New Kent Youth Crime Commissioner posts offensive tweets

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/kent-youth-pcc-paris-brown-faces-calls-to-resign-over-offensive-twitter-posts-8563246.html

A 17-year-old girl who was appointed Britain’s first youth police and crime commissioner is facing calls to resign after reportedly posting a series of offensive comments on Twitter.

Paris Brown, who was appointed to the new role just last week, has responsibility for representing young people’s views on policing while working alongside Ann Barnes, Kent’s independent police and crime commissioner.

The Mail on Sunday reported that Miss Brown used her Twitter account - @vilulabelle - to post racist and anti-gay comments. According to reports she also posted comments about drug taking, her sex life and drinking. The Twitter page has since been taken down.

The newspaper quotes one tweet where the 17-year-old complains: ‘Worst part about being single is coming from a party/night out horny as f*** and having to sleep alone.’

Another, which was posted before she was appointed, says: ‘I really wanna make a batch of hash brownies.’

Elsewhere on her Twitter account she apparently referred to immigrants as 'illegals', gays as 'fags' and travellers as 'pikeys'.

The Mail on Sunday reported that Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select committee, has called for Miss Brown to be removed from the post immediately.

Nicholas Rogers, a Conservative councillor in Kent, tweeted in response to the row: "Naive to throw a teen into robust political environment. Youth PCC nice bit of PR but ended in tears."

Responding to today's reports Miss Brown said: ‘When I tweet I do often exaggerate and, to clarify, I am not racist or sexist but I’m not going to lie — I have been guilty of showing off in the past.”

Ann Barnes, Kent’s independent police and crime commissioner, defended Brown saying: “I am sure she will be ashamed of these comments but I would bet you that any parent who accessed a Twitter or Facebook account would be surprised and perhaps shocked at some of the stuff that’s on it because that’s what kids do.”

And here's the YouTube video of her response to the outrage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdGM2dkAXhY

I cannot believe the PCC is defending this, these tweets surely make Paris' position untenable. I respect that she has apologised, but if it had been an adult official (say a Minister of State or a Chief Constable) who had made tweets like these then they would have been forced to resign. You simply cannot have someone in a position like this who has made such offensive tweets, regardless of any excuses made. It annoys me that she uses her 'youth' as some sort of excuse - the comment in the video that 'fag' is part of some sort of non-homophobic youth language is nonsense.

People already have little confidence in the police and this does not help things and perhaps reveals problems with the PCC system.

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Reply 1

CEKTOP

13

Appointing a brain dead 17 year old to "represent" someone is hardly the best idea. We need harsher punishments for under 18 year olds to instil responsibility, we need life sentences with no parole for under 18 murderers and heavy sentences for violent crime, the same should be applied to adults, we need mandatory minimum custodial sentences for rape, robberies, bodily harm etc.

Make them fear the potential retribution from the state and they will start being more responsible.

Reply 2

ThatPerson

18

I don't understand her response "I have been guilty of showing off", how does posting offensive tweets count as showing off? Even some of the really immature tweets that I see aren't racist.

Reply 3

Rob da Mop

15

Why would it ever be sensible to put a 17 year old in that environment? Clearly it was all going to go wrong...

Reply 4

Jack93o

15

that chavy look :lolwut:

how did she manage to get this job in the first place? and she's getting paid £17,000??? I presume she only working part-time on this job alongside 6th form/college

Reply 5

Jack93o

15

Original post by ThatPerson

I don't understand her response "I have been guilty of showing off", how does posting offensive tweets count as showing off? Even some of the really immature tweets that I see aren't racist.

its a ruse my friend, admit a lesser offence so you can get away with something far more serious

yup, doesn't make any sense to me either

Reply 6

HumanSupremacist

12

What did she say that was "racist", because if it was her labelling of immigrants as "illegals", that's in no way racist - indeed, to call it racist is to be racist oneself (i.e. Sky News, who were the ones who seemed to imply such) - but I can't be sure that was what was being picked on as being "racist"...

