By Steven Bell

TAYSIDE’S MOST senior officer yesterday said he believes police are acting “in loco parentis” dealing with youth problems which are often fuelled by alcohol.

Chief Constable John Vine told councillors at the joint police board meeting in Dundee that looking after inebriated children might not be the best use of police time but it was necessary in an imperfect world.

“We are actually acting in loco parentis, performing the role that parents should be performing,” said Mr Vine as he presented his last annual report.

“In an ideal world it should be them asking where is my son or daughter, why are they out late, why are they smelling of drink when they get back in.”

The force said that its efforts to tackle the problem included seizing alcohol from young people and taking children involved in drinking to a place of safety.

“Some parents thank us…(but) others couldn’t give a damn and it is something which is very frustrating for our officers,” he added.

He said he believed the Scottish Government was right to focus on some of the issues concerned with misuse of alcohol, adding, “Certainly in the hands of young people it has resulted in anti-social behaviour and low level crime.”

His comments came as fresh concerns were raised about under-age drinking and related anti-social behaviour at Baxter Park in Dundee.

Police have been patrolling the popular park as a hotspot over recent weekends amid reports of groups of up to 50 youths drinking there.

It also emerged over the weekend that a boy was hospitalised after an incident in the park. Police subsequently said they had made an arrest.

An eyewitness said the alleged assault occurred on an evening when youths had been drinking in the park for around two hours.

Maryfield Councillor Liz Fordyce acknowledged that such incidents could discourage the public from using the park during the summer evenings.

“We have got a problem but not just in Baxter Park,” she said. “It is in all the parks in the city and I wouldn’t say Baxter Park was any worse.

“When people resort to violence it’s sad, particularly when alcohol is involved. We all need to work together to make sure people feel safe.”

Councillor Fordyce said she had been asking for more security for the park since she was elected to the ward almost 10 years ago.

“We had the urban rangers and we do need some form of ranger service during the day but it is also very important to have people who can keep watch at night,” she said.

“We should also look at investing in some sort of CCTV for the park. Although I know there could be problems in areas where there are trees, there are a lot of open spaces too.

“We are into the lighter nights, when people are out walking their dogs and enjoying the park and they want to feel safe while they are there.”

Police have been reporting seizures of alcohol in Baxter Park almost weekly. One weekend alone, 15 litres of cider and bottles of lager were confiscated.

Councillor Fordyce said members of the public had an important role to play in tackling the under-age drinking culture across the country.

“People are criticising the Scottish Government at the moment for trying to address this problem,” she continued. “What we are needing is for members of the public to be more vigilant.

“If they see supermarkets or shops selling alcohol to under-age kids they need to report it to the police. The police are fighting an uphill battle on so many fronts trying to keep people safe.”