The Mosquito Device Comes to Chipping Norton


The Mosquito device installed by the Mid Counties Co-op in Chipping Norton

An Oxfordshire Shopping Centre in Chipping Norton is to use a 'Mosquito' device. (See the link below for story on this device being used in Gloucestershire).

It is being incorrectly reported (by the Oxfordshire Times) that the device has been paid for by West Oxfordshire District Council and the Co-op. According to the Head of Community Relations at West Oxfordshire District Council they did not pay for it. Nonetheless the Council was consulted and has issued a triumphant press release about it. Apparently it cost £800.00.

Is it actually legal for shops just to fit these things? Isn't there a human rights case here? This is in fact preventing teenagers who may be perfectly law-abiding just being in a certain public place.

£800.00 could have been spent on 100 hours of a youth worker's time to engage with the young people and plan constructive activities.

Co-op spokesman Adrian Barradell is quoted as saying "It has been shown to be a useful tool in tacking antisocial behaviour." The problem is it 'tackles' teenagers for being teenagers not anti-social behaviour. It is, unfortunately, a useful tool in 'tackling' teenagers without regard to whether or not they are law-abiding.

West Oxfordshire District Council makes the same mistake. They say in their Press Release "Chipping Norton is tackling anti-social behaviour head on by fitting the Mosquito, an ultra-sonic device, in the Westgate Shopping Centre to deter trouble-makers." Again. Not true. It deters children and teenagers regardless of whether they are 'trouble-makers'. This is really disgraceful for a public body to be stirring up hatred against bored young people calling them 'trouble-makers'. The Press Release cites some community participation which has identified 'youths hanging around' as a problem area. But this doesn't justify this behaviour. Youths 'hang around' because they are bored. How about a youth club? Ironically all the Government Crime reduction case studies (on crimereduction.gov.uk) into 'anti-social behaviour' end up by admitting that the best way to deal with the 'problem' of young people hanging around is to set up a youth club.

Why can't they talk to the teenagers? The recent IPPR report cited figures about how adults in the UK are scared of teenagers. No wonder; if we treat them like this. The Newsquest report at least quotes one young person as saying "I used to be a bit of a chav and hang round there. The only reason people do it is because they don't have anywhere else to go. " Exactly.

As with all this ASB mania to criticise it is difficult because you are put on the back foot. No one actually wants to condone misbehaviour. But this is to miss the point. The point is how does a civilised society address social problems. All WODC can offer is a nasty little device more suitable for keeping moles out of the garden than dealing with people. This is a dereliction of duty to the community. They should be addressing the needs of the young people for something to do rather than treating them like garden pests.

I still can't really believe it's come to this - that these devices (based on garden vermin control technology) - can be used on children and no one says a word. The police think it's great. The shop-keepers apparently think it's great. The Oxford Times doesn't feel any need to question it though they do at least report a teenager's comment. 10 years ago if someone had said that they were thinking of marketing a mole-scarer to keep teenagers away from a car park or shopping centre people would have thought they were crazy. It is scarcely civilised.

By the way the device is advertised on the manufacturer's web site as being able to be hidden in halogen floodlights.

This copy on the manufacturer's web site should tell us what this is really about: " ..presence of these teenagers discourages genuine shoppers and customers’ (sic) from coming into your shop, affecting your turnover and profits. "

Links


Newsquest Oxfordshire
The Press Release from West Oxfordshire District Council
BBC Chat page with comments by teenagers subjected to one of these things in Swindon
More Mosquitos
Chipping Norton online Magazine