Two new dispersal zones are being introduced in areas of Medway, following complaints from residents about anti social behaviour.
The 24 hour dispersal zones, in the Liberty Park and Twydall Green areas of Medway will come into effect on 1 June until 31 August 2012, to help tackle anti social behaviour by dispersing groups of known trouble makers.
Medway Council has joined forces with Kent Police to introduce the orders, which will give Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Medway Council Enforcement Officers the authority to disperse groups of two or more people and tell those who do not live in the area to leave and not return for up to 24 hours.
Anyone who refuses or breaches the notice can be arrested. It is punishable on conviction of a custodial sentence of up to three months and/or a fine of up to £2,500.
The dispersal notice is a temporary measure until 31 August 2012 and will cover a number of designated roads within the two areas.
The Liberty Park notice includes Weymouth Road, Sword Grove, Juno Way, Omaha Place, Gold Drive, Glimmer Way, Utah Rise and the green space adjacent to Utah Rise.
The Twydall Green dispersal zone will include the whole of Twydall Green, including the rear access roads on the library and post office side up to the boundary of the rear gardens in the Leeds square. The rear access road on the Spar/ Co Op side up to the boundary of the rear gardens in Goudhurst Road, Sandhurst Close and Waltham Road. It will also cover Benenden Manor and the whole of Harbledown Manor.
The decision to introduce the notices comes as a response to engagement with residents in the areas and an increase in reports of anti social behaviour.
The Community Safety Partnership, which includes the council, police and ward PCSOs have already been tackling anti social behaviour in the two areas by increasing their presence and carrying out house visits to those who have been identified as acting in an anti social way around the area.
They have also been dispersing groups acting in an anti social way, but until now, have had no legal authority to do so.
Cllr Mike O’Brien, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer Contact and Chair of the Community Safety Partnership, said: “These dispersal zones have been introduced after taking the concerns and needs of our residents into serious consideration.
“By giving officers the power to disperse groups that may be causing a problem, we want to be able to help reduce community tensions and show residents that we are responding to their needs.
“The Community Safety Partnership will not allow the actions of a minority to blight the lives of the law abiding majority and I am confident this step will help us to improve the quality of life for residents in these areas.”
Rachel Adams, Medway Police Commander and Vice Chair of the Community Safety Partnership: “The Dispersal Orders form part of a number of enforcement tactics being used by Medway Police to tackle Anti Social Behaviour in these identified areas.”
“The local Neighbourhood Teams are attending all incidents of Anti Social Behaviour and take responsibility for looking at options and solutions for long term problem solving within their local communities, in conjunction with our colleagues from Medway Council. We will deal robustly with the minority of individuals who persist in disrupting the lives of people within their community and where appropriate, prosecute them for relevant offences.”
Dispersal notice posters highlighting the designated area along with timescales will be placed in the two areas.
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23/05/2012 at 11:40
BigDel
About time too, we moved out of our old house in the hope that we would get away from idiots like these. My wife and I held down four jobs between us to get the money together to buy our house and every evening all we can hear is kids shouting and swearing outside. If we had known at the time we were going to work our butts off for three years to pay for this house and then be subjected to this evey night for days on end with little break from it, we wouldn’t have bothered. We certainly would not have made the mistake of coming to Medway, never mind there is a buyer on the horizon and we will be off within a few weeks.
25/05/2012 at 23:46
Anonymous
We are planning to buy a new property in liberty park , glimmer way. Is it really that bad ? I was told by the builder that this issue has been resolved. Is it true. Is this anti social behaviour still ongoing?
27/05/2012 at 08:31
Anonymous
As these schemes run between the 1st June and the end of August, I would ask your builder again if he is sure that the problem has been resolved.
28/05/2012 at 09:40
Liberty Park Dispersal Order « problemswithcrestlibertypark
[…] There has been a dispersal order put in place for the whole development due to the steady rate of anti-social issues still occurring: https://peninsulatimes.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/two-new-dispersal-zones-for-areas-in-medway/ […]
28/05/2012 at 11:04
Anonymous
Again more trouble over the weekend spread over two nights. Rumour has it that the young people concerned are now bringing their friends from other parts of town to join in.
It may be that the police officer that was so rude to the poor little children will be proven to be the only one to have the measure of the situation.
Had I paid £260,000 or more for a house down there Crest would be hearing from me on a daily basis. May be we need to rethink this affordable housing thing, if this carries on the houses will all be affordable.
As long as the housing association and the builder along with the police contain it where it is, we don’t want these vermin infecting the rest of the area