COUNCIL officers are to get powers to deal with anti-social behaviour in Doncaster.
A new scheme will see powers shared with police, which will mean officers can seize alcohol from children, and hand out on-the-spot fines to people who throw fireworks.
The new arrangement is being introduced after residents raising concerns over anti-social behaviour called for public services to work more closely together to tackle issues that affect people’s quality of life.
Doncaster Council is the first local authority in South Yorkshire to use the new powers, allowing officers in its Neighbourhood Response Team to remove alcohol from people in areas covered by a Designated Public Places Order, to remove alcohol from under 18s anywhere in the borough, and to issue fines for throwing fireworks.
Mayor Peter Davies said: “This scheme means there are more uniformed people on the street who have the authority to act quickly and appropriately to local issues.
“The Neighbourhood Response Team has already built up a reputation for providing timely and effective responses to concerns about anti-social behaviour, and sharing these powers provides them with an even greater ability to resolve issues around street drinking and firework nuisance.”
Chf Insp Gwyn Thomas said: “The Neighbourhood Response Team attends several hundred incidents each month, conducts high-visibility patrols and supports operational policing.
“The team has really shown the advantages of working in partnership for the benefit of the community.
“These new powers can only enhance the performance of the team by ensuring we have the right people out on the streets, in the right areas, with the right powers to help take action to address community concerns.”
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