Dispersal order placed on Littlemoor in Weymouth (From Thisisdorset)

Dispersal order placed on Littlemoor in Weymouth

11:30am Tuesday 19th February 2013 in Latest

A DISPERSAL order has been placed over Littlemoor to help police tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

Local authorities have agreed to implement the order to give officers more power to deal with crime alongside the other measures that have been brought in recently.

It allows police to disperse groups of two or more people who are acting anti-socially, or who are likely to cause distress to other people.

The move comes after a spate of vehicle break-ins and arson attacks on cars in the area, with more than a dozen arrests in recent weeks.

Sergeant Samuel Goom, from Weymouth and Portland Safer Neighbourhood Team, said extra CCTV has also been installed in Littlemoor.

He said: “These powers will give officers additional measures to deal effectively, robustly and promptly with anti-social behaviour on the estate.

“If you are under 16 years old and misbehaving on the estate we will take you home and ensure your parent or guardian takes steps to ensure it will not happen again.

“Dorset Police has been working hard with our partner agencies to ensure crime and anti-social behaviour is effectively tackled on the Littlemoor estate.”

He added: “Additional CCTV cameras have been put in place and we recently obtained an anti-social behaviour order against an offender.

“We will not tolerate anti-social behaviour.”

Councillor Geoff Petherick, spokesman for community safety at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said the council is working with police to tackle crime in the area.

He said: “We are working hard alongside our partners to tackle the issue of anti-social behaviour in Littlemoor, and it is good to see the community unite to overcome the difficulties caused by a small minority.

“The new measures will boost the options police will have to combat anti-social behaviour and will mean issues can be dealt with swiftly by officers.

“We are delighted that street lighting was switched back on in Littlemoor and a temporary mobile CCTV camera has been erected in the area to improve safety and security.”

THE DISPERSAL ORDER DORSET Police, West Dorset District Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council agreed the use of dispersal powers under Section 30 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act to be used in the Littlemoor area of Weymouth.

Officers will be able to remove anyone behaving inappropriately away from the area.

It also allows the police to take home anyone in a public place between 9pm and 6am who is under the age of 16, behaving antisocially and they are not with a parent or other responsible person aged 18 or over.

The dispersal order will start on March 1 and will remain in force until September 1.