New powers to tackle bad behaviour in Thame?

THE police in Thame could get new powers to help tackle anti-social behaviour in response to several incidents in the town.

Following local feedback, South Oxfordshire District Council is proposing to introduce a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which would allow police to target specific anti-social behaviour offences that occur in public areas.

The PSPO being proposed for Thame would allow police to prohibit groups of three or more from congregating, if there were concerns they were behaving anti-socially, or likely to cause alarm, distress or a nuisance in a public place.  Groups causing a problem could then face fines if they failed to disperse when requested.

It is proposed by SODC that the order would apply to people aged 18+ but at a meeting of the Community, Leisure and Recreation Committee of Thame Town Council tonight (Tuesday), some councillors said that they would be petitioning for the order to apply to people aged 13+.

The order would only target anti-social behaviour and would not prevent groups from gathering together who are doing so peacefully.

The proposed new order for Thame would also continue to give the police powers to tackle alcohol related anti-social behaviour, which they currently have under the town’s Designated Public Places Order (DPPO), in place since 2009, which this new order will replace.

Members of the public can now comment on the draft Public Spaces Protection Order: visit survey.southandvale.gov.uk/s/PSPO_Thame

Under the existing Designated Public Places Order, police can take alcohol off anyone who is behaving anti-socially in a public area – if they refuse to hand the alcohol over they can be fined.

People drinking responsibly will not be affected by the proposed order which would apply to public areas and not to licensed premises.