Our town second for having most ‘gangbo’ orders
HUDDERSFIELD has the second largest number of ‘gangbo’ court injunctions against members of street gangs in West Yorkshire, a report has revealed.
Courts have granted 12 civil injunctions against gang members in Huddersfield this year, according to a report being presented to West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel.
In recent years Keighley has seen 23 injunctions granted, while eight have been brought in Holme Wood, Bradford, seven in Beeston, Leeds and three in the Park Ward, Halifax.
In Huddersfield, five of the injunctions were finalised and seven were on an interim basis. Some of those involved are understood to have lodged appeals which have yet to be heard.
West Yorkshire Police has not released the names of those bound by the orders but they are believed to involve some of the individuals who have previously appeared in court for the Kingsgate shopping centre disorder on February 3.
The violence was believed to be linked to rival gangs called the Dalton Crew and BBD (Bradley, Brackenhall, Deighton).
A report on ‘organised crime and urban street gangs’ due to be discussed in Wakefield today says that West Yorkshire has been using gang injunctions since 2013.
The injunctions are a civil tool which allow the police and/or the local authority to apply to a county court for an injunction against an individual suspected of being involved in gangrelated violence or drug dealing.
Injunctions can place a range of prohibitions on gang members such as preventing them from being in a particular place.
If a power of arrest is attached, police can detain a person if they breach a condition of the gangbo.
West Yorkshire Police say there are a number of ongoing cases which may result in gango applications being made to the courts.
In April the Force said 12 men from ‘two organised crime gangs’ had been handed Huddersfield’s first gangbo injunctions.
Police said the 12 had been involved in a catalogue of significant and violent crimes in the Huddersfield area including shootings, attempted murder, possessing offensive weapons, drug dealing, assaults, and robberies.
The orders include a number of conditions that place strict limitations on the subjects and can see them arrested for any breaches.
These include a ban from a number of locations across Huddersfield, restrictions on who they can associate with and restrictions on their conduct and behaviour.
Further court hearings are pending and once they have taken place, police said they will be able to release further details of the full injunctions.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said interim injunctions in Huddersfield had previously been granted but the individuals involved had lodged appeals which are still to be heard.