Dispersal Zones Set to Curb Youth Disorder
Bexley Police and the Council have acted to put two new 'dispersal zones'
into effect from Monday 5 June, to combat anti-social behaviour in Bexleyheath
town centre and Welling.
Police have used their powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 to
designate the zones. This allows police to disperse groups of two or more people
in the zones and, after 9pm, to take home under 16-year-olds if they are causing
intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress to local residents and businesses.
The two dispersal zones focus on the areas surrounding the Broadway in Bexleyheath
and Bellegrove Road and the High Street in Welling. They will be in force for
six months starting from 12:00 midday on Monday 5 June until 11:59am on Tuesday
5 December.
"We are taking this tough action because we are determined that the streets
of Bexley will be safe for people of every age group," says Cllr
Ian Clement,
the Leader of Bexley Council. "We'll be working closely with the police
and monitoring the way the zones are enforced to ensure they are effective in
dealing with the problem.
"Anti-social behaviour of this kind is a major concern to our residents
and we will use all the powers available to us to deal with it."
The Bexleyheath zone will begin from the Broadway at the junction with Lion
Road, going east as far as Erith Road. This includes The Megabowl, Bexleyheath
Cemetery, the Broadway Shopping Centre, the Cineworld Cinema and areas immediately
surrounding the shopping centre.
The Welling 'dispersal zone' will begin at the borough boundary in Bellegrove
Road just before the Anchor & Hope Public House and Welling High Street as
far as the junction with Roseacre Road. Within the boundaries are the area of
Shoulder of Mutton Green, Welling Railway Station and the side roads off it.
The Police and Council are issuing the dispersal notices as a result of an increase
in persistent anti-social behaviour in both areas. This includes disturbances,
criminal damage, under-age consumption of alcohol and groups of young people
causing harassment, alarm and distress to local residents and businesses.
Bexley Police Superintendent Martin Bagg says: "By having these powers
it is hoped that police will be able to improve the quality of life of local
people living and working in these areas. We need to be clear that a 'dispersal
zone' is not a curfew. It does not create any 'no go' areas. Residents and visitors
can continue to go about their everyday business and leisure. The zones simply
create a stronger power for the police."
When individuals are behaving in a threatening manner, or their presence as
a group is in itself intimidating, police officers will have the power to move
them on. If they don't go, they can face arrest.
"The notices are a preventative power designed to tackle a regrettable
increase in anti-social behaviour in a borough which is otherwise one of the
safest parts of London, explains Superintendent Bagg.
The Dispersal Zones are only one strand of a wider strategy to combat anti-social
behaviour in the borough, which includes:
- Continually gathering intelligence so that acceptable behaviour contracts,
anti-social behaviour orders and other means of intervention can be used to deal
with troublesome individuals.
- Home visits and use of a parental letters scheme.
- Safer Neighbourhood Teams targeting areas of anti-social behaviour on their
wards and extra resources being deployed to provide immediate response and support
to officers on the street and calls from the public.
- Constantly acting on CCTV to identify suspects involved in incidents. This
has recently resulted in custodial sentences being handed down by the courts
following one incident of violent disorder, along with 15 arrests in connection
with an investigation into a separate incident.
- Safer Schools Officers working with schools to give advice and guidance
on personal safety and acceptable standards of behaviour.
- Initiatives such as 'Met-Track', which engage secondary school children
in athletics and work to break down barriers between some young people and the
police.
