An increase in
weather temperatures unfortunately generally sees in an increase in ASB
and youth ASB around Bank Holiday weekends.
This
weekend Officers joined forces with Wealden (Uckfield) teams to work
together to prevent, and disrupt youth ASB around Uckfield and local
train stations.
Officers
started early afternoon in Lewes and made their way to Uckfield to meet
the other teams, for approx. 1330 – High visibility patrols were in
place at the stations to deter ASB offenders. Often officer presence is
enough, in this case it was not, a group of youths know to Police began
to cause issues around the train station and a dispute over fares began
to flair.
Officers
spoke to supervision who authorised a section 35 (dispersal order) this
was issued to a number of youths, who were all requested to leave the
area for 48 hours.
Section
35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 gives a
Police Constable and a Police Community Support Officer in uniform the
power to exclude a person from an area for a period of up to 48 hours
with an Inspector’s authority, by providing the police with powers to
dispense individuals in order to remove or reduce the likelihood of
members of the public becoming “harassed, alarmed or distressed” or “the
occurrence of crime or disorder” in a particular area.
Regrettably
Op Blitz was suspended early this weekend owing to an Operation in
Eastbourne in which officers were requested to attend; to take
statements, operate road blocks and implement safety measures to protect
the public.