Gamesley Dispersal Order

As mentioned earlier the Gamesley and Charlesworth Safer Neighbourhood Team  have now confirmed that a new dispersal order has been obtained covering the whole of the Gamesley Estate.


The dispersal order will cover the same area as the one we had in 2007 - details here - and will take effect from Monday 11th January and runs for six months, and although in a sense it is partly aimed at young people causing anti social behaviour the order applies to anyone of any age in the area who is in a group of 2 or more causing a nuisance.


The period of the order will also see a range of 'diversionary' activities running including OzBox sessions, Gamesblast sessions and weekly football coaching amongst others.


Further details are available in the Police press release which for ease of use is copied below :

Dispersal order to target nuisance behaviour in Gamesley

Police have been granted a dispersal order to target nuisance and anti-social behaviour in Gamesley.

The order, part of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, was applied for by the Gamesley and Charlesworth Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team, after a rise in reports of anti-social behaviour in the area from residents, local councillors and High Peak Community Housing.

It gives officers and PCSOs the power to break up groups of two or more people they believe could cause trouble and order them to leave a designated area for 24 hours.

Youngsters under the age of 16 can also be taken home by officers as part of the order.

PC Paula Doyle of the Gamesley and Charlesworth Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "We have been speaking to residents and working with the Gamesley Residents Association, local councillors and Neighbourhood Watch, who have all expressed concerns about nuisance behaviour.

"The dispersal order will allow us to actively target and remove potential troublemakers from the area quickly and effectively. We take the views and concerns of local residents and community representatives seriously and anti-social behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated."

A selection of diversionary activities are being put on for youngsters by a number of organisations including High Peak Community Safety Partnership, Derbyshire Youth Service and the police while the dispersal order is in place.

There will be twice weekly boxing sessions at Gamesley Community Centre, OzBox sessions, Gamesblast sessions and weekly football coaching among others.

It is hoped that youngsters will make use of these activities as an alternative to gathering on the streets and reduce reports of nuisance behaviour.

The dispersal order covers the Gamesley area, within the boundaries of Glossop Road, A57 Dinting Vale, Melandra Road, and the track which runs past Melandra Castle Farm, up to Melandra Castle Road.

It comes into force on Monday, January 11 2010 and runs for six months.

Anyone breaching the dispersal order faces up to three months in prison or a £2,500 fine.

For more information or to contact the Gamesley and Charlesworth Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team call 0345 123 33 33 or email glossop.neighbourhoods@derbyshire.pnn.police.uk.

Youngsters can also find activities taking place in the area by visiting Derbyshire County Council's TooDoo website, which features a database of activities in the area, and further details.

Beatsweep – ‘On patrol’

On Friday night as part of the recent Beatsweep that Derbyshire Police has been running within the Gamesley and Charlesworth Safer Neighbourhood Team Area as part of their operation relentless, local councillor’s and MP Tom Levitt, joined the police on a walkabout with a difference to see some of the challenges they face around in particular anti social behaviour.

The motley group consisted of myself, Cllr Bob Mckeown, Cllr Chris Webster, Hannah Cocker the council’s anti social behaviour officer, along with MP Tom Levitt, Sgt Barry Doyle, PC Julian Gallagher and PCSO Lee Willows

We started off with a tour around Gamesley which I was pleased to see was extremely quiet in terms of very few people hanging about anywhere on the Friday evening. We then travelled up to Manor Park, where the Derbyshire County Youth Services had had an event on with an aim to tackle some of the potential anti social behaviour by providing alternative activities.

By the time we arrived at the event it was drawing to a close, but from the folk remaining it seemed to have been a successful event with around 200 youths from across Glossopdale in attendance, a number of us were concerned with the choice of venue for this event, as Manor Park was more or less pitch black as there is very little lighting in the park, and whilst the activity involved glow bands and fluorescent football etc and just from a health and safety point of view given the numbers involved it did seem that other venues in the Glossop area or possible looking at closing off a car park for the evening may be better than in the dark park.

However that said the event appeared to have been very successful, but following the event it seemed very difficult to get many of the those attending the event to then leave the park, and the noise within the park must be quite a concern for local residents around the park area.

Following on from that we viewed various other areas within Old Glossop, and saw how the Police work with local traders to try and tackle young people getting alcohol, we then returned to Manor Park and saw firsthand the difficulties that the police were having in trying to disperse some of the groups still left in attendance, and the number of them many aged just between 13 – 16 that were already intoxicated and showing very little willingness to observe the police requests to leave the area.

By around 9.00pm many of the youths had left many park, but were still within the area and the police took further steps including using a torch like tool that could identify if any of the young people stopped had had a drink or if they had bottles / cans of coke, could check the bottle or can for any added alcohol, and following on from one of these check a young girl was identified from just outside of the Glossopdale area, very intoxicated and with little clue of how she was getting home, eventually requiring the Police to take her home, taking up Police time unnecessarily.

We returned to the town centre, and the Police were able to make use of a valuable tool they have in dealing with anti social behaviour and that is to issue a ‘section 27’ notice which required a person that has been identified by officers as a potential trouble causer to leave the area for a certain amount of time or face arrest if they return to or remain in the area.

Now the section 27 notice whilst useful couldn’t help with some of the issues in dealing with groups of youth’s causing problems as it is only useable on people over 16, and whilst it might not sound ‘nice’ to consider using this type of measure on young people, when dealing with some of the groups of youths that were in the town centre drunk at 9.30 and beyond at night, it could help to tackle some of the issues before they have to look at arresting and taking more stringent action if the rowdy behaviour become more.

