Camden News: Dispersal zone | anti-social behavioiur | Swiss Cottage

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Camden News - by PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 18 December 2008

Police seek to extend dispersal zone

THE authorities have denied efforts to rein in anti-social behaviour around Swiss Cottage have failed, even though they have called for the extension of extra police powers in the area.
Town Hall community safety chiefs are tonight (Thursday) expected to rubber stamp measures which will expand and prolong a dispersal zone allowing police to break up groups of people in the Swiss Cottage area and remove unaccompanied under-16s found there after 9pm.
Groups of teenagers with names including Sin City, the ASA, and the RBC gang are still using the junction of Adelaide Road and Finchley Road as a meeting point, police said.
In a hastily called consultation on the plans, which involved six residents at the Swiss Cottage community centre on Monday night, Police Sergeant Nick Parry explained why the measures were still needed.
Sgt Parry said: “We brought these measures in in the first place because we were starting to get fights, mainly Kosovan gangs and kids from Quintin Kynaston [secondary school], and it was starting to get out of hand. On the whole it has been fairly successful – we’ve dispersed 113 people, arrested five people, and we’ve issued 10 cannabis warnings.
“But [these groups] know its going to end in a few months – there’s a bit of drug-dealing starting to build up and some robberies – which is why I’ve asked to extend it.”
Dispersal orders are granted by the Town Hall under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act for six months, and the Swiss Cottage zone is due to expire in January.
Police have applied to expand the zone, which currently covers the Swiss Cottage junction and three neighbouring streets, to include Fairfax Road and South Hampstead railway station.

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