Yahoo News Nuneaton police explain why town centre dispersal order was put into place - and warn to expect more
Nuneaton's police chief has explained why a dispersal order was put into place in the town centre. Yesterday (Sunday, June 16), a dispersal order was thrown within the ring road and also Riversley Park, meaning groups of two or more people - including youths - could be told to leave and not return for 48 hours.
It is a rarely used police power locally but one that Chief Inspector Kris Shore, the borough's area commander, told CoventryLive was used as part of ongoing efforts to make the town centre 'feel safer' and boost public reassurance.
Last week he pledged to use new 'tactics' to help boost confidence following the tragic death of Tom Ellis, the 25-year-old who died in hospital after being stabbed in Queens Road.
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While no serious incidents took place yesterday, he said there was a reported issue with gangs of youths in Riversley Park and also reported anti-social behaviour at the top end of Queens Road. He explained that to prevent any trouble escalating, especially in the run up to the England's game versus Serbia in the Euros, the order was brought into force.
It meant that police officers could tell groups of two or more people to leave the 'dispersal zone' and ban them from returning for 48 hours - or risk being arrested. CI Shore explained that the order was not enforced on any individual.
But he explained that dispersal orders as well as other police powers will continue to be used as they aim to get a firm grip on issues and fears about the safety of the town centre. He admits that there is still a long way to go but he added that more officers have been deployed to the town centre and this will continue.
"Last week I made promise to work with our partners and local authority to put measures into place that will re-assure the Nuneaton community that the town centre is still a safe place to visit and work in.
"This includes a number of reactive and pre-emptive options at our disposal. Yesterday afternoon (Sunday, June 16 ) we had reports of small pockets of anti-social behaviour in Riversely park, Nuneaton town centre and the surrounding areas, we took the decision to put a dispersal order in place to stop any further disruption or escalation in this behaviour which was successful. The order remained in place to cover the Serbia versus England Football match and to ensure that everyone visiting the bars and restaurants in the town centre enjoyed their evening out and went home safe."
He added: "There has been, and will continue to be, an enhanced police presence within Nuneaton town centre, whilst a further uplift in officers have been brought in to cover the Euro’s football tournament."
CI Shore is aware of some of the backlash amid the police response to safety concerns and claims by some that the police action is 'too little too late' but the Nuneaton resident said he is determined to ensure that
But he said that the community has a huge role to play, particularly when it comes to reporting issues. "If you see any of our officers, please take the time to engage with them, they do want to hear what you have to say about the community," he said.
"There have been a lot of comments on social media recently about policing in the area. While we always welcome feedback, speaking to officers directly allows them to let you know what we are doing locally to address concerns."
