Countryside Management Association News

Chris Smith

Officers such as park and community wardens could be given the power to issue fixed-penalty notices and on-the-spot fines.

And councils could be freed to ’set, sign and sanction’ their own local laws.

A study by the Home Office highlighted the increased use of council staff as a way of tackling low-level crime and freeing up police teams to focus on more serious offenders.

Chief constables are also looking at alternatives such as council security staff to handle complex community problems where using police resources could be seen as excessive.

The initiative was floated as an idea in an audit into the use of council staff and private sector security firms since they were given extra powers in 2002.

The study said: ‘They are an extra pair of eyes and ears and if tasked properly they will get results, because unlike police officers who can get diverted, they are usually on the street for seven hours engaging with the community.’

Currently council wardens and other non-police staff can are limited to confiscating alcohol from under-16s and requesting a name and address.

A review of their powers is under way and senior police officers are looking at giving them the power to issue fixed penalty notices for a far wider range of offences, including disorder.

It came as the Department for Communities and Local Government issued a consultation on plans to increase local authority power to set their own byelaws to tackle issues linked with community safety and nuisance behaviour.

Communities secretary Hazel Blears said: ’Communities, who know their areas’ hotspots and problems, are best placed to identify and find solutions to the practical issues that matter to them. For the first time councils could now be able to “set, sign and now sanction” local laws without central government approval. This will make it easier to tackle problems, cut red tape, improving the wellbeing of their area and devolve more power to local people.’