POLICE have been given powers to disperse crowds of youths congregating in Spondon throughout the summer school holidays.
The so-called "section 30 dispersal order" has been put in place following residents' concerns about anti-social behaviour by large groups of young people, particularly around shops in Chapelside.
Additionally, metal studs have been fixed to a wall outside AW Lymm funeral parlour, one of the spots where gangs of young people have been reported gathering, drinking alcohol and causing a nuisance.
Paul Cannon, the new section inspector for the Derby North policing area which includes Spondon, said: "The history behind this is that we have received a number of calls to service in Spondon, particularly to the shops at Chapelside and Sitwell Street so much so that tackling anti-social behaviour there has been made one of the neighbourhood board's priorities.
"We do not want to come across as Draconian and we know that young people are by and large law-abiding, good citizens who need somewhere to meet their friends and socialise but, at the same time, we and the Spondon Neighbourhood Board have to act on complaints we get from local residents and so it was decided to apply for the section 30 dispersal order."
The order can only be authorised and put in place when a senior officer of the rank of superintendent or above has examined evidence presented by police officers.
The one that has been granted covers the whole of Spondon and gives the police the power to disperse groups of "two or more in a public place where their behaviour is likely to result in members of the public to feel intimidated, harassed, abused or distressed."
It also allows officers and police community support officers to order people who do not live in Spondon to leave the area and not return for up to 24 hours.
Insp Cannon said: "I think this is not without controversy and we do not want to marginalise young people. We want to work with young people in an educational way to explain to them how certain ways they behave can be disrupting in the neighbourhood.
"It is about striking the balance between the rights of young people to meet up with their friends and making sure they are able to do that without causing problems for those who live in the area."
The move has been welcomed by some people in Spondon. Mark King, 48, who lives in Chapel Street, said: "I don't think there is a huge problem with anti-social behaviour in Spondon but I do accept how some would be intimidated by large gangs of young people hanging around, maybe drinking and making a noise."
Joan Jackson, 72, who lives off Sitwell Street, said: "I can feel intimidated when I see groups of youths hanging around, but by and large they don't seem to cause a huge problem."
