It is all too common now to hear of individuals and groups loudly proclaiming or demanding their “rights”, but how often do we hear about the acknowledgement of their responsibilities? Yet without responsibilities rights are devalued. To paraphrase the well known quotation - “For wrong to prevail it is sufficient for responsible people to do nothing”. Such is the situation in the Penicuik area with regard to crime in all its forms from anti-social crime and “nuisance” crime through to the most serious crimes. Apathy with regard to these crimes is widespread with most people choosing to ignore the fact that the situation is as bad as it is. Standards have slipped badly over the years but standards do not just slip of their own accord, they are allowed to slip and we all carry a sombre responsibility for allowing that to happen. As such, the Penicuik and District Crime Prevention Panel puts this Responsibility Challenge to the residents of the Penicuik area, both to groups and to individuals, in the sincere hope that all will seriously review their responsibilities and work towards achieving a safer and more pleasant community.
Parents It is not overstating the case to say that parents carry the most heavy responsibility of all, for what they make of their children or allow them to be determines the quality of the community in which we live. It is therefore the responsibility of every parent to instil in their children from the earliest age a respect for adult authority, a respect for the property of others and a deep, fundamental appreciation of right and wrong. In all aspects of behaviour it is the responsibility of parents to lead by example. As the children grow older it is the responsibility of the parents to know where their children are and who they are with and to act firmly, fairly and promptly to deal with situations which give cause for concern. To offset the pressures to which children can be subjected it is the responsibility of parents to warn of the dangers of drugs and to give guidance and support to resist these pressures.
Teachers When children reach school age the time they spend with teachers can in some circumstances be more than they spend with their parents. It is obvious then that the influence of teachers is paramount to the development of children and this responsibility must not be taken lightly. It is therefore the responsibility of teachers to reinforce all the aspects of good behaviour which should be taught at home but it must never be assumed that these proper values are being taught at home! With problems of vandalism, litter and more serious crimes by children in our community teachers must not fall into the trap of assuming that those involved must be from other schools but accept that these children may be those facing them in the classroom and teachers should reassess whether they are doing enough to instil good behaviour in their pupils. As with parents, it is the responsibility of teachers to lead by example.
Police The responsibility of the police in our community is fundamental. It is regrettable that the police are very seldom seen patrolling our streets and yet that alone would give more confidence and reassurance to our residents. It is the responsibility of the police to keep administrative work to the minimum and present a visible presence in the community. It is the responsibility of the police to deal firmly with all aspects of crime and realise that there is no such thing as a victimless crime whether it be individuals or the community in general who suffer and it is necessary to accord the maximum support to the victim and not the perpetrator. The police must present the hard unvarnished facts of crime in the Penicuik area to the community and not be tempted for any reason to downgrade the seriousness of individual incidents. The police also have the responsibility to ensure that a representative always attends meetings of the Penicuik and District Crime Prevention Panel as a necessary link with the community.
Children How children behave determines the quality of our life in our community and their own quality of life in the community when they become adults. It is the responsibility of children to respect adult authority and resist peer pressure to become involved in acts of vandalism and anti-social crime. It is essential for children to resist pressures to become involved with drugs which leads inevitably to more serious crime and the further degeneration of the quality of life in the community. It is recognised that, as standards have slipped so badly, resisting such pressures can be difficult for young persons so it is vitally important that they seek support and advice from responsible adults, preferably parents, but otherwise from teachers, friends and the police. It is the responsibility of these adults to give that support and advice.
The Penicuik and District Crime Prevention Panel presents the above Challenge to the community in the profound hope that all will read it carefully in the realisation that we all have our part to play in the well being of that community and it is not acceptable to leave it to others. We trust that everyone will think hard and long about the issues involved and assess or reassess their views and commitments with regard to their responsibilities and mentally sign up to this Challenge so that with increased social responsibility we can start to rebuild the civic pride which we should all feel as members of our community.
Meetings are held in the Town Hall at dates and times given in the Town Crier.