Crackdown on drunken disorder

Doncaster Council is planning to introduce a Designated Public Place Order which would cover areas including Conisbrough, Old Denaby, Denaby and Clifton and enable both police officers and PCSOs to confiscate alcohol being drunk in public places.

Anyone who refuses to comply could be arrested and fined as much as 500.

It follows a rise in drink-related disorder in the area, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

According to a report due to go before Doncaster Council's cabinet committee at a meeting on Monday, between October 1, 2009, and March 11 this year police recorded 70 alcohol-related anti-social behaviour incidents in the area.

Doncaster Council also carried out a public consultation in the spring, which found that an overwhelming 89 per cent of respondents had "experienced" alcohol-related nuisance in the last year.

Of those, 80 per cent said there had been problems with litter and 74 per cent said that noise had been an issue.

All of those surveyed, the report said, supported the order being implemented.

It added: "The problem of rowdy behaviour relates to large groups of people drinking in public.

"Groups of young people are congregating in certain locations in Conisbrough and Denaby where they harass and intimidate local residents. This causes residents to avoid those locations.

"Some of the drunken behaviour escalates into property being vandalised, both homes and vehicles."

Legally, the orders can only be used in areas that have experienced alcohol-related disorder or nuisance.

It is thought that, in addition to tackling street drinking, the orders also give the message that alcohol related anti-social behaviour is unacceptable and reduce the fear of crime.

Although there is no time limit on the order, if implemented it will be reviewed in six months.

The report said: "Anti-social drinking in public places can cause disorder and nuisance and can be extremely intimidating to members of the public.

"It can also contribute to the general degradation of a public space and contribute to driving up people's fear of crime. There are also strong links between alcohol misuse and violence.

"In the Conisbrough and Denaby Neighbourhood there is evidence that much of the crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour is drink-related.

"The police inspector for the West Safer Neighbourhood Team, Inspector Ray Mountford, fully supports the need for a DPPO.

"This support is crucial, as in the main it will be South Yorkshire Police resources that will be responsible for using the powers that the DPPO brings."

The order is aimed at anti-social drinking and is not a blanket ban on alcohol outdoors.

Doncaster Council says it tried to reduce drink-related crime by sending out anti-social behaviour letters, drawing up Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs), enlisting the support of the Youth Inclusion Support Service and carrying out tenancy enforcement proceedings.

The report says: "Despite this preventative work, the evidence cited strongly indicates that further enforcement powers provided under the auspices of a DPPO are required."

If agreed by the cabinet committee on Monday, the order will need to be approved at a full council meeting on Monday, September 6.

The orders have been implemented in Doncaster centre, Stainforth, Mexborough, Kirk Sandall, Edenthorpe and Barnby Dun, Bentley, Armthorpe and Balby and Hexthorpe and Rossington.