Dispersal Zone Introduced in Glasgow City Centre
Police Scotland will implement a dispersal zone in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, as part of efforts to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. The measure allows officers to require groups of two or more individuals to leave the designated area if their conduct negatively affects the safety and well-being of others.
Individuals asked to leave will be prohibited from returning to the zone for a period of 24 hours. The temporary dispersal zone will come into effect on 20 March and will encompass Glasgow Central Station, St Enoch Square, and Union Street, locations recently identified as areas of concern.
Police Scotland has emphasized that these powers will be exercised proportionately and only when necessary.
"This is a temporary measure being introduced alongside ongoing partnership activity to address behaviour that is having a negative impact on the city centre," said Supt Jackie Dunbar.
"We have listened to concerns from members of the public and local businesses about antisocial behaviour and disorder and this approach is about providing reassurance and promoting a safe and welcoming city centre."
The dispersal zone will cover an area bounded by St Vincent Place, Glassford Street/Stockwell Street, extending to the far side of the riverbank, and York Street/West Campbell Street.
Angus Millar, the council's convener for city centre recovery, stated that the new measures aim to maintain Glasgow city centre as a safe environment for residents, workers, and visitors.
"With footfall across the city centre rising, it is important that the police are able to use the powers at their disposal to address localised and persistent issues of anti-social behaviour caused by a very small minority of people," he said.
Millar also noted plans for enhanced CCTV monitoring in the city centre, which were approved as part of the council's recent budget.
"The city centre is a massive asset for Glasgow that draws in almost 70 million visitors each year for food and drink, shopping, entertainment, business and culture," he said.
"We are committed to working closely with partners across the public and private sector including Police Scotland to ensure it continues to be a welcoming and attractive place for everyone."
Effectiveness of Dispersal Zones
Dispersal zone powers were introduced in Scotland under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. A review conducted three years later found that these powers had been applied on 14 occasions across 11 different areas, including major cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen.
These powers have also been utilized in smaller towns like Dumfries and Dingwall, and notably, one dispersal zone was imposed on the entire village of Mid Calder in West Lothian.
The intention behind these powers was to resolve the "cat and mouse" challenge faced by police officers, where troublemakers would often move on before officers arrived. The powers provided a means to address anti-social behaviour that was not severe enough to warrant stronger enforcement actions.
Non-compliance with a dispersal order constitutes a criminal offence and may result in arrest under the act.
The review concluded that dispersal zones were effective in reducing anti-social behaviour, with improvements sometimes observed after only a few weekends. However, it also highlighted some dissatisfaction among young people, who expressed concerns about the lack of youth services and alternative gathering places.
More recently, dispersal powers have been used in conjunction with new Firework Control Zones in parts of Edinburgh following repeated incidents around Bonfire Night.
