Police getting tough on Gloucester's anti-social yobs
YOBS who cause anti-social behaviour will be booted out of town thanks to a tough new police order.
A dispersal order has been introduced in the Barton Street area of Gloucester to tackle unruly behaviour.
The new measure, which will run until April 2013, will allow police officers to force groups of two or more people to leave the area for up to 24 hours.
It comes after Napier Street play area has been plagued by drink-fuelled bad behaviour.
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The order covers the area within the boundaries of Metz Way, Derby Road, Barton Street and Trier Way.
Inspector Neil Smith said: "This is a really effective tool to ensure the extremely small minority, who diminish the quality of life of others, have to leave and receive a strong punishment if they ignore the order."
Meanwhile, the wheels are in motion for an anti-social behaviour van which will be packed with people trained to tackle hotspots in the city.
The initiative is being run by Project Solace, a team led by Gloucester City Homes and is made-up of two officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary and an anti-social behaviour officer from Gloucester City Council.
The van will go on regular patrols around the city, starting with Halloween events and Bonfire Night shindigs.
Inspector Steve Wood said: "They'll be ready to respond to incidents and deal with them there and then."
He added that the pilot scheme could be made permanent if successful.
Barry Leach, of the Gloucester City Centre Community Partnership, said: "Having a presence like this and being able to mobilise them to key areas is a great idea."
Comments
by Walker100
Monday, October 15 2012, 5:57PM
“I entirely agree with you gloscityguy. There are more than enough laws in place, such as sect 5 of the Public Order Act 1986
http://tinyurl.com/cpqz2of
This is certainly sufficiently vague as to allow arrest and/or dispersal of offenders.
I also agree with Matt1006 that on the whole we have the greatest police force in the world who need our support.
It is the CPS that decide on what charges are brought in any particular matter, as in the Samuel Evans case. Why was he charged with simple "assault" that forced a Judge to hand down a ludicrously light sentence when he could have been charged with GBH under Sect 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act which carries a maximum life sentence.”
by FreeRadical1
Monday, October 15 2012, 4:54PM
“The police are not getting tough on criminals of any type. I've been hearing this nonsense for years. Neither are the courts getting tough - see story about the ludicrous sentence for Samuel Evans. Nuff said.”
by gloscityguy
Monday, October 15 2012, 4:06PM
“I find laws like this quite disturbing,
If people have committed crimes then they can be dealt with,
Is there any need to criminalise being in a group of two or more? I see this new measure being used on innocent members of the public (most likely youths) who live in that area.
''The new measure will allow police officers to force groups of two or more people to leave the area for up to 24 hours.''
Does that not sound a bit vague?
Do they need to have broken the law first?
or can it just be any group of two or more that the police decide?
If they are breaking laws by drinking in public or causing trouble etc then they should be arrested, If they are just a group of friends hanging out then the law shouldn't be able to force to move them on, in the same way I wouldn't think it fair if I was banned from an area without committing any crime”
by Matt1006
Monday, October 15 2012, 2:26PM
“It's all well & good the police getting tough on them, but it needs the courts to do so as well, so that the police don't keep having to deal with the same problems caused by the same people.
The police do a great job, often getting a lot of abuse - and worse - in return, but they must get VERY frustrated when they keep seeing the same faces in their custody reception area (or just in the normal trouble spots around & about), only to see them let out / off by the courts.
And these new dispersal orders for certain areas - might persuade some idiots to disperse and go home, but others might just move on in their group to another location not covered by the dispersal orders, and carry on making a nuisance of themselves there instead.
The system is broken, and the trouble-making morons know it. It's the police who have to deal with it day in day out, whilst the CPS / courts system keep letting them and the obedient majority down with pathetic "sentences", assuming they even get as far as a courtroom.”
by SELINA30
Monday, October 15 2012, 1:51PM
“Is the Tory Council planning to close Barton Street Police station?”
by SidGlawsder
Monday, October 15 2012, 7:29AM
“Why don't they just put all these yobs on an uninhabited island (there are some in the Channel) far from the rest of the law abiding population and where they can be as anti-social as much as they like.”