25 signatures reached
To: Mr Clive Betts MP chair of Communities and Local Government Committee
Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO)
Please look into the use of PSPOs by councils to criminalise behaviour of specific groups of people for spurious reasons that is undermining the democratic rights of people to use public spaces. Also the 'outsourcing' of the issuing these fines to people not qualified or authorised to initiate prosecution for violations.
Why is this important?
Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) allow local councils to criminalise behaviours that they don't like. They are being used to target specific groups of people and stop or restrict use of public spaces. They can be used to ban anyone from doing anything. For example in Dover dog walkers have been fined and threatened with prosecustion for walking their dogs without a lead or in Cambridge you can be fined or prosecuted for advertising punt tours. Many towns and cities such as Southampton have used PSPOs to enable prosecution of rough sleeping or like Brighton for sleeping in vans or motorhomes. The policing of these restrictions can be outsourced to private companies or agencies who are able to give on the spot fines simply for suspicion of contravening a PSPO leading to prosecution if not paid. An early morning dog walker in Brighton was issued with a letter threatening him with a £75 if he returned in his camper van to a public carpark. These orders enable local authorities to restrict our democratic rights and to create their own 'laws' to restrict our freedom, behaviours and movement in our towns and cities. Please sign this petition to instigate an investigation by the select committee for communities and local government into the use of these orders by local councils.
