nAnti-social behaviour co-ordinator Brentwood Borough Council Tracey Lilley, Brentwood district commander Chief Insp Keith Dobson, Chair of CSP Councillor Dudley Payne, Neighbourhood and Partnership Supt Adrian Coombs and Kelvedon Neighbourhood constable PC Wayne Bloomfield.
A SIXTH dispersal order has been issued in the Brentwood area to give police more powers to deal with unruly groups causing a nuisance.
The new dispersal order will cover the area of Kelvedon Hatch and was signed today (Friday) by Supt Adrian Coombs and Alison Crowe, executive director of customer services at Brentwood Borough Council, in order to alleviate issues of unruly groups moving into the area.
Five dispersal zones already exist covering the areas of central Brentwood, the Three Arch Bridge area, a section of Rayleigh Road, Hutton, Pilgrims Hatch and Doddinghurst.
Each of the zones are covered by a dispersal order which gives police powers to issue groups of two or more people with a warning to leave the area for 24-hours. If they return before that time, they can be arrested under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act.
The orders also give police the power to take home children under the age of 16 if they are out past 9pm and causing or likely to cause a nuisance.
The Kelvedon Hatch dispersal order will run from Sunday August 1 until January 31 next year.
Ch Insp Keith Dobson said: “There has been 34 per cent less victims of crime under the age of 19 compared to last year. We believe dispersal orders have assisted us in removing young people who might become a potential victim of crime. We have also seen an 18 per cent reduction in criminal damage and a seven per cent reduction in reports of anti-social behaviour.
“These orders will only affect people who cause misery and disorder for others. My officers will deal positively with any offenders. We want to ensure that people, who live nearby or wish to visit Brentwood, can do so peacefully.”
Alison Crowe said: “I am very pleased to be signing the dispersal order. Brentwood has a very low crime rate and is a very pleasant area to live in. This partnership initiative is about dealing with local residents concerns.
“The dispersal order gives the police another tool to effectively deal with any concerns there and then; addressing any incidents of anti-social behaviour and nip it in the bud before it has a chance to escalate.”