North Wales Police and Conwy County Borough Council have used their powers to rid an area of anti-social behaviour.
From 6am 11th March 2010 North Wales Police and Conwy County Council will operate a dispersal order in a bid to prevent large numbers of youths congregating in streets in Llandudno Junction as well as in the Maelgwyn car park area, the Memorial Hall on Penrhos Avenue and the Multi-use games area.
The scheme is aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour, and will run until 6am on 11th September 2010.
Chief Supt Simon Humphreys and Phil Rafferty, Conwy County Borough Council, has authorized for Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers to disperse groups found to be behaving in an anti-social manner.
Members of the public claim they have been intimidated, harassed , alarmed or distressed as a result of the presence and behaviour of groups of people who have been gathering and drinking alcohol in the areas around the train station, near the supermarkets and under the fly-overs.
Over recent months officers have been tackling the problem by visiting the areas and seizing the alcohol.
Rhian Owen, Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator for Conwy Community Safety Partnership and PC Linda Jones, Anti Social Behaviour Officer explained that the anti-social behaviour is significant and a persistent problem in the locality.
Conwy Community Safety Partnership’s Substance Misuse Outreach Workers will be requested to visit the areas known to be frequented by young people drinking alcohol.
PC Robert Jones, of the Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “This legislation is a very effective tool and will be applied with zero tolerance. Our intention is to make the town of Llandudno Junction a safer place to live, work and visit’’.
He added: “It’s clear that there are a number of people who have a total disregard for the town and its residents. The police, local residents and local business people have all said that we have had enough. Collectively we are determined to rid the town of this problem.”
Many locals are concerned that the new powers will simply move the problem, but officers will extend their patrols to monitor areas outside the designated area and will be equally robust in dealing with anti-social behaviour outside the area as we are within them.”
Officers may give one or more of the following directions:
1. Require people in the group to disperse immediately or within a specified time limit.
2. Require those people who do not live within the designated locality to leave it immediately.
3. Give a direction prohibiting any of those people who do not live within the designated locality from returning to it or any part of it for a period of time not exceeding 24 hours.
