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APPLICATION FOR DISPERSAL ORDER
DETAILS OF THE DISPERSAL ORDER REQUIRED
(relevant locality, exercisable period of order)
The dispersal order will commence on 19th October 2011 and will last for a period of
6 months, concluding on 18th April 2012.
The Dispersal Order relates to a series of streets clustered to the north end of the
Mansfield Town centre adjacent to Rosemary Street and the Rosemary centre.
Alphabetically the streets in the proposed dispersal zone are;
BYRON STREET
CHAUCER STREET
DAVEY ROAD
GOLDSMITH STREET
LAYTON AVENUE
MILTON STREET
NOEL STREET
QUAKER WAY
ROSEMARY STREET
STANTON PLACE
ST JOHNS STREET
STOCKWELL GATE
UNION STREET
WALKDEN STREET
WOOD STREET
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REASONABLE GROUNDS
show reasonable grounds for believing –
a) that any members of the public have been intimidated, harassed,
alarmed or distressed as a result of the presence or behaviour of
groups of two or more persons in public places in any locality in the
specified relevant locality
AND
b) the anti-social behaviour is a significant and persistent problem in the
relevant locality
a)
During the period of six calendar months from 21/04/2009 to 23/09/2009
there were 192 incidents relating to anti social behaviour within the
dispersal zone. During the period from 21/10/2010 to 24/03/2011 whilst
the dispersal order was in place there were 95 incidents relating to anti
social behaviour within the dispersal zone showing a significant decrease.
In the six-month period leading up to the initial introduction of the
dispersal order there were 353 incidents relating to anti social behaviour.
Between 20/04/2011 and 18/09/2011 there has been an increase of anti
social behaviour incident with 158 reported. However it should be noted
that 72 of these incidents relate to one specific individual. Beat Team
intervention will be ongoing in order to deal with these issues. It should
also be noted that there have only been 27 incidents of anti social
behaviour in and around the Bus Station/Rosemary Centre area and there
has been a significant improvement in this area. When the original
application for a dispersal order was submitted the problems of anti social
behaviour related to mainly to the drug abusers that were congregating
with the area. Police intelligence and feedback from the local community
and retailers suggests that this problem has been reduced significantly as
a direct result of the introduction of the dispersal order.
As well as anti social behaviour the categories of crime being reported
within the dispersal zone include assaults, criminal damage, arson,
robbery, burglary, possession of weapons, and theft from vehicles. There
still remains a large number of calls related to persons using or suspected
of dealing in controlled drugs.
Rowdy nuisance remains problematical in the area although as previously
stated the introduction of the dispersal zone has reduced the number of
calls relating to large groups of young people congregating, causing
noise, drinking alcohol, using and selling drugs, discarding their needles
indiscriminately, fighting amongst themselves, being abusive and
threatening to the local residents and other users of the area such as
shoppers and business persons.
There have previously been reports of criminal damage to private and
business premises, graffiti, climbing on roofs.
Persons still use the area for car cruises, speeding.
As well as members of the public and local residents complaining about
ASB and criminality, the calls are corroborated by professionals in the
area such as the Mansfield Town centre cctv operators, the town centre
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wardens, police officers, business premises staff.
Prior to introduction of the dispersal order the business community
reported a downturn in shopping activity due to people feeling harassed
and intimidated by persons hanging around the Rosemary Centre to use
and purchase drugs. Drug users can obtain methadone heroin substitute
at the local chemist, which encourages persons to hang about. Surveys
conducted with the business community confirm an improvement in
business and a better working environment, which they attribute to the
dispersal order being in place.
b)
For several years Mansfield South Local Area Command has seen the
area around and the streets adjacent to the Rosemary Centre become the
focal point for many of the local drug users and dealers. This is not
expected to change significantly as a result of the presence of a
pharmacy within the Rosemary Centre. The pattern has been for local
users to wait in the area until they have purchased their drugs. Thereafter
they will disappear to administer the drugs to themselves before returning
later in the day when the process will repeat itself. The trend is to ring
different dealers on their mobile phones until one is found that has a
quantity of the controlled drugs. The users will generally meet the dealer
in the vicinity of the Rosemary Centre. Users hanging around the
Rosemary Centre have created what can only be described as a hostile
environment for people working and shopping in this area. Again there
has been a noticeable improvement in this area with less drug related
crime being reported by the public and businesses or identified by police.
