enforced in the halfway house.

                    Write policies on drug and alcohol infractions; visiting hours; access to supplies; residents' curfew; and residents' input into duties such as cleaning, recycling and waste management. Set policies also regarding conflict, bullying and violence that may arise in the house.
                    1. 9 Recruit qualified staff through local newspapers and magazines, detention centres, local jobcentres, and health and social service agencies. Set guidelines for how many staff must be present in the house throughout the day and night and what shifts they will work.
                    2. 10

                    The halfway house can help to provide growth and direction for the ex-offender.
                    Meet with charities and organisations that can work with residents and make referrals to addiction treatment services, training, recreation, employment and education services, ex-offender support organisations and faith-based groups. The halfway house is more effective at reducing recidivism if it acts as a gateway to long-term support for the ex-offender.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: complaining about a half way house

                      We are, of course, assuming that this is a half way house and there's actually plenty of evidence that it isn't! It would seem to be operating as some form of bail hostel - ex-offenders don't jump bail or fail to turn up for court dates! There's a significant difference and it is usually bail hostels that are the greater problem. Properly licensed and manages ones have strict conditions, but this appears not to be operating to that pattern - I would suggest that the issue is probably that this is just "accommodation" purchased by the Probation Service under some form of contract with the landlord. The formal bail hostel system has strict rules about conduct and I would be surprised if a hostel established under the BASS scheme could get away with operating in this fashion. I may be wrong, as I am a bit out of date, but I thought that BASS was managed, on the accommodation side, through a housing association and not through private landlords.

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                      • #12
                        Re: complaining about a half way house

                        Personally Puff,,I'd question how much of a 'dream' of a landlord mateyboy is? Get him out to meet with your community and tell you what he's going to do about the place. He's making money out of your misery,,he doesn't have to live with it.

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                        • #13
                          Re: complaining about a half way house

                          Originally posted by Inca View Post
                          Personally Puff,,I'd question how much of a 'dream' of a landlord mateyboy is? Get him out to meet with your community and tell you what he's going to do about the place. He's making money out of your misery,,he doesn't have to live with it.
                          Yes, Inca - exactly my thoughts! His relationship with the truth might be on a purely business basis however charming he might be.

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                          • #14
                            Re: complaining about a half way house

                            It might be a good idea for one of you to start a petition, get as many signatures as you can, get complaints in writing, photo's and any other evidence you can, then copy everything and send copies to your local MP's, the opposition lot, plus local newspapers, radio stations, uncle tom cobbly and all. Oh and don't forget your local Neighbourhood Watch officer too.
                            Basically play merry hell with them.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: complaining about a half way house

                              Originally posted by Sapphire View Post
                              It might be a good idea for one of you to start a petition, get as many signatures as you can, get complaints in writing, photo's and any other evidence you can, then copy everything and send copies to your local MP's, the opposition lot, plus local newspapers, radio stations, uncle tom cobbly and all. Oh and don't forget your local Neighbourhood Watch officer too.
                              Basically play merry hell with them.
                              ​And that's why we're friends Sapph....your clogs kick where mine miss

                              Comment

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