Bradford kerb-crawlers could have cars seized

Kerb-crawlers face having their vehicles seized in a new crackdown on street prostitution in Bradford.

Police have vowed to use powers of confiscation under legislation to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The move forms part of the Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Together campaign running in the Bradford district.

Sergeant Tom Casey, of the Bradford South vice team, said officers were able to link kerb crawlers’ driving directly to the offence, under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act.

He told the Telegraph & Argus: “The act of kerb crawling, for instance, often walks hand in hand with inconsiderate driving or driving without due care or attention. This enables us to issue a warning notice, which if flouted allows us to seize the occupant’s vehicle.

“The benefits of this are clear, as it creates an instant hurdle for the perpetrators and removes the opportunity for them to re-offend. By targeting the individuals who create the demand we can begin to break down the cycle of prostitution and the anti- social behaviour which comes with it.

“These powers are therefore a useful additional tool in our continued crackdown and will compliment the ongoing work with our partners across the district.”

The Manningham and Toller Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) is working to tackle kerb-crawling through Bluetooth technology.

Officers are using equipment that enables them to send out multiple messages to mobile phones in any given area.

NPT Inspector Richard Baildon said: “The Bluetooth messages encourage people to report kerb-crawling and also underline the consequences of these actions. Not only is prostitution damaging to the women involved, but also to local businesses and residents. We recognise, however, the many layers involved in tackling this issue and we are working hard to address each of them.

“For many years the police in Bradford have worked closely with partner agencies and local faith groups to tackle the root causes of the sex trade, such as drink and drug dependency. This work remains ongoing and we are seeing a number of success stories as a result. If it is just one woman we can help, then that is one fewer on the streets and potentially at risk.”

Comments(24)

The Hoffster says...
3:59pm Fri 22 Mar 13

So in the meantime, the Police will let the prostitutes carry on (regardless)?

Yep; nice one {rollyeyes}

alfierowe says...
5:17pm Fri 22 Mar 13

hoffster....its looking that way,lol

Brannigan says...
5:34pm Fri 22 Mar 13

"For many years the police have tackled this problem" and should be added have failed miserably. Seems a bit dubious to stretch the legislation to seizing their cars.
If people want to partake in this activity, let them get on with it. Their is no business premises open when they operate and it's not a residential area.
Its a public health matter not a police issue. The oldest profession in the book will not be beaten by 'blue-tooth' and other silly headline grabbers.

Brannigan says...
5:34pm Fri 22 Mar 13

"For many years the police have tackled this problem" and should be added have failed miserably. Seems a bit dubious to stretch the legislation to seizing their cars.
If people want to partake in this activity, let them get on with it. Their is no business premises open when they operate and it's not a residential area.
Its a public health matter not a police issue. The oldest profession in the book will not be beaten by 'blue-tooth' and other silly headline grabbers.

June Oh says...
5:35pm Fri 22 Mar 13

What about helping these women to get out of this way of life?
Sgt. Tom Casey appears to be concern about driving and its safety, well in Bradford a lot of bad driving going on why does he not tackle that?
Whilst he is out there he might look out for the young underage girls getting drawn into sex by those bad guys out there that are the News all the time.
Plenty out there rather than crushing cars for him to do.

RollandSmoke says...
5:45pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Many of the girls will be out there because they have been pushed into heroin use. What is being done to stop these girls being forced to sell their bodies in order to avoid horrendous withdrawal symptoms?

Tollerboy says...
5:45pm Fri 22 Mar 13

So the 'Powers that be' think the root causes of prostitution include "drink and drug dependency". Funny, I thought the root cause would be where the need is - the customer. No customer, no market!
Drink and drugs dependency is surely, at best, a secondary cause. Muddled thinking?

collos25 says...
6:10pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Some people in the police have not got the brains they were born with.

The Hoffster says...
6:34pm Fri 22 Mar 13

If drugs are the main cause for these girls to be on the streets, then surely logic dictates the Police target the vile drug-dealers?

Why do we get the impression the authorities are turning a blind eye to the scum?

Maybe because if they arrested them all, they (the Police) won't have any jobs?

Call it what you want but that's what it looks like to many out there.

vax2002 says...
6:55pm Fri 22 Mar 13

I have a better idea, why not do the jobs public pay you to do and arrest all of them, the pimps, the dealers, the crawlers and the prostitutes, clear the streets of law breakers.
Why have selective policing ?
Does not matter who's fault it is or the reason why, that is not the job of the police, do your jobs and lock them all up.
Keep locking them up until they learn to obey the law.

webess says...
7:18pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Due to a loophole in the law it's legal to kerb crawl on a bicycle...so I'm told.

Another Landless Peasant says...
7:21pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Legalize drugs and prostitution.

RollandSmoke says...
7:21pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Oh it's ok everyone. Theresa May says "drugs policy is working" and at the rate we're going it will only take another 50 years or so before the number of girls forced onto the streets after their "boyfriends" get them hooked on drugs starts to see a noticeable decline.

webess says...
7:29pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Another Landless Peasant wrote:
Legalize drugs and prostitution.
That's the obvious solution and in the case of drugs it's make them legal again as they were legal until the 1920's.