The problem does still remain however.
Although the majority of the town centre drug dealing centred around
Rosemary Centre itself intelligence gathered during police operations
such as ACID DROP/GEORGIAN and AL TAIC have identified that a
significant number of dealers live in the lower Ladybrook area such as
Layton Avenue/Layton Burrows and surrounding streets listed above and
will walk into the town centre when orders have been placed with them by
users who congregate around Rosemary Centre.
Operation Al Taic has used disruptive tactics to reduce supply and
purchase of drugs involving high visibility and covert patrols.
14 ASBOS have been obtained against problematic town centre drug
users and persons involved in anti social behaviour over the last 30
months, they are all barred from most of this proposed dispersal zone
already. The problems persist with other users and dealers.
Working with the town centre partner’s drugs users have been banned
from using town centre shops and facilities that they have abused.
Together with the measures already in place it is believed that a renewal
of the Dispersal Order under section 30 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act
2003 would continue to assist in the disruption of the local drug users and
the ASB that they cause. The proposed dispersal zone also covers the
extensive ASB problems faced by local residents who live in the adjacent
streets to the Rosemary Street Centre and is intended to reduce this
nuisance. The dispersal zone will also help to move the problem further a
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field diluting the harassment and intimidation suffered by persons in this
tight area.
The Dispersal Order has been seen as a short-term measure and steps
will continue to be taken by the police to identify problematic individuals
and long-term measures such as ASBO’s which are being obtained
against these persons.
A running log has been kept in relation to the policing of the dispersal
zone, however, officers attending have not regularly updated this and it is
therefore difficult to report on the exact numbers of individuals dealt with.
What it does show is that over four hundred and twenty people have been
dispersed from the area during the 30 months period the order has been
in existence. Five arrests have been made in relation to individuals
involved in ASB refusing to leave the area. Of these three subsequently
pleaded guilty at court and received community orders and parenting
orders, one received a reprimand and the other is on Police bail but will
be charged with the offence of failing to disperse on his return. The fact
that only five arrests have been made during an eighteen month period
shows that almost 100% of individuals who it was believed would have
been involved in ASB have complied with a direction to leave, thereby
reducing the number of ASB incidents.
Total crime in Mansfield town centre has been reduced since the
introduction of the dispersal zone, which covers part of the town centre,
and ASB incidents in particular in the town have also shown a significant
reduction.
DETAILS AND EVIDENCE OF ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
(details of calls to police, local authority, statements taken, arrests, crime statistics
etc.)
Available to support this application are copies of the incidents recorded by
Nottinghamshire Police since the 1st September 2009 that relate to calls for
service from members of the public and the local business community, who
have expressed their concerns about the numbers of persons who gather in
the locality acting in a criminal and anti social manner and in order to solicit
controlled drugs from their drug dealers.
The messages clearly indicate that person’s feel harassed alarmed and
distressed by the anti social behaviour of these persons and have been
assaulted by persons in the proposed dispersal zone.
There are regular reports of theft from business premises (see Iceland
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attached) and instances of violence spilling into business premises.
Letters from (available) indicating their concerns.
Associated Corporation Limited who administer and run the Rosemary
Centre.
Mansfield Town Centre Business Partnership.
Local Businesses.
ANALYSIS OF PROBLEM
(Frequency, persons involved, apparent reasons for anti-social behaviour etc)
See narrative in the reasonable grounds section B as above.
