In anticipation of a potential unlicensed music event on Woolwich Common this evening, authorities have authorised additional powers for police officers.
Responding to reports hinting at the possibility of such an event, the police have implemented a Section 35 Dispersal Order, encompassing the area where the event is suspected to take place.
Effective from 5 pm today (Friday, February 16) until 12 pm tomorrow (Saturday), the order aims to grant extra powers to law enforcement officials. The boundaries of the order have been delineated in a map released by Greenwich Police.
Under Section 35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime, and Policing Act 2014, uniformed police officers and designated Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are authorized to exclude individuals from the specified area for up to 48 hours.
The Section 35 dispersal power is intended to address anti-social behaviour and criminal activities involving individuals aged 10 or above. It can be invoked not only when such behaviour is ongoing or has occurred but also when there is a likelihood of it occurring.
According to the act, officers must have “reasonable grounds to suspect that a person’s behaviour in the locality has contributed to, or is likely to contribute to, members of the public in the locality being harassed, alarmed, or distressed, or the occurrence in the locality of crime or disorder.
These heightened police powers aim to proactively address and mitigate potential disturbances related to unlicensed music events in the Woolwich Common area.
A spokesperson for Greenwich Police emphasized the importance of the order, stating, “The S35 dispersal power will be used by Police Officers and designated PCSOs to deal with individuals aged 10 or over engaging in anti-social behavior or crime and disorder not only when it has occurred or is occurring, but also when it is likely to occur in the locality.
The spokesperson added that the decision to enact the order was based on intelligence suggesting the likelihood of an unlicensed music event in the area.
