New Dispersal Zone in Shepherd's Bush

Police take extra powers to tackle gang intimidation

Local police are to institute a dispersal zone in the Shepherd's Bush area. This gives them extra powers to ask groups of 2 or more in the area to disperse and ask non-residents to leave the zone. They can also take any unaccompanied child under the age of 16 to their home or a place of safety.

The zone comes into affect at noon on the 23rd June and is scheduled to last until 23rd December. It runs from Wormholt Road east along Uxbridge Road to Shepherd's Bush Market Tube Station. Incorporating Ingersoll, Arminger and Ethelden Roads. The zone runs south following the tube line then west along Goldhawk Road to incorporate Woodger Road. I then continues south along tube line to Adie Road and Aldensley Road. Returning North along Brackenbury Road. Then at Goldhawk Road zone travels west to Askew Road then north incorporating Percy Road back to Uxbridge Road.

Shepherd's Bush Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams say they have been working closely with local residents and businesses. They report that many local people have been disrupted, disturbed and intimidated by groups on the streets of Shepherd's Bush.

The evidence to support the need for a dispersal zone was closely scrutinised by a panel of senior members of local authority, senior police officers and outside concerned agencies such as probation service and housing providers.

Section 32 of the anti-social behaviour act permits Police Constables (PC) and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) to disperse groups of 2 or more persons gathered on the street within the zone.
A PC or PCSO can tell people to disperse. Dispersed people who live outside the zone can be told to leave the zone immediately. The order to disperse can be for maximum of 24 hours.

In addition to this between the hours of 9pm and 6am any child under 16 years of age can be taken to their home or another place of safety if they are found within the dispersal zone and not in control of an adult.

Any person who knowingly contravenes a direction given by a police officer or a PCSO within the dispersal zone commits an offence, they are required to give their name and address.

Further offences are committed if person refuses to disperse when ordered, refuses to leave the dispersal zone when ordered, returns to dispersal zone within 24 hours or fails to provide their name and address when required to do so. The person committing any of these offences may be arrested. The above 4 offences carry a maximum penalty of 3 months in prison or a maximum fine of £2500.

June 9, 2010