Latest news with #antisocialbehaviour
BBC News
9 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Crawley boy, 16, arrested after two teens stabbed in Brighton
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after two 18-year-old men were stabbed in East Sussex, police 21:55 BST on Friday, officers in Hove Lawns were made aware of the two injured men who were taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be teenage boy from Crawley was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent and remained in custody, police incident happened on a day where police had increased their patrols in Brighton city centre due to concerns about potential youth disorder. At about 19:30 BST on Friday, police were also called to the lower promenade, near Shelter Hall, to reports of a large group of youths dispersed the group, but a 16-year-old boy from Brighton was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and remained in custody, police Insp Vicky Dias said: "Last night's incidents show how quickly anti-social behaviour can escalate into violence, with potentially tragic consequences."We and our partners will continue to work hard to address any issues as early as possible, but I would also appeal to parents to be aware of their children's behaviour and whereabouts to help keep them safe from harm."She said there would be an increased police presence in the city centre across the weekend.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
The drug crime chaos on Sadiq Khan's doorstep
'You can actually see people dealing drugs, they don't even hide it,' Mohammad Zahir says, nodding towards an alleyway on his street in Tooting. 'They come in expensive cars, I don't think they are scared of the police.' Sure enough, a black BMW prowls around the corner, music blaring before dropping off a passenger who disappears down the backstreet. Moments later, he saunters back and is whisked away with the sun still high in the south London sky. 'It is common on this street,' says Mr Zahir, an NHS mental health worker, adding: 'You can hear them from the window, sometimes they become violent. We would like to see more done.' The 32-year-old is among those sounding the alarm over rampant drug dealing and antisocial behaviour on Sir Sadiq Khan 's own doorstep, at a time when the Labour Mayor of London is calling for a relaxation of the laws around cannabis possession. The mayor, who grew up on the Henry Prince Estate and still lives in the borough, said this week that possessing small quantities of the drug should be decriminalised. His calls have since been stubbed out by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, who said the Government had no plans to change its policy. Sir Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, was also quick to note that the police was not 'calling for' a change to the law as drug use is considered one of the main drivers of crime, violence and antisocial behaviour. David Sidwick, Dorset's police and crime commissioner, went a step further in demanding that cannabis, currently a class B drug, be upgraded so that it commands sentences on par with crack cocaine and heroin. Tooting residents have blamed cannabis for criminality and antisocial behaviour plaguing the area. The latest figures from March 2025 show a 11.4 per cent annual increase in crimes in Tooting – the 10th biggest increase of all 67 London constituencies. In March alone on Mr Zahir's Undine Street, one road back from the bustling Tooting Broadway area, drug offences surged along with antisocial behaviour, violence and sexual offences. Another Undine resident Hayden, 29, is not surprised by the increase. 'That makes sense,' he says. 'I have noticed more people on drugs.' Down the road on Tooting High Street, Jafar Khan fears legalising cannabis possession could tip the scales in his battle against the drug-fuelled criminality aimed at his mango stall. 'There is a lot of shoplifting. They then sell it to buy drugs,' the 29-year-old says, adding: 'By letting them do it, it will only increase. 'If they allow it, it will fire everything up. It should be banned completely.' The mango seller, who commutes from Croydon, has lost faith in the authorities. 'No one shows up for us here. In Croydon, the crime rate is high but the police are there. Not here,' he says, before taking aim at the mayor. 'He is focusing on reducing traffic and congestion zones but not this. It is not safe. He is focusing on how to make London look good but the crime is getting worse.' Sir Sadiq has come under fire for ploughing resources into waging a fully-fledged war on motorists with his flagship Ultra Low Emission Zone policy while underinvesting in front-line officers despite crime reaching levels not seen for a decade. Chaudhry Babar, a rival mango seller operating solo from the back of a van, is fed up of being robbed. 'If I leave for one minute, someone will take my mobile or if I have not locked the cash register,' he says. Mango season is four to five months long, he explains, and thefts are on a monthly basis. 'I am robbed four or five times a season.' He adds: 'It is people smoking doing this, people whose work is only to rob.' In the more affluent area of Furzedown, where Sir Sadiq lives, residents are concerned that legalising cannabis would embolden users to smoke in public more. Tina Ena said parks such as the Furzedown Rec, home to a popular children's playground, would be better off without second-hand smoke. 