Dispersal Order for Devonport

A dispersal order designed to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in Devonport will come into effect this month.

The order was requested by the police and signed this week as a delegated decision by the Council's Cabinet Member for Cooperatives and Community Development, Councillor Chris Penberthy.

The order will be in place round the clock from 13 June 2014 to 12 December 2014 and will cover an area bounded by:

Starting at Tamar Street, heading west along Ferry Road, turning north at the junction with Park Avenue to junction with Albert Road.

Encompassing the University Technology College Campus, turning west along Milne Place at the edge of Devonport Park, heading south along Exmouth Road and Kings Road.

Heading west along Devonport Hill, Cumberland Road, into George Street, heading west along Duke Street turning right at the junction with Mildren Way, turning left into Wall Street, turning left at junction of Granby Way into Albany Street, the boundary then incorporating Cornwall Street and Cannon Street, heading north including Queen Street.

Then heading north up New Passage Hill turning west into Ferry Road and back up to Tamar Street completing the boundary.

Previous dispersal orders for a similar area have been highly effective in helping police disperse potential troublemakers before their anti social behaviour had a chance to escalate into more serious crimes. The last one was for the period October 2011 to April 2012.

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Cooperatives and Community Development, said: "As a Co-operative Council we want to give people a bigger say about what happens in their local communities. In Devonport both the Council and Police have received numerous requests from local residents for us to improve the handling of anti-social behaviour in the area. Granting this Dispersal Order and combining its powers with other measures in place will help the community and partner agencies prevent crime and anti-social behaviour so that Devonport is a safer place."

The dispersal order will be used as part of a package of measures already in place to combat crime and anti-social behaviour in the area which include a range of multi-agency work to engage with problematic street drinkers to offer them access to health and other support agencies, the use of a 'shop-watch' system, and joint-agency street patrols.

A dispersal order means that a police officer can instruct people to leave the area if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the presence or behaviour of two or more people in a public place has resulted – or is likely to result – in members of the public being intimidated, harassed, alarmed or distressed.