INCIDENTS of antisocial behaviour in Barnsley Interchange and the town centre have been slashed, according to latest figures obtained by the Chronicle.
Public space protection orders (PSPO), which are designed to deal with problematic behaviour in a particular area, allow councils to introduce restrictions on the use of the area to make sure that people can enjoy the space, safe from antisocial behaviour.
Incidents including urinating and defecating in the street, intimidating and verbally abusing shop staff, open drug dealing and taking, and aggressive behaviour including shouting, swearing and fighting were reasons why a PSPO was implemented across the town centre from March 1, 2016.
Figures show there were 1,280 antisocial behaviour-related incidents in the year prior to the PSPO being brought in - a figure that actually rose to 1,467 in the following year.
However, since the initial spike, that figure has fallen to 928 being recorded between March 2017-18, representing a decrease of 352 incidents.
On average, there are now 56 incidents a month in the town centre - still more than two a day but down from 122 incidents at its peak at the end of 2016.
A council report said: “Barnsley is steeped in history and has a lot to offer - award-winning parks, free museums, famous markets offering excellent local produce and a great selection of places to drink and eat.
“That said, our town faces a number of challenges with antisocial behaviour and issues which have been raised by the community and businesses. We want to make sure Barnsley remains a great place to live, work and visit.
“To help achieve this, Barnsley town centre and surrounding areas are subject to a public space protection order.
“It provides local authorities with the necessary powers to introduce restrictions upon activity and behaviours deemed to be antisocial and occurring in public spaces. It is designed to restrict and prohibit certain behaviours.
“It is enforced by both police and council officers and any breach is a criminal offence and can result in a £100 fine or up to £1,000 fine if prosecuted in court.”
Barnsley Interchange - which has been dogged by issues with youths congregating and intimidating passengers - has seen the antisocial behaviour incidents halved since the PSPO was introduced.
Regular police and council officers’ patrols and Operation Equinox, an ongoing police-led project to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in the location, have been cited as reasons for the positive results.
Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, praised the figures.
“Tackling the town centre’s problems by putting the PSPO in place at key locations has been a great success. As well as this, we have had crime reduction stalls in high footfall areas such as Barnsley Interchange in order to promote the campaign and allow face-to-face interaction.”