But this is petty minded Britain so it'll be a long wait...

bd7 helper says...
9:36pm Fri 22 Mar 13

I bet the police are busy themselves enjoy all the stuff there seize from uz

collos25 says...
9:42pm Fri 22 Mar 13

We could get rid of much of the drug supply at one go but that would upset the status quo in Afghanistan and it would increase the price on the streets in the west. But as Webess states lets make the drugs legal and free and see what happens it cannot be worse than what we have got.

webess says...
10:00pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Guess the punters will now start using taxis!

RollandSmoke says...
10:12pm Fri 22 Mar 13

collos25 wrote:
We could get rid of much of the drug supply at one go but that would upset the status quo in Afghanistan and it would increase the price on the streets in the west. But as Webess states lets make the drugs legal and free and see what happens it cannot be worse than what we have got.
If there was any intention of stopping the drug supply from Afganistan we wouldn't have a situation where they have gone from around 20% of world supply under the Taliban to over 90% now. The last time I saw figures on it a kilo of heroin from the farm gates in Afganistan cost around £40 and by the time it hits the UK streets and has been cut with who knows what it is worth £40,000, and this is purely down to it's legal status.

webess says...
10:26pm Fri 22 Mar 13

RollandSmoke wrote:
collos25 wrote:
We could get rid of much of the drug supply at one go but that would upset the status quo in Afghanistan and it would increase the price on the streets in the west. But as Webess states lets make the drugs legal and free and see what happens it cannot be worse than what we have got.
If there was any intention of stopping the drug supply from Afganistan we wouldn't have a situation where they have gone from around 20% of world supply under the Taliban to over 90% now. The last time I saw figures on it a kilo of heroin from the farm gates in Afganistan cost around £40 and by the time it hits the UK streets and has been cut with who knows what it is worth £40,000, and this is purely down to it's legal status.
The irony is that the NHS is short of morphine and opium poppies are now being grown in Britain with Govt blessing.

Sure drugs laws make sense to someone though..

Patrick Bateman says...
7:42am Sat 23 Mar 13

collos25 wrote:
We could get rid of much of the drug supply at one go but that would upset the status quo in Afghanistan and it would increase the price on the streets in the west. But as Webess states lets make the drugs legal and free and see what happens it cannot be worse than what we have got.
'See what happens'??

It would be a social and public-health disaster. Fortunately such a mind-numbingly irresponsible policy will never see the light of day so we need not worry about it.

Mr Blondе says...
11:49am Sat 23 Mar 13

webess wrote:
Guess the punters will now start using taxis!
Most of the punters own taxis.

scottie dog says...
12:10pm Sat 23 Mar 13

webess wrote:
RollandSmoke wrote:
collos25 wrote:
We could get rid of much of the drug supply at one go but that would upset the status quo in Afghanistan and it would increase the price on the streets in the west. But as Webess states lets make the drugs legal and free and see what happens it cannot be worse than what we have got.
If there was any intention of stopping the drug supply from Afganistan we wouldn't have a situation where they have gone from around 20% of world supply under the Taliban to over 90% now. The last time I saw figures on it a kilo of heroin from the farm gates in Afganistan cost around £40 and by the time it hits the UK streets and has been cut with who knows what it is worth £40,000, and this is purely down to it's legal status.
The irony is that the NHS is short of morphine and opium poppies are now being grown in Britain with Govt blessing.

Sure drugs laws make sense to someone though..
My understanding is that medical class morphine requires a purer source than the poppies from Afghanistan.

scottie dog says...
12:11pm Sat 23 Mar 13

webess wrote:
RollandSmoke wrote:
collos25 wrote:
We could get rid of much of the drug supply at one go but that would upset the status quo in Afghanistan and it would increase the price on the streets in the west. But as Webess states lets make the drugs legal and free and see what happens it cannot be worse than what we have got.
If there was any intention of stopping the drug supply from Afganistan we wouldn't have a situation where they have gone from around 20% of world supply under the Taliban to over 90% now. The last time I saw figures on it a kilo of heroin from the farm gates in Afganistan cost around £40 and by the time it hits the UK streets and has been cut with who knows what it is worth £40,000, and this is purely down to it's legal status.
The irony is that the NHS is short of morphine and opium poppies are now being grown in Britain with Govt blessing.

Sure drugs laws make sense to someone though..
My understanding is that medical class morphine requires a purer source than the poppies from Afghanistan.

RollandSmoke says...
2:51pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Patrick Bateman wrote:
collos25 wrote:
We could get rid of much of the drug supply at one go but that would upset the status quo in Afghanistan and it would increase the price on the streets in the west. But as Webess states lets make the drugs legal and free and see what happens it cannot be worse than what we have got.
'See what happens'??

It would be a social and public-health disaster. Fortunately such a mind-numbingly irresponsible policy will never see the light of day so we need not worry about it.
At least you admit it is a public health matter. Surely having drugs dispensed by medical professionals who can offer practical help and advise for them to get off drugs while ensuring the supply is as safe as possible until they do cannot be worse than the situation we have now. Please list any health issues that have ever been cured through a legal rather than medical approach?

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