Vote: Where do you want criminals to clean up?
FAMILIES are being asked to vote on how criminals should be punished in their community.
Convicts ordered by the courts to carry out community punishment will be put to work on projects chosen for them by residents.
These include hacking back dense undergrowth, clearing rubbish, or scrubbing graffiti from walls.
Stoke-on-Trent is one of a number of cities chosen to pilot the Community Payback scheme, which will feature a public vote for one of five projects:
High Street, Goldenhill – a semi-rural, overgrown area prone to fly-tipping, litter and neglect. Offenders will overhaul the area.
Fenton Garage, Park Lane – Criminals will scrub graffiti, tidy-up rubbish, cut-back shrubs and carry out site maintenance and painting.
Uttoxeter Road, Normacot – an area of alleyways and land which falls prey to repeated fly-tipping. Convicts will clear-up the site.
Northwood and Birches Head – which suffer litter problems, where pavements are too small for more bins. Offenders will clean pathways and cut back overgrown hedges.
Berry Hill – which has problems with vandalism and litter. Criminals will tidy-up rubbish.
People have until Friday to vote for one of the projects. Offenders wearing high-visibility 'Community Payback' vests will be put to work at the selected site.
John Cartlidge, Staffordshire Probation Service's Community Payback scheme manager, said: "This campaign is to demonstrate to the public that community sentences are not soft options, and to ensure that the benefits are for the community rather than for the offender. It is hoped offenders will appreciate that they can make a huge difference to the local environment."
Councillor Joan Bell, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's portfolio holder for community safety, said: "This is the first time residents can directly have a say in the type of work undertaken by those who break the law.
"After work on the most popular site has taken place, other blighted areas of the city will be addressed and residents can put forward further areas they'd like to see tackled."
Tom Simpson, pictured, secretary of Sandyford and Goldenhill Residents' Association (SAGE), said: "I think it's an excellent idea. Staffordshire Probation Service has helped in the past, cleaning up Goldenhill Cemetery. So we know that this sort of scheme does work.
"We have been pushing leaflets through doors, asking people to vote for High Street, Goldenhill, to be chosen. The area is a complete mess."
Norman Harvey, of Normacot Residents' Association, said: "We have been cleaning up ourselves, but if we can get criminals doing it – maybe even people who have been convicted of fly-tipping – that would be pay-back."
To vote, call 01785 231737.
Related links:
Vote for the area you want cleaned up
11 Comments
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by Matt, Tunstall
Monday, April 20 2009, 9:58AM
“I'd like to see them clean Burslem tip from top to bottom of rubbish - with no gloves.
Failing that send down the sewage works to make them sparkly clean.”
by Dave, Stoke
Monday, April 20 2009, 8:16AM
“When you drive round this City it makes feel like you live in a dump, it needs sorting out, it's embarrassing the state it has been left to decay into. A scheme like this has been needed not only only a local basis but nationally too. But come on you so called people that are in charge, we shouldn't need to be voting on a scheme like this should be run, grow yourselves a backbone and get all of the above jobs done by the Cities minor criminals, after all it's free labour and there's plenty of it on offer, you only have to read the Sentinel to see that. To vote on what gets done is just wrong, next you'll be wanting to open 09 voting and text in lines to bring in a bit of cash and no doubt call the idea the SI-XFACTOR!! You never know this time next year we could be voting for Simon Cowell as Mayor.”
by Anon, Mow Cop
Sunday, April 19 2009, 4:54PM
“How about clearing up the landmines in the Falklands from the 1982 dispute BY HAND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
by Warren, Stoke on Trent
Sunday, April 19 2009, 2:02PM
“You would think with the amount of these things slaped on scumbags by the courts, insteed of what they sould get, time inside, all of the projects could be tackeled, they have the manpower. Make them work like billy-ho, it will be the first job meny heve done anyway. After them, we can find a lot more that needs sorting out to, like the damage to my gate that some drunk fool did by falling on it a 2am this morning.”
by Andi, Stoke
Sunday, April 19 2009, 12:17PM
“This story makes it seem like we have so few criminals in Stoke on Trent we can only have ONE area cleaned !”
by TIM, stokie
Saturday, April 18 2009, 6:49PM
“My Bedroom, get me mam of my back.........”
by John, Newcastle
Saturday, April 18 2009, 5:51PM
“I have a feeling that any one who is sentenced to pick up litter will think that they have got away with it. I can't see this being a deterent. How much is this going to cost the country when they sue under the Human Rights Act for forced labour.”
by Labyrinth, stoke
Saturday, April 18 2009, 2:30PM
“How about cleaning up the dog mess upon the pavements and walkways. Now that would be more of a deterent to reoffending than picking up a couple of clean crisp packets and drinks cans.”
by Craig, Stoke-on-Trent
Saturday, April 18 2009, 2:26PM
“No it won't Micky.
Anyway, I voted for my area even though I doubt mine will win. Whatever area wins, the city as a whole will benefit.”
by Micky, Under all the litter
Saturday, April 18 2009, 2:00PM
“How long will it be before one of these criminals refuses to wear the high-visibility "Community payback" vest, claiming that it is humiliating and, therefore, violates his "Human Rights". It'll happen!”