Reply 7

longdayatnight

12

Original post by alice_cilae

Well I guess that's what happens when you appoint a big-haired moron? Seriously, did no one else apply for that? Because there are also semi-intelligent teenagers who exist.

Apparently she beat 160 other applicants! I never even heard of the job before today personally and I live in Kent really. Although I wouldn't have gone for the job as it involves 37 hours a week and to be honest I'd prefer to go to college/school and then university.

Reply 8

James82

17

Original post by HumanSupremacist

What did she say that was "racist", because if it was her labelling of immigrants as "illegals", that's in no way racist - indeed, to call it racist is to be racist oneself (i.e. Sky News, who were the ones who seemed to imply such) - but I can't be sure that was what was being picked on as being "racist"...

She didn't say anything that was racist, but she did say that she was a racist, even Paolo Di Canio never admitted to that.

If she and that stupid PCC woman seriously think that all teenagers do silly things like posting homophobic tweets and admit to being a racist then they seriously need to get out of their little chav estate a bit more.

Reply 9

Genocidal

19

If the PCC is a relatively meaningless post which few people care about what does that make its deputy?

Essentially, it means nothing, and until today nobody had ever heard of her. This is a nothing story designed to liven up a boring Sunday.

Reply 10

HumanSupremacist

12

Original post by James82

She didn't say anything that was racist, but she did say that she was a racist, even Paolo Di Canio never admitted to that.

If she and that stupid PCC woman seriously think that all teenagers do silly things like posting homophobic tweets and admit to being a racist then they seriously need to get out of their little chav estate a bit more.

Oh, I see - then she is very silly then.

Reply 11

HumanSupremacist

12

Original post by Genocidal

If the PCC is a relatively meaningless post which few people care about what does that make its deputy?

Essentially, it means nothing, and until today nobody had ever heard of her. This is a nothing story designed to liven up a boring Sunday.

And yet they are still paid tidy sums...

Reply 12

meenu89

19

What next; An Asian Crime Commissioner?! Stupid girl.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 13

Genocidal

19

Original post by HumanSupremacist

And yet they are still paid tidy sums...

The amount you pay someone doesn't necessarily dictate how useful they are. Just look at the Civil Service.

Reply 14

HumanSupremacist

12

Original post by Genocidal

The amount you pay someone doesn't necessarily dictate how useful they are. Just look at the Civil Service.

I never said they were useful. I just implied that no matter how useless of useful they are, they are still paid a tidy sum from the public purse.

Reply 15

datpiff

13

Original post by Rob da Mop

Why would it ever be sensible to put a 17 year old in that environment? Clearly it was all going to go wrong...

It's not right. They're having a 17 year old to be some sort of role model when she hasn't even had enough life experience yet? She probably didn't realise or was ignorant to the dangers and risks like quite a few young people are. Now she has the media on her ass watching her every move. Huge pressure to put on someone who isn't even mature yet. It isn't fair like the media and parents all disgusted and blasting Justin Bieber for smoking weed. I can guarantee a lot of these people experimented with drugs when they were young.

I don't know about you guys but when I was young I said some pretty dumb and angry **** on the Internet and in public. She's not saying anything different to what a normal, slightly ignorant teenager would make. This comment is nothing compared to the ignorance I read on TSR :lol:

Quick to beat down a young person for making some ignorant remarks but not so quick to beat down politicians when they lie, cheat, say something ignorant, etc.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 16

JoffreyBaratheon

OP

Original post by datpiff

She's not saying anything different to what a normal, slightly ignorant teenager would make.

Disagree. I don't think the average teenager posts comments as offensive as that - especially the homophobic and racist stuff.

Reply 17

Greenlaner

11

A couple of questions. What the hell is a "Youth Police and Crime Commissioner" and why has money been wasted creating this stupid, non-job?

Reply 18

datpiff

13

Not much thought has gone into this new post. It's a pretty stupid position to be honest.

I feel sorry for that lass. Things don't look good for her career, but hey, things will die down.