Car cruisers have been warned they could be prosecuted if they attend illegal gatherings after the installation of a new CCTV camera. It comes as a public spaces protection order (PSPO) came into force on Friday, June 23, which prohibits car cruisers congregating in hotspot locations, including in the Netherfield and Colwick areas, and gives police powers to issue fines.
The high-tech camera, capable of 360-degree viewing, has been put up near the entrance to the new Sainsbury's, off the A612 Colwick Loop Road, in Colwick, thanks to funding from the Safer Streets project. It is part of the new measures which have been introduced aiming to drive down antisocial car cruising and associated criminality. Hotspots for unlicensed gatherings, which have caused road safety, noise, and antisocial behaviour concerns, have included the Colwick Industrial Estate and near Victoria Retail Park in Netherfield.
Operation Triplefin – an initiative launched in October last year - aims to prevent and reduce antisocial behaviour and criminal activity associated with the car cruises. Police said that officers continue to tackle the issue, using both marked and unmarked cars and body worn video cameras, as part of their tactics to clamp down on individuals causing problems and to keep people safe.
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Police units carried out patrols on Friday (June 23), in support of the new order’s launch, and Operation Triplefin will continue to run in affected areas to give added protection to affected residents and businesses. A mixture of neighbourhood policing, roads policing and Operation Reacher team members were involved in the patrols.
Their activity resulted in eight people facing fines for breaching the public spaces protection order and seven Section 59 warnings being issued. Section 59 warnings come with Police National Computer (PNC) markers being placed on vehicles and individuals, meaning any other like behaviour in the next 12 months can result in prosecution and vehicle seizure.
One person was also arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs and another person was reported for traffic offences. Sergeant James Carrington, who has led on Operation Triplefin, said: “We are continuing to make our presence felt, to combat the antisocial use of vehicles in affected areas, using a mixture of engagement, education, and enforcement.
“We will continue to police the operation going forward, and now the public spaces protection order is in place, which we know our partners at Gedling Borough Council have worked hard on to put into effect alongside us, we will certainly continue to get the message out that antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated, and robust action will be taken against offenders.”
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured £3 million from the Home Office’s Safer Streets fund and has been working with partners across the county to implement a range of schemes to tackle neighbourhood crime, antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls. A share of this money was specifically allocated for the Netherfield and Colwick area, with Nottinghamshire Police and Gedling Borough Council working alongside the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to implement schemes which aim to make public spaces safer for all.
Four automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras have been placed along the loop road as an added measure to prevent and reduce antisocial behaviour. Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “The impact of antisocial behaviour on residents and businesses cannot be underestimated - and will not be accepted.
“This operation is a great example of police and partner agencies working together to stand up against those who cause safety concerns and intolerable noise nuisance for local people. It is great to see the Safer Streets funding for the CCTV camera and the automatic number plate recognition cameras are helping to support this concerted effort to crack down on crime and antisocial behaviour and make lives more pleasant for people in the area.”
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke MBE, added: "This is a great start to the work to stop car cruising events in the area. The order is strict but fair to ensure we get the right people who have been making the lives of local residents so difficult recently.
"We are very pleased to be working with the police on this project and we will continue to do everything in our power to reduce antisocial behaviour in Netherfield and the surrounding areas.”
