Enhanced role for victims of crime

Police sector commander Inspector Max Mosley hopes to channel public concern over crime and policing into a stand-up-and-be-counted anti-crime campaign.

His aim is a drive to obtain the evidence - particularly identification - needed to obtain Anti-Social Behaviour Orders which would restrict the movement of offenders.

Bexhill sector last year obtained Senlac division s first Anti-Social Behaviour Order. It prohibited a juvenile, who cannot be named for legal reasons, from entering parts of the town where he had been causing trouble and imposed a six-month night curfew on him.

Although heard in a magistrates court, Anti-Social Orders are civil actions, meaning that evidence can be given by a third party on behalf of a victim.

At the invitation of Sidley trader Stuart Cowley-Wenham, Inspector Mosley has taken part in a question-and-answer session at Tres Bon catering in Ninfield Road.

The Inspector said on Monday: "It may well be that these concerned local citizens who have been speaking-out about crime in the town can help.

"What we need is a system where we can collate all the information about offenders.

"We are going to prepare pro forma statement forms and have them available at a central location - possibly some of the shops in Sidley.

"We are looking at putting some of the offenders before the court and obtaining Anti-Social Behaviour Orders against them.

"West Midlands police have used these to great effect. They have obtained about 65. Sussex Police have taken out seven, so there is a lot more scope for obtaining these orders.

"We had a lot of cooperation from the court last year in obtaining the order. Because it is a civil proceeding, you can only use evidence from the previous six months and they were very good in getting the case before the court.

"We need to build on the recent public-spirited awareness about these things and get the evidence from those who have been victims and who can identify who these offenders are.

"We have three or four people in mind."