PCSO Liam Palmer, of your local Vale police team, answers your questions.
Q: What is being done about the anti-social use of vehicles in our area?
The Vale Beat Team has received a number of complaints of vehicle related anti-social behaviour (ASB) in car parks and on roads, bridal ways and footpaths, including areas that are protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). As a result of these complaints I wanted to inform you of a piece of legislation that gives us, as police, powers to directly tackle these issues. That power is Section 59 of the Police Reform Act of 2002.
The Act was introduced to deal with vehicles that were being used on roads to cause alarm, distress or annoyance, or where it was deemed that the driver was acting carelessly or inconsiderately. This covers things like revving engines in a car park, playing loud music in the street or performing handbrake turns. In this piece of legislation the ‘road’ also covers any highway that the public have access to, footpaths and bridal ways as well as grass verges.
The Act gives power to any constable or PCSO, who deems a vehicle to be driven in such a way as set out above, to seize the vehicle and report the driver for the offence. The driver will be issued information about how they can reclaim the vehicle, along with fees such as recovery and storage costs which are paid prior to release. Any unclaimed vehicle will be scrapped. Seizure is a second stage to the legislation, with a warning given to the driver and the vehicle registered on the Police National Computer being the initial requirement of police. The warning remains for 12 months and covers use of the same vehicle by another driver, or the driver’s use of a second vehicle. If stopped for a second time in the 12 month period the vehicle will be seized and driver reported. The 12 month warning also covers police for immediate and direct seizure should further offences be committed.
Over the coming months we will be using this legislation to tackle the anti-social use of vehicles within the area, so please make sure that you report any incidents of this nature to us by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency. Further information is also available on the Leicestershire Police website at www.leics.police.uk and on Facebook (Melton Police) or Twitter (@MeltonPolice).
If you have any questions or queries you would like to speak to an officer about, these can be raised at Beat Surgeries across the Vale. Details of these Surgeries can be found on the Leicestershire Police or alternatively you can email me at liam.palmer@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk or call 101 and when prompted ask to leave a voicemail for 6016.
Remember, concerns that we don’t know of – we can’t act on.