All in all an interesting evening that help to clarify some of the difficulties that the Police can experience when trying to deal with issues around anti social behaviour, it also helped fax in my mind how bad on occasions it can be people for people living around places like Manor Park, along with the importance of supporting any efforts to put on ‘diversionary’ activities to try and stop these concerns becoming problems.

Firefighters under attack

Shocking news on the website of the Glossop Advertiser with the news that a group of 'yobs' attacked local firefighters by hurling bricks at them whilst they tackled a blaze believed to have been started by the same group.

Police are urgently appealing for information on the incident, which took place around 7.30pm on Sunday in the Cottage Lane area of the estate.

There are no circumstances under which this type of behaviour can be deemed acceptable and if you have any information on the identity of these yobs please contact the Police either by phone on 0845 123 333 or via the HPCH / Police office on Winster Mews or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Gamesley safer neighbourhood team

Friday 4th May saw a meeting of the Gamesley and Charlesworth safer neighbourhood team.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend due to been at the local elections count.

However a number of local residents were and they received updates from the local beat team on a number of issue's including the lend a cam scheme, dispersal order, keep your school safe scheme, along with the good news about there now been 21 neighbourhood watches on the estate.

The meeting also discussed a number of forthcoming events, details of which will be appearing soon here.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 2nd August at 2pm at the Community Centre and if you would like to get involved I'm sure you would be welcome.

Vandalism at St Margaret’s

Last night, vandals attacked St Margaret’s school causing, a large amount of damage by breaking two large windows in the staff room along with two in classrooms.

In addition to the broken windows the vandals have also caused very severe damage to a garden area and fountain that had been put together by staff and students. Garden arches and benches have also been smashed and broken.

Aside from the cost and expense that this has caused, it will also have caused considerable upset to many of the children at the school (past and present) who have worked on and used the now heavily damaged garden.

If you know who has done this please let the Police know. The Police can be contacted via the Gamesley Housing Office, or by phone on 0845 123 3333 or if you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Dispersal Order

Gamesley’s dispersal order started on Friday, and I suppose you could say with the snowy weather it got off to a good start !

From reports from the police the earlier police surgery where local’s could get details of the ‘order’ wasn’t well attended with no local’s in attendance.

If you need additional information or require the Police to action the order, please contact our beat team care of the of Glossop Police Station on 0845 123 3333 or visit the mobile police station, that is on the estate every Tuesday at Winster Mews Car Park.

Gamesley Dispersal Order

Police officers in Gamesley, in partnership with the Council, are introducing a Dispersal Order as an additional measure aimed at tackling anti social behaviour.

Unlike the previous order, which just covered the shops at Winster Mews, the new Dispersal Order will cover the whole of the estate including the Bowling Green, Community Centre and Football Club.

The order, which is due to start on Friday 9th February, will run until Wednesday 8th August, and provides police with the powers to disperse groups of two or more people (of any age) hanging around on the streets.

Also between the hours of 9pm and 6am, youngsters under sixteen, who are suspected of engaging in criminal activity, or judged not to be under the effective control of a parent or responsible adult can be escorted home if they are found out after 9pm. Those who defy the Dispersal Order could find themselves serving a maximum jail term of three months, plus paying a maximum find of £2,500.

The aim of the dispersal order is to prevent people feeling intimidated or harassed by gangs who are causing a nuisance within the estate. However it is important to note that the Dispersal Order will only be used against youths and groups of people who are involved in, or are likely to be involved in, anti-social behaviour, as determined by the Police, it won’t just be used to disperse groups who are causing no harm, so young people will still be able to play out without fear of been stopped by the police.

A copy of the dispersal order notice is available by clicking here. Additional details are also available from Glossop Police Station on 0845 123 3333 or from a special Police Surgery which is taking place on Friday 9th February from 3.00pm until 5.00pm.

Anti Social Behaviour

Yesterday I attended a ‘multi agency’ meeting, which had been organised by the Police, to look into what additional measurers could be taken to tackle some of the continuing problem around anti social behaviour on the estate.

The reason I say, ‘additional’ measurers is because although it appears at times that little is been done to tackle this problem. The various ‘agencies’ working on the estate are actually working hard to tackle the problems, through joint working such as the joint police and housing visit’s, to the homes of those causing the troubles, to behaviour contacts, and a whole host of other measurers all aimed at reducing the problem.

The meeting yesterday, was looking at what can be done next, to try to tackle those few that have been identified as been at the heart of the most recent incidents, with some of the solutions been looked at including ASBO’s, dispersal orders and reviewing some of the existing arrangements in place.

One note of concern from the meeting was the appearance (perhaps mistaken) that not all the representatives of the various agencies present, favoured going down the road of more ‘harsh’ measurers such as ASBO’s. This was despite the details been provided that to some of those causing the trouble, the more lenient measurers are not having the desired effect and solving the problems.

The meeting also considered another part of the problem in looking at what other activities were available, and some forthcoming idea’s such as the ‘fairplay’ scheme, a football based activity that is currently running elsewhere in the East Midlands and reducing incidents of anti social behaviour. An idea was also floated to look at getting round the idea that only bad behaviour gets rewarded, with consideration been given to a Young People’s Achievement Award.

More details on much of the above will appear soon, with update as and when available.