Police will have powers to disperse groups of two or more

Following a spate of anti-social behaviour problems by groups of people street drinking and using drugs in the Acton town centre area, local police officers are getting extra powers to move on trouble makers.

The Acton Central  Neighbourhood Team in conjunction with Ealing Council have set up a dispersal zone in Acton town Centre, Acton.

Police officers and PCSOs will have the power to disperse groups of two or more in a specified area if there has been harassment, alarm or distress caused to local residents and businesses or where there is a belief that such harassment may result from their presence in the area.

The new powers will be in place from 26th April 2011 until 18th October 2011

Under the dispersal order, a police constable or PCSO may tell people in a group to leave the area, or instruct people who don't live in the area to leave.

In either case they have powers to bar them from the area for up to 24 hours. They can also tell people who don't live in the area not to return.

The powers to disperse groups also apply to residents within the dispersal zone. They must leave any public places within the  zone when required to do so.


Sergeant Pullen from the Acton Central safer neighbourhoods said “These particular areas of Acton have suffered from various levels of anti-social behaviour from street drinkers and drug users. Police have increased patrols, made arrests and supported various community initiatives in an effort to divert people from anti-social behaviour. This order will increase the powers of the police and community support officers that regularly patrol the area and effectively enable them to disperse the groups that are known to regularly engage in this type of behaviour Ealing

20 April 2011