Briefings

Briefings • Dispersal powers • PSPOs

ASB dispersal powers: The crime of being found in a public place

One of the new powers in the wide-ranging Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (which came into force on 20 October) is the power to disperse groups or individuals. These new dispersal powers are more draconian than the old dispersal powers (available section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 and section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003), in the following ways: – Areas do not have to be designated a dispersal zone in advance; a police inspector can on-the-spot designate any area a dispersal zone; – The new powers allow for the confiscation of property; – The new powers…

Briefings • Football Fans Not Criminals

Defending freedom for football supporters

On 30 October, the Manifesto Club partnered the FSF and the Battle of Ideas to host a meeting about the regulation of football fans. Here is a post by Peter Lloyd, author of the Manifesto Club’s report ‘Criminalising Football Fans – The case Against ‘Bubble Matches’, summarising some conclusions from the meeting. In the wake of the 30 October debate, we should seek: A recognition that football is overwhelmingly a force for good with generally well behaved fans, and with grounds and surrounding areas extremely safe compared to other urban environments; A change from seeing all football fans primarily as a problem…

Briefings • PSPOs

How will councils use the ASB Act?

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act went live on 20 October. A Manifesto Club report last month found that powers will be used to ban rough sleeping, ball games and ‘inappropriate dress’. Here is the latest news on how councils and police are planning to use the new powers: Poole Council has obtained an order prohibiting street drinking and begging. Norwich City Council to ban skateboarding and rollerskating in parts of the city centre. Colchester Council plans to ban ‘boy racers’ from gathering in a retail park after 6pm. Stoke on Trent Council is planning a similar measure. Bath City Council…

Briefings • PSPOs

ASB Act Guide

From 20 October, the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act will be rolled out across the UK. The Manifesto Club has grave concerns about the unprecedentedly open-ended powers contained in this law, which could be used for anything from banning rough sleeping…

Briefings • Football Fans Not Criminals

57 travel-restricting ‘bubble’ football matches

In the Manifesto Club report, Criminalising Football Fans, Peter Lloyd documented the heavy-handed use of travel restrictions for football fans, known as ‘bubble matches’. At these matches away-fans are banned from travelling by car or public transport, and can only travel by licensed coaches from specified pick-up points. This is a major inconvenience, and gross interference on the freedom of movement of the majority of law-abiding fans. In April 2012, Peter Lloyd found that there had been 48 ‘bubble’ matches. He now reports there have been seven ‘bubble’ matches since the publication of the report, and two matches are scheduled in the…

Briefings • Photo bans

A Bill of Rights for Free Photography in the City

Photographers in the City of London face constant hassle from private security guards (see a film and blogpost on this here). The Manifesto Club’s Peter Lloyd approached City authorities, asking whether they planned to do anything about these over-officious private security guards. With the help of councilman Alex Deane, the City has responded by issuing a booklet for private security guards about the regulation of photography. This booklet emphasises that security personnel ‘do not have the right to stop individuals photographing or filming in a public place’. It also states that security personnel should ‘refrain from acting in an intimidating manner’; that…

Briefings • Vetting

Manifesto Club Response to Suspension of Vetting Database

The Manifesto Club welcomes the suspension and review of the vetting and barring scheme. We have been calling for this review for the past three years: all of the many people who have been involved in our Campaign Against Vetting have done something to win this important gain. The massive vetting database – which would mean subjecting 9 million adults to constant criminal records vetting – would do little to protect children. The main result would be to further damage adult-child relations, encouraging suspicion and mistrust of anyone who offers to help out in their local football club or nursery. It would…

Briefings

Submission to Anti-CCTV strategy

The Manifesto Club has made a submission to the Anti-CCTV Strategy of www.no-cctv.org.uk. The submission, by Dolan Cummings, is below. The Manifesto Club is opposed to the use of CCTV in public places, primarily on the grounds that it induces inhibition and undermines the spirit of public space. CCTV is often justified explicitly in terms of preventing not only crime but loosely-defined ‘antisocial behaviour’. Even if successful in its own terms, which is doubtful, this is achieved by replicating the atmosphere of narrowly-defined commercial spaces, so streets and squares begin to resemble outdoor shopping malls. The effect is to limit the public’s…