Police get extra powers to deal with anti-social behaviour in Redditch (From Redditch Advertiser)

Police get extra powers to deal with anti-social behaviour in Redditch

1:40pm Monday 30th July 2012 in Local

POLICE have been given extra powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in Redditch over the summer months.

An order has been granted which allows officers to move on groups of troublemakers in the Church Hill area.

The direction - known as a dispersal order - came into effect from 6pm on Friday, July 27, and will be in place for two months.

The order was granted by the policing commander for north Worcestershire, Supt Adrian Pass, in consultation with Redditch Council.
 

Local officers can apply for a dispersal order where there are grounds to suspect that the presence or behaviour of a group of two or more people in a public place has resulted or is likely to result in members of the public being intimidated, harassed, alarmed or distressed. Failure to comply with such a request may result in an arrest.
 

It follows a noticeable increase in reports and police observations of anti-social behaviour in Church Hill over the last two months including shouting, swearing, stone throwing, climbing on roofs, fighting and drunkenness.

Local Policing Sergeant for north east Redditch, Neil Billingham, said: "The type of behaviour seen recently in Church Hill is completely unacceptable and causes heightened levels of anxiety for anyone encountering the groups of young people responsible.

"By utilising the power to disperse groups, we have the opportunity to move people on before anything more serious occurs.

"This will be particularly useful during the school holidays and any periods of fine weather when anti-social behaviour is likely to increase.

"This is the 23rd such order to be used in the north east of Redditch since 2003 and every one to date has succeeded in reducing the number of calls we receive about such behaviour and the number of actual incidents taking place."

Incidents of anti-social behaviour can be reported to West Mercia Police by calling 101. For more information, see westmercia.police.uk.