Congratulations on the success of the 'dispersal zone' at Worksop's Prospect shopping precinct.
The efforts of the police are to be commended, and I feel certain that the local residents have enjoyed the peace, quiet and security afforded to them by the presence of uniformed police officers and PCSOs.
However, to simply disperse the individ
uals from the area does not solve the problem, and whilst the actions of officers would appear to have dealt with the issue, the problem of anti-social behaviour has simply been moved to the doorsteps of other persons equally deserving of peace and quiet.
Namely those on Chatsworth Road, Kedleston Road, Prospect Drive and the surrounding areas.
These idiots are simply being moved from one area to another, and are using Kedleston Road as a ‘walk through’ from the Prospect estate, causing mayhem as they go.
With these facts in mind, given the issues have been seemingly dealt with, how many of these individuals have been issued with fixed penalty notices, arrested for public order offences, or even put before court and fined?
I suspect none at all, and unless Inspector Hamilton is able to furnish the public with these figures, then ‘None’ will be a safe assumption.
On Friday 18th April, a gang of youths rampaged down Kedleston Road, smashing bottles and causing criminal damage to walls.
Will it require action from residents on Kedleston Road to deal with these individuals, or can we collectively count on the support of Inspector Hamilton and his officers to take ownership of this particular aspect of the problem?
On Saturday 25th April, similar events occurred to that of the previous week. The trail of carnage spread as far as Raymoth Lane, with smashed bottles on the road, and discarded lager cans on the floor.
Was anything reported? Probably not. These instances appear to have become the ‘norm’. Can it be assumed that Notts Police have the same attitude? And if so, do they really represent value for money?
The residents of the local area have displayed a certain apathy to the situation, preferring to simply draw their curtains.
Can anyone be blamed, given the lack of police presence? Due to this, I am certain that the police systems will show very few, if any, instances of anti-social behaviour in these areas. However, it is happening and needs to be dealt with robustly.
Simon Pocklington
(address supplied)
The full article contains 407 words and appears in Worksop Guardian newspaper.
