Gwent Police have again issued two dispersal orders for Caerphilly town centre and Penyrheol in a continuing fight against antisocial behaviour.
The two 48-hour orders, made under Section 35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, begin tonight, Friday October 23, and will cover the following areas:
Penyrheol – beginning at 5pm
Heol Aneurin, Penyrheol in the vicinity of Top Stores and the Fish Bar and a 400 Metre radius of this location, including all streets, alleyways and thoroughfares.
Caerphilly town centre – beginning at 7pm
Cardiff Road, Bartlett Street, White Street, Market Street, St Martin’s Road, Station Terrace (Inc. bus station) , Salop Street, Van Road, Broomfield Street, Twyn Car-park and Centre, Windsor Road, Penterbane Street, Stockland Street, Bradford Street, Ludlow Street, St Fagan’s Street, Park Lane, Crescent Road, Claude Road, King Edwards Terrace, Railway Terrace, Rhymney Terrace, Mill Road between Pontygwindy and Caenant, Morgan Jones Park, Castle Court Shopping Centre to include all adjoining and unnamed lanes, alleyways, thoroughfares and car parks and all Caerphilly Castle Grounds.
The orders give police officers and community support officers the powers to move people on out of the area if they are causing trouble. If they return they face being arrested.
Gwent Police have issued similar dispersal orders for several weeks each Friday throughout this year.
These court orders have been proved to work, not perfectly, but with great effect. Let’s hope that they continue, at least until winter weather puts a natural brake upon antisocial behaviour in the town and Penyrheol.
You know, they really might as well make these permanent!
Too true, when I was a teenager coppers felt they had the absolute right to move you on and did so with alacrity!
Ian is correct.
As you know Rich, Community Support Officers do not have the same authority without the specific orders being in place.
Yes Trefor that is right, but my point is that the nature of policing by warrant card carrying police officers has changed visibly. As an example in the late 1970’s, on every weekend, a sergeant and constable, sometimes acccompanied by a senior officer, would walk into every town centre pub.
They would have a look around, mentally note the characters known to them, get an inpression of the way the establishment was being run and finally, talk to the licensee. Police hardly ever enter a pub now and only then when called by the staff. As pubs are public areas the police have every right to enter them and once did so. When I was under 18 years of age this was a matter of great concern to me!
Quite correct, and if the police did the same today, and there is nothing stopping them doing so, crime and disorder, in the town, would not require the intervention of some order or another.
I remember that too. They didn’t patrol the pubs on a regular basis when I was an underage drinker but when they did make an appearance they made their presence known to us.
Yes, you are right, they certainly did make their presense felt, I remember making my way quickly to the gents if I saw police. They would generally not stay long and I could then resume my underage drinking.
Looking back on it I don’t think the police were all that interested in underage alcohol consumption by youngsters conducting themselves in a quiet manner. I think it was all about influencing the behaviour of adults, who were reminded the police were present in the town.
I for one appreciate the work these plastic coppers do and their presence on our streets too. It would be great if we could have a full compliment of genuine coppers but we can’t even afford proper Parkies at the moment.
Perhaps the £50 bil a year to the EU and the £13 bil a year on foreign aid and the untold £billions on ilegal wars will eventually be redirected back to us.
I for one appreciate the work these plastic coppers do and their presence on our streets too. It would be great if we could have a full compliment of genuine coppers but we can’t even afford proper Parkies at the moment.
Perhaps the £50 bil a year to the EU and the £13 bil a year on foreign aid and the untold £billions on ilegal wars will eventually be redirected back to us.
Why are court order needed? The police should move people on without these poxy dispersal orders.
The problem being, a Warrrant Card Carrying Police Officer YES, Community support Officers NO (without these orders), and the town is policed mainly by CSO`s, that`s the problem without the orders.
And they do work.
Most of this anti-social behaviour is being carried out by people under 16 where PCSOs do have the power to power to disperse groups and remove persons under 16 to their place of residence: Powers which, by virtue of an authorisation under section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, are conferred on a constable in
uniform by section 30(3) to (6) of that Act (power to disperse groups and remove persons under 16 to their place of residence).
PCSOs do not need a dispersal order to deal with problem kids. It is different for older people but using their powers properly would be a start.
You are incorrect; Community Support Officers do not have the authority to remove anyone, whatever age, from the streets, particularly under the regulations you cite,what they do have is authority to do so given to them by the particular orders this article highlights. That authority is for a specific time line ONLY. and is clear under the Act and section you mention.
CSO have no more authority to do much more than a civilian is allowed to do under Common Law. The accreditation to do so is confered on them by these orders, issued, under the regulations you cite in your comment, and then only for a spectice timeline clearly outlined in the order.
For instance, They are allowed to deal with matters under the Road Traffic act ONLY when specific Authority is issued to them by the Chief Constable, and they are then designated as Traffic Wardens, and have to be identified as such on their uniforms, in fact, they no longer issues Fixed Penalty Ticket (fines) for parking, they simply issue a `notice`, as a witness, this is what is now fixed to the offending vehicle, any decision to issue a FPN (fine penatly) is left to administrative staff in the fines office, who will issues a fines notice, they are therefore exercising no more authority than any civilian, if they are so minded.
You seem to suggest that Community Support Officers have more authority than they actualy have under legislation, having said that I probably agree with you if I read your comments correctly that they SHOULD have the authority to do all the things we expect of police officer, unfortunatly they do not have that authority, in fact, some legislation specifically denies them the right to do what the public expect of them as enforcers of the law.