Mobile Police Stations to Detain Anti Social Yobs

3.49.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 30th Jul 2003

Police on the Beat

At the Police Community Consultative Group yesterday evening the District Commander, Chief Superintendent Gargini, announced that the police will adopt a new tactic in dealing with local anti-social elements involved in late night drinking and disturbances - as on Richmond riverside or Whitton High Street: they will be locked up for up to six hours in cells in mobile police stations.

The initiative was welcomed and Vincent Cable, MP, praised the police for both giving higher priority to ward level beat policing - which will be reinforced by 7 new PC's and 16 new community support officers - and for the tougher, more proactive, approach to anti social behaviour: "serious crime is not a major issue in our borough but residents are both perplexed and angry at the apparent inability of the police to get on top of vandalism and loutish behaviour mainly on a Friday and Saturday night."

"This new initiative shows a willingness to be flexible, to make better use of police resources and to send a signal to yobs that they will be locked up and deprived of their freedom if they cause a serious nuisance".