Published: Tuesday, 12th May, 2009 9:00am

Backlash over dispersal order

by James Kell

Comments (0) | Print | Email

POLICE have defended the use of a dispersal order in Earley despite a 'backlash" from local youths.

Police arrested six youngsters over the weekend for breaching The Maiden Place order, including a 12-year-old boy from Lower Earley, for failing to disperse and various other public order offences.

They have been bailed to appear at youth court in June and police chiefs say more arrests are to come as their inquiries continue this week.

Insp PJ Binns said: 'It would appear that there is a small minority that are showing their feeling on dispersal by causing additional damage, and our inquiries are ongoing.'

The Maiden Place order, which gives police powers to move on groups of youths suspected of anti-social behaviour, was introduced last month and runs until October.

Insp Binns said: 'From my point of view it was an interim measure while we got longer term measures in place. We don"t just disperse groups that are there, it"s only if they are looking to cause anti-social behaviour.

'Initially they will be asked to go to the youth shelter, and if there are reports of anti-social behaviour they will be asked to disperse.'

Insp Binns said that a programme of events planned for youngsters in Earley over the summer, coupled with work from youth charity JAC, would help ease tensions.

Borough and town councillor for the ward affected, Matt Deegan, said: 'Kids at that age are territorial, so it"s not a surprise it"s often the same crowd. The moment you start treating them like criminals, is it any wonder there"s going to be a backlash?'

He said it was wrong that the order covers the Events Field off Kilnsea Drive and youth shelter there.

He said: 'They don"t want them in the shops and the precinct, but surely should be encouraging them to use the public open space and the shelter, that"s why Earley Town Council spent the money on it. There"s just been a complete lack of understanding as to what could make this effective.'

He said he was not opposed to the dispersal order in principle, but that more thought should have been put into its implementation and that police should have consulted him and fellow ward councillors first.

Earley town council leader Chris Edmunds said there should be close monitoring of the Mosquito device at Maiden Place, at Rajmoni Indian restaurant. The device, installed earlier this year by police, emits a piercing buzzing sound which only under-25s can hear. It can be activated by the shopkeepers when teens congregate, but cannot distinguish between those causing trouble and younger children doing nothing wrong.

For more stories and your full round up of what's happening in Reading you can purchase the e-edition of the Reading Chronicle click here.