Police in Sittingbourne have been given new powers to try and stop constant anti-social behaviour in the high street.
Finn Macdiarmid has been speaking to businesses in Sittingbourne.
Finn Macdiarmid has been speaking to businesses in Sittingbourne.
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00:00Verbal harassment, loitering, and in some cases property damage.
00:04These are all things that sitting-born residents say they see in their high street every day
00:08from groups of young people.
00:10So this weekend, Kent police are placing a dispersal order covering all open spaces,
00:15alleyways and footpaths around the high street, retail park, train station and recreation
00:19ground.
00:20This will give police extra powers to force people engaging in anti-social behaviour to
00:24leave the area and not to return for a certain time.
00:27While some businesses believe the order might help change things, others aren't so optimistic.
00:31The people that are causing all the problems are youngsters anyway that the police can't
00:37do anything about.
00:38So, no, I don't think it will have any effect.
00:41It's a real pain.
00:43You see the kids coming up and down the high street, stealing from the food shops, ripping
00:48off the foam off of the scaffolding and generally being a nuisance.
00:55Back in the day it would never have happened.
00:57Proper policing, proper parenting and the kids wouldn't behave the way they do.
01:02I've been speaking to businesses across the high street all day today and there's certainly
01:06been a range of opinions.
01:08Some believe that the problem is actually being blown out of proportion and it's just
01:11kids being a nuisance more than anything.
01:13But others have reported direct damage to their properties such as smashed windows or
01:18produce being kicked over.
01:19The high street is also under a public spaces protection order for drinking alcohol in public.
01:24But similarly, locals say that it isn't enforced, leading them to doubt the dispersal
01:28order's effectiveness.
01:30It's necessary, unfortunately, but it won't have a lot of impact because they don't take
01:35any notice.
01:36In fact, it could bring a few more in just to be devilish.
01:42I think it would.
01:43I think with them getting scared of the police, I think then things should work for the best.
01:51I think it's a very good idea.
01:53If the police could really crack down on it, it's bad round here.
01:59According to Kent Police, the areas in this dispersal order are already being regularly
02:02patrolled every day of the week.
02:04Anyone causing a nuisance and instructed to move on can be arrested if they return to
02:08the area.
02:09Whilst dispersal orders are only a temporary measure, I'd like to reassure residents there
02:13is a great deal of other work ongoing to tackle anti-social behaviour in Sittingbourne.
02:17This includes officers working closely with youth organisations and schools and we also
02:21visit the homes of young offenders to issue warning notices and encourage parents to
02:25take a proactive role in supporting the police.
02:27Despite the frequent anti-social behaviour, some locals still spoke of their love for
02:31the town, its history and its people, and hoped that the police's order might make
02:36the town centre safer.
02:37Finn McDermid for KMTV in Sittingbourne.