CHIEF Constable Della Cannings has hit out at "prejudiced" residents who brand all young people as troublemakers ("Kids are all right", October 4).

Who are these people? I haven't met any. Most people I speak to agree that the vast majority of youngsters are conscientious and law abiding.

The only criticism of young people I hear about is the minority of boys and girls who go around in gangs and commit crime, thinking they are above the law.

This is because they know that the youth criminal justice system does not confront their behaviour.

Custodial sentences even for violent crimes are bafflingly rare. The same gangs go out night after night affecting a large number of people over a wide area. It's not surprising that sometimes the public perception is that there are large numbers of young people causing trouble.

If the youth courts allowed these persistent offenders to be named, the public would be able to see clearly that it is only the few and not the many who are to blame for the rise in antisocial and criminal behaviour.

These are not spirited young people involved in high jinx but thieving, violent young thugs who will one day grow into adult thugs if their activities are not checked. The authorities need to formulate and implement effective measures to keep these troublemakers off the streets.

I agree with Della Cannings when she suggests that we should be making parents more accountable. If the parents are not prepared or are incapable of controlling their offspring, then the courts must take on that task in the wider public interest.

Douglas Unwin,

Kingswood Grove,

Acomb,

York.

Updated: 09:30 Tuesday, October 12, 2004