'Don't expose other people who don't want to be involved,' the 69-year-old says. Sir Sadiq backed decriminalisation after his independent London drug commission, led by Lord Falconer, the former Labour justice secretary, recommended that the possession of small amounts of natural cannabis should no longer be a criminal offence. The report said that stop and searches were disproportionately targeting ethnic minority groups and in particular London's black communities despite them being 'no more likely to be found carrying the drug'. In 2023-24, some 26 per cent of stop and search procedures conducted on suspicion of drugs involving a white person in London led to police finding drugs. This figure rose to 28 per cent for a black person and 34 per cent for a mixed race person. The Met conducted 76,068 stop and searches last year, almost double the next highest total of 38,879 by Merseyside Police, yet would no longer be able to deploy stop and search solely on the suspicion of cannabis possession under the report's recommendations. Some in Tooting believe that legalising cannabis possession would ease the burden on police, after the Met Commissioner warned years of underfunding and a population boom had left Scotland Yard ill-equipped to deal with rising crime. The number of officers in London has fallen from 402 per 100,000 of the population to 362 over the past 15 years, according to Telegraph analysis of data. At the Wheatsheaf pub in Tooting Bec, Oliver Francis says he would welcome legalisation as it would free up police 'time and resources'. The 55-year-old social worker says: 'Most people's cannabis use is no one else's concern. Police have far more important things to be getting on with.' Gesturing to his pint of lager, he added: 'Alcohol is a lot more dangerous than cannabis.' Michelle Scantlebury, a Jamaican food seller on the outskirts of Tooting Market, said Sir Keir Starmer should take a leaf out of Jamaica's book when it comes to cannabis. 'In some countries they have legalised it. It would be helpful,' the 52-year-old said. While smoking cannabis in public remains illegal in Jamaica, possession of up to 57g of cannabis has been reduced to a petty offence incurring a fine of J$500 (£2.33) and no criminal record. More than 20 countries have now decriminalised or legalised recreational use of cannabis, including Canada, Mexico and Germany. A spokesman for the Met said the force was 'aware of concerns raised by the local Tooting community about drug dealing and antisocial behaviour' and tackling criminality remains a 'key priority for officers'. He added: 'Officers are also working closely with the local council, as well as with shops and businesses that we know are targeted the most by criminals.' A spokesman for Sir Sadiq said that under his new Police and Crime Plan, officers would be visible on the streets and working with communities 'on the issues that matter to them, tackling shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and drug dealing'. He added: 'Nothing is more important to the mayor than keeping Londoners safe.' A French pensioner in Tooting Bec, who wished to remain anonymous, was more laissez faire about legalisation. 'Almost everybody I know has smoked dope. If it is legalised, people might go on to stronger things,' she said. 'But it smells better than those terrible vapes.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Kent Police chief constable to face questions on romance scams
Antisocial behaviour and romance fraud will be among the topics discussed when Kent's chief constable answers questions on BBC Radio Constable Tim Smith will appear in the hot seat on Thursday, answering presenter Dominic King's questions on his programme live from 10:00 Kent Police boss will also answer questions on pay and working conditions in the will be his fourth time in the hot seat. Appearing on the programme in January, Mr Smith said Kent Police had asked the government for funding to help with the "huge costs" of enforcing the ban on XL bully has worked for Kent Police for 31 years and started as chief constable in chief constable reports to the police and crime commissioner and is responsible for Kent Police's direction and managing its budget.
Times
3 days ago
- General
- Times
E-scooters could be crushed within 48 hours if used antisocially
Police will get the power to crush e-scooters, mopeds, off-road bikes and cars within hours in an effort to improve issues surrounding antisocial behaviour, mobile phone theft and drug dealing. Officers will no longer be required to give an offender a warning before seizing a vehicle that has been involved in antisocial behaviour. They will then be able to destroy the vehicle after 48 hours under powers to be granted by the Home Office. Currently, forces must wait 14 days before destroying vehicles used in antisocial behaviour but police believe that this period is too long as it allows offenders to reclaim their vehicles and does not provide a sufficiently strong deterrent. Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, announced plans to change the law to bring this window forward to just 48 hours after growing anger at the antisocial use of e-bikes and off-road bikes that was blighting communities across the country. A consultation on the plans has started before ministers bring forward legislation.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
West Northamptonshire Council could ban car cruising
Car cruising is set to be banned across West Northamptonshire over rising concerns about anti-social Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) would allow the council and Northamptonshire Police to take more effective action against nuisance car Northamptonshire Council said events had been taking place on the county's roads for several years, while police said they created a "significant demand" on resources due to worried residents calling largest event to date included more over 160 cars and several hundred spectators in March 2024, police said. Locations regularly used for meets include the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal, the A45 off junction 16 of the M1, the Sixfields roundabout in Northampton and the A43 Moulton bypass, according to the Local Democracy Reporting to the council, features of car cruising include driving at excessive speed, revving engines, driving in a convoy, racing, performing stunts and causing obstruction on a public are powers used by councils and their partners to tackle anti-social behaviour in a defined public order would apply to all land within the West Northamptonshire could be found in breach if they participate in any car cruising activity as a passenger or driver, or congregate to spectate at such an to comply carries a maximum £1,000 fine if convicted by a magistrates' may also issue a £100 fixed penalty notice to anyone they have reasonable cause to believe has breached the council's new Reform UK cabinet will meet for the first time on 3 June to discuss the proposed PSPO approved, the order will be made for a maximum period of three years with the opportunity to extend. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
