Trent Lodge is a rural borough with around 7,000 residents. Nationally the area is among the 5% of least deprived neighbourhoods with only 1% of the working age population being unemployed. The area suffers from high rates of youth disorder and crime.
Each month there are around 70 reported antisocial incidents and crimes. Both male and female offenders are involved, aged between about 12 and 18. The local ones are from relatively well-off families in the London commuter belt. There is also a less wealthy set of 'migrant' offenders who come from further afield including a nearby big city. Crime data involves recorded crime (mainly criminal damage, shoplifting, commercial burglary) and nuisance incidents (mainly juvenile nuisance, minor public disorder and noise nuisance). People are reluctant to report such kinds of antisocial behaviour, partly because they feel that the police is not doing anything to tackle the disorder issues; so the crimes recorded only represent a fraction of the picture.
Events would often occur when groups of youths up to 50 strong would congregate around one particular flowerbed at the local shopping centre, drinking alcohol which makes them progressively noisy and disorderly, eventually leading in some cases to violence (particularly where local groups of youths interact with others from outside the area). Criminal damage is perpetrated on any street items that get in their way. Youths target one specific shop, as it has a broken door, which is repeatedly kicked in so they could steal alcohol and food. There is evidence of significant use of recreational drugs by a few youths.
All these events have a negative impact on the community's quality of life. The problem is not so much that particular people are being victimised, more that the young people are persistently acting in a disorderly way for the entire weekend. The public's perception of safety is severely diminished and they feel intimidated. Customers are deterred from visiting the shops, as they see the large numbers of intoxicated and loud youths gathering on the flowerbed as a threat.
There is no evidence so far that the antisocial behaviour specifically leads individuals to a criminal career, or to the development of a criminal subculture. However, the presence of youths themselves in large numbers attracts the attention of drug dealers.