Community Wardens To Be Given Extra Powers
27th January 2014
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Crawley Borough Council’s Community Wardens have retained its accreditation under the Sussex Police Community Safety Accreditation Scheme.

 The powers, under the Police Reform Act 2002, are delegated by the Home Office to Chief Constables to accredit local authorities and other bodies to enforce certain regulations and will allow the council to issues Fixed Penalty Notices for a range of anti-social offences.

 The powers, under the Police Reform Act 2002, are delegated by the Home Office to Chief Constables to accredit local authorities and other bodies to enforce certain regulations and will allow the council to issues Fixed Penalty Notices for a range of anti-social offences.

The powers are used by the council’s Community Wardens. They have the power to:

  • Require the name and address of a person whom an accredited person has reason to believe has committed a ‘relevant offence’ (such as causing injury, alarm or distress to any other person or the loss or damage to any person’s property, or the relevant Fixed Penalty Offence)
  • Require the name and address of a person acting in an anti-social manner
  • Require persons drinking in a designated place to surrender alcohol and to dispose of any alcohol surrendered
  • Require persons aged under 18 to surrender alcohol and to dispose of any alcohol surrendered
  • Seize tobacco from a person aged under 16 and to dispose of it.

 

All of the council’s Community Wardens have been subject to additional police vetting and have attended a training course in accreditation and the powers.

 

Crawley District Commander, Chief Inspector Justina Beeken, presented the wardens with their accreditation certificates on January 21.

 Councillor Nigel Boxall, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, said: “We are really pleased to be re-accredited by Sussex Police.

 “Our Community Wardens have been helping to reduce anti-social behaviour in Crawley for 11 years and this recognition by the police is testament to their good work.”

 

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