Section 60 stop and search powers authorised in Millbrook

Officers in the Millbrook area of Southampton have been given extra stop and search powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

The emergency power, which will run from 4pm today (Saturday 11 June) until 4pm tomorrow (Sunday 12 June) will apply to the area highlighted on the map. It has been implemented following an incident involving a group of youths in Windermere Avenue yesterday evening.

Section 60 can be implemented in areas where either serious violence has occurred or police believe serious violence is about to occur, and gives officers the power to stop and search anyone in a designated location, without the restrictions of normal stop and search.

Officers will be carrying out patrols across the area and will be able to stop and search anyone while the powers are in use.

Temporary Inspector Andy Thomas said: “These are emergency powers and the threshold to implement them is very high, however we are using them to keep our communities safe.

“This is not a long term solution to violent disorder, but this allows us to use all the powers at our disposal to respond to immediate concerns raised by the community. We know some people think telling you about the Section 60 inhibits our ability to catch those responsible, however it is just as important that we prevent incidents of serious violence occurring. We will deal with those offenders, but we also want to prevent them from committing crime in the first place.

“If you are in the area and have any concerns, you can speak to any of our officers who will be on patrol throughout this evening and tomorrow.”