THE Staffordshire Commissioner has called on councils across the county to consider bans on face coverings in a bid to crack down on "intimidating" groups of masked youths.
Measures have already been introduced by Stafford Borough Council which will see a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) expanded to order the removal of masks and balaclavas when used in connection with anti-social behaviour.
Now Commissioner Ben Adams is calling on other local authorities to follow suit and take similar steps.
He told a meeting of the county's Police, Fire and Crime Panel that groups of masked youths on scooters and bikes in town centres were "more than intimidating".
Commissioner Adams said he would be writing to all councils in Staffordshire to suggest they introduce similar PSPOs.
He said:
"It’s probably the thing I get more communication about than anything else at the moment – scooters, e-bikes, bikes, and particularly when they’re ridden by youngsters who’ve decided they’re going to hide their face. It’s really intimidating.
"My understanding is that Stafford Borough Council has gone out to consultation on their public space protection order, and I believe the public response is in favour of a ban on face coverings in quite a large area of the town.
"I’m really very supportive of this. It means the police or council officers can approach somebody who is deliberately hiding their face – not for any legitimate reason, but they’re causing anti-social behaviour or they’re intimidating people – and they can ask them to remove the face covering. If they don’t they can be fined.”
Stafford Borough Council member Cllr Ian Fordham told the meeting that the public response to the expanded PSPO had been "very supportive".
The revised order is set to come into force in December and would see anyone who refuses to remove a face covering used in connection with anti-social behaviour receive a £100 fine.
The Commissioner added:
"We’re going to write to every leader and every community safety portfolio holder to say we strongly recommend you introduce this into your local orders. That sort of intervention can make quite a big difference."
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