Police are actively addressing and combating instances of anti-social behavior and criminal activities in Barnham. To manage this, a Section 34 dispersal order will be enforced in the village, effective from 2 pm on Sunday, March 31, until 2 pm on Tuesday, April 2. This order grants the police the authority to disband groups in the area and prohibit their return for up to 48 hours.
During the enforcement of this order, residents will notice an increased police presence aimed at ensuring compliance with the order and preventing further anti-social or criminal acts.
This action follows a recent disturbance at Barnham Railway Station on the evening of Saturday, March 30, during which the public, security personnel, and police officers were subjected to assaults.
In connection with these events, four girls, ages 13 to 16, were detained on charges that include assaulting an emergency worker and illegal possession of cannabis. Currently, some of these individuals are in police custody, while others have been released on bail with specific conditions that restrict their access to Barnham Railway Station.
Inspector Ross Wickings of the Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We have done a lot of work with the community and partners in Barnham to tackle recent anti-social behaviour, and have been targeting our resources in areas we know have been impacted.
“Unfortunately, over the Easter weekend, we have seen groups of people travel into the village from elsewhere in Sussex and this has resulted in an unacceptable incident of disorder at the railway station on Saturday evening. We have worked with our colleagues in the British Transport Police to respond to and investigate these incidents.
“We have put a dispersal order in place to allow our officers to direct people to leave the area if we believe they are likely to commit or become involved in anti-social behaviour, crime or disorder.
“This is just one of the steps being taken to ensure the people in Barnham are safe and can feel safe. We will also have officers carrying out dedicated patrols and ensuring there is a high-visibility police presence in the village.
“We encourage people to speak to police if they have any concerns and to always report incidents to us, either online or by calling 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”
Any information or video footage relating to the disorder at Barnham Railway Station can be reported via the same channels quoting serial 1307 of 30/03.
