Say NO to PSPO!

LibDems say the Public Space Protection Order PSPO consultation fiasco is a series of 'leading' questions, presented by the Cabinet as "the opportunity to suggest any other persistent anti-social behaviour that could also be tackled through a PSPO in this area."

Councillor Adrian England said: "This is Fawlty Towers meets George Orwell. DBC are putting forward proposals for an Order to cover a whole variety of behaviours, from feeding the geese to rough sleeping, behaviours which are uncompletely defined in the introduction as 'including begging, street drinking and cycling' in prohibited areas - and that's only three out of the six."

"In fact this is attempt to oversimplify management of a whole range of quite different issues - the reach of which could subsequently be further extended - using certain labels emotively and lumping public order issues together with a host of merely "undesirable" irritations!"

"Instead we should be asking why people feel that rough sleeping and begging are choices they feel they have to make in 2017 Hertfordshire. In Hemel Hempstead as in many towns of its size there is a chronic need for proper and necessary housing, support and guidance, which is an expensive and complex challenge, set to get more challenging in 2018."

STOP PRESS: The consultation on PSPOs (Public Space Protection Orders), closes this week, on 13th October.

"We urge residents of Dacorum to stand up for personal freedom and loudly reject this duplication of powers - pointless other than its hidden potential be extended. Don't allow Dacorum Cabinet untramelled discretionary powers to sweep away the uncomfortable evidence of austerity overdone".

https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/do-it-online/consultation-feedback/current-consultation

"Liberal Democrats don't think Council Officers - who will be trained to enforce the PSPOs, should be doing public order policing where significant discretion is needed. DBC Officers will still rely on the Police for planned enforcement operation support. Surely enforcement this way means that the people being targeted for many of the proscribed behaviours can simply move out of area and then move back when Officers have passed through?"

LibDems say this first Town Centre PSPO is initially "being seen to be doing something", but once established, PSPOs could be used to "privatise" public spaces across Hemel Hempstead. Once the idea of wide-ranging discretionary powers has become "benignly" established in the Town Centre, they say it will be too easy for a Cabinet of seven portfolio-holders to extrapolate these powers to larger geographic areas - and creeping into limiting new areas of behavior.

"This is literally a wild goose chase along the Water Gardens that subsequently ushers in Big Brother."

Under the powers, Council staff will be tasked to try to chase away the geese and the vagrants and the supposed n'ere-do-wells.

The local party agreed to campaign against Dacorum Borough Council adoption of these misconceived, poorly-defined, unnecessary and UNCHECKED powers.