"We don't call the police here!"...right or wrong?

"Why did you call the police?"

"It was an insurance case. I had to report it ".

The youth pushed his chest against my shoulder, now clenching his fists and stiffening against my body. The group around him drew closer and I saw a boy pushing him against me from behind.

"Why did you call the police?" The words came out between his teeth.


"I told you. It was an insurance case... anyway what did you expect? What did you think would happen?
For pity sake,... man,.. you set fire to the Home's mini-bus."


"WE DON'T DO IT  THAT WAY HERE !!", he said.


He was clearly very afraid.


It all started after this young person , then nearly 18years of age and another of the same age, discovered how to make an explosive bomb. The exact formula and method I never found out, but it used chlorine, which they stole from the swimming pool stockroom and petrol which they syphoned from the facilities mini-bus.


They had done it once before. They climbed into the garage through a space above the door and below the roof of the garage to syphon petrol out of the back of the mini-bus. One stupidly lit a match to help the other and the back of the bus exploded into flames. They panicked,escaped the way they came in, the bus still alight, and ran to their child care worker for help.


The damage was extensive, bur the boys who were learning motor vehicle panel beating and spray painting said that they could repair it. I knew it was an job for professionals and that the only way for me to go was to make a report to the police, get a case number and use it for insurance purposes.


The police decided to investigate a case of arson and to find the culprits. They came to my office to get more information on the suspects.


 Why the local station sent two young inexperienced constables into the lions den i have never been able to work out, Maybe they thought that this was going to be easy.


 The boys spotted the police van in the grounds and saw the young police woman and a young constable in my office. Unseen by us, the boys rallied the whole Home.Every boy child and young person , 103 of them, formed up, lining themselves on either side of a pathway between my office and the garage.


 When the two police officers asked to see the mini-bus and the damage, we stepped out into a pathway of jeering, fist waiving shouting and derision. The police walked the gauntlet pretending it wasn't there.


The boys hated the police with a passion....  hate names... spat out with derision and venom.

By the time we came out they were dispersed.


It was lunchtime when the group came to confront me at my house.


" Why did you call the police?" Now threatening me directly.


" WE DON'T DO IT LIKE THAT HERE!!!"


" Ok, you guys,where the hell do you think you live then? ALICE IN WONDERLAND? - Come on ...this is the real world here guys..... not some fairy land of your own. - get real. Wake up! What do you expect? 
Do you think your mini-bus gets burnt out and NOTHING WILL HAPPEN? The bus has to be sorted. You have to be sorted.  - GET REAL "


One boy said to the others, "Ok guys, forget it, lets go" .... the all went back to whatever.


But the big questions, the distrust and hatred  of the police, the idea that "here" things get sorted without the criminal justice system getting involved. ......... all these issues remained on my doorstep. the issues were raised and have never really gone away.


In this instance, the public prosecutor DID allow that we handle the incident internally. And I believe that the disciplinary committee ( later known as the Consultative Committee ) did a better restorative job than the court which would have sent the two boys to "Reformatory" or "Juvenile Jail" as it then was known. 


These questions for "talk'   still need to be explored further:


When do we use the police and/or the youth justice system in professional childs and youth care work?


When do we, ethically, use our rights as private citizens when our rights are violated to go through police  procedures notwithstanding our connection to our agencies?


When do other children and young people, or parents use the criminal and justice system with our concent or over our heads of our professional judgement and our restorative proceedings. 


 Using a series of narrative styled incidents, "Barrie talks child and youth care" will explore these talk issues with you.