DETAIL INTERVENTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE
(Warning notices, ABCs, Youth Team involvement and intervention, School visits,
etc)
See narrative in the reasonable grounds section B as above. Plus;
The DAAT is in increasing treatment capacity for drug users.
The Beacon Project drop in provides support for around 30 homeless drug users and
alcoholics every day in Mansfield town centre. This has been successful in engaging
clients into treatment.
Launch of MDC ASB hotline to enable incidents of low level ASB to be reported.
MD Council Wardens are tasked by police central control to respond to low level
incidents
Graffiti removal included as part of wardens’ restorative justice programme for young
Offenders.
Youth Service has developed youth diversionary schemes for Friday and Saturday
nights which are tasked due to ASB hotspots.
Multi agency ‘Weekends of Action’ in Mansfield town centre over Easter and August
Bank holidays.
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WHY IS THE ORDER NECESSARY AND WHAT DOES IT SEEK TO ACHIEVE
Numerous operations have been conducted by the police targeting
dealers of Class A drugs. Operations such as ACID DROP/AL TAIC and
GEORGIAN have resulted in over a hundred dealers being arrested and
convicted. However although successful the supply to users has been
reduced, resulting in users hanging around and waiting for their drugs for
longer periods of time which resulted in an increase in the complaints
made by local people.
Adjacent streets have suffered a plague of ASB activity that regular
policing has failed to resolve. Moving persons away from this close area
has and will continue to give local persons respite from the persistent
harassment faced while police seek long-term solutions.
DOES THE ORDER PURSUE A LEGITIMATE AIM
Yes to reduce crime and disorder in a high crime area.
Community consultation, prior to the initial dispersal order being authorised, via the
Place Survey indicated that 51% of persons surveyed in Ladybrook said that the level
of crime was in their top 5 issues that needs most improving, the worst perception of
any ward in Mansfield District.
12% of those surveyed stated that they felt unsafe during the daytime, the second
worst ward in the district.
58% of persons stated that they did not feel safe after dark, again the second worst
ward in the district.
63% complained that teenagers hanging around on the street was an issue of major
concern.
54% were worried about graffiti and damage/vandalism.
68% were significantly worried about drug dealing again the second worst ward in the
district.
49% were concerned about people being drunk or rowdy in public places again the
second worst ward in the district.
The joint partnership strategic assessment and the Local Area Agreement have
priorities to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
NI 17 – target to improve the perceptions of anti-social behaviour.
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ARE THE ACTIONS PROPORTIONATE TO WHAT IT SEEKS TO ACHIEVE
Yes, only persons acting in a criminal or anti social manner will be asked to leave the
area. Persons will be offered diversionary options and signposted to any treatment
they may need.
OTHER COMMENTS
DATE OF APPLICATION
……19th September 2011………………………
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AUTHORISATION NOTICE
Dispersal Order Section 30-36 Anti Social Behaviour Act 2004
Relevant Officer
(Name and Rank)
………………………………………………
I authorise a Dispersal Order under Section 30 Anti Social Behaviour Act 2004
believing that the following requirements have been satisfied –
REASONABLE GROUNDS
SPECIFY RELEVANT LOCALITY
SPECIFY PERIOD OF ORDER
Signed
……………….
Date Of Order
……………….
Expiry date
……………….
Review Date………………………………..
Withdrawal date……………………………
LOCAL AUTHORITY CONSENT
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Dispersal Order Section 30-36 Anti Social Behaviour Act 2004
1. Is a written and signed authorisation by the relevant officer
attached?
2. Is relevant locality identified?
3. Have the reasonable grounds on which authorisation granted
been satisfied by the relevant officer?
4. Is the exercisable period for the order specified?
5. Is the evidence of previous interventions prior to authorisation
detailed?
6.
Does the Order pursue a legitimate aim?
7.
Is this proportional to what it seeks to achieve?
I hereby give the consent of the Local Authority of the relevant locality
Signed
……………………………………………………
Position held
…………………………………………………….
Date
…………………………