At the end of November, the hard work of our Safer Communities team was highlighted once again following two case hearings held at Barnsley Magistrates Court.
Firstly, Barnsley Magistrates Court issued a Criminal Behaviour Order to Matthew Spencer for town centre offences including begging.
Mr Spencer, residing on Doncaster Road, Barnsley, faced charges for multiple violations of a Community Protection Notice and pleaded guilty to offences committed between 11 July 2023 and 14 September 2023. The charges were related to his failure to follow the rules outlined in the notice issued on 30 June 2023, under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
The court imposed a £20 fine and an £8 Victims' Surcharge on Mr Spencer.
Following the conviction, our Safer Communities team sought a Criminal Behaviour Order, arguing that Mr Spencer's actions caused or were likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress to the public. The court accepted those comments and issued a Criminal Behaviour Order to prevent Mr Spencer from repeating such behaviour.
Under the Order, Mr Spencer is barred from entering Barnsley town centre, with limited exceptions to visit essential locations. He is also forbidden from engaging in activities that give the impression of begging.
This is the first ever Barnsley Council Safer Communities team’s Criminal Behaviour Order following a conviction. The Order will remain in effect for two years.
Secondly, a Closure Order has been issued on a property on Gayle Court, Barnsley, which has seen an increased level of anti-social behaviour. The Magistrates heard our application and granted us a three-month partial Closure Order in accordance with the terms outlined within our draft order.
Cllr Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said: "I would like to thank our Safer Communities team for their hard work in partnership with South Yorkshire Police and the public to ensure our borough continues to be a safe place for our residents and visitors.
“There’s no place for anti-social behaviour in Barnsley and we will continue working with our partners to keep people safe in their neighbourhoods or while out and about enjoying our thriving town centre and villages.”
For further information on our Safer Communities team’s work and how to report anti-social behaviour, please visit the dedicated webpage.