Powys police pledge over youngsters out after 9pm
Wednesday 15th December 2010, 12:41PM GMT.
Children found hanging around town centres in Powys after 9pm over the festive season will be sent home by police whether they are causing trouble or not.
Dyfed-Powys Police said today they would run high visibility foot patrols over Christmas and new year to ensure children were both safe and not causing any anti-social behaviour.
Officers will either direct the children home, ask their parents to collect them or take them to a place of safety.
Inspector Paul Ridley, who devised the initiative, said: “This strategy is part of our commitment to ensure that all members of the community receive an appropriate duty of care.
“With the Christmas party season upon us, our towns will be getting busier with revellers, which can sometimes lead to anti-social behaviour.
“Therefore, we will be targetting children aged between 11 and 17 who are congregating in town centres and ensuring their safety.”
Newtown mayor Councillor Joy Jones said she was in favour of the scheme but believed 17 was too high an age limit.
She said: “For those under 14 or 15 I think it is a good idea to protect them and I back all the way anything which takes people who are causing problems off the street.
“There are people who are out and about causing trouble, especially at Christmas time, and I am all for taking them off the street, but many 17-year-olds are at college, with their own homes and jobs – who are they going to take them home to?
“I support anything that makes our streets safer, or protects young children, but for older teens it could cause huge embarrassment.”
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I have to congratulate Dyfed-Pows Police in this strategy.
I now live in the US where there are curfews. Which tends to vary a bit from town to town and state to state.
However anti social behaviour ie vandalism is virtually unknown.
It’s kind of sad that the police have to do the job of irresponsible parents
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