Mosquito attempt to force louts to buzz off
THEY have been blamed for demonising young people and infringing human rights.
But this week two extra 'Mosquitoes' were approved for Spen in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Spen Valley area committee agreed to allocate 3,647 to the purchase and running costs of two mobile Mosquito devices to target anti-social behaviour hotspots.
Mosquitoes are small boxes that can be fitted to streetlights, buildings or in communal areas.
They emit an annoying high-pitched noise that only those under 25 can hear, and are used to disperse groups of young people.
A Mosquito deployed by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing at the Co-op store in Scholes, where a group of youths were loitering, has proved successful.
But controversy raged this week over the ethics surrounding the devices. Children's commissioner Al Aynsley-Green and civil liberties groups launched a 'Buzz Off' campaign to have them banned on the grounds they penalised the innocent.
Approving the scheme at the area committee meeting on Tuesday, Coun Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) said: "The arguments against them have been about human rights and we have to consider that.
"But we also have to consider the human rights of those who have been abused and intimidated. I think if we use them in an intelligence-led way we won't be abusing the rights of those who don't have anything to do with anti-social behaviour."
Coun Margaret Bates (Con, Liversedge and Gomersal) gave the Mosquitoes a cautious welcome.
"It has been said today that they can affect children's hearing and adults with hearing aids," she said.
"I don't want to put these up and have people saying it has affected them. I hope we look at further evidence."
Community safety officer Shirley Stankiewicz told the committee the council's legal team had approved them.
She said: "As far as our lawyers are concerned they don't contravene human rights because people can move on. We already use them on council buildings.
"We're not talking about using them as a blanket approach. It would be intelligence-led, targeting certain areas. It's another tool in the tool box."
The devices will be deployed where they are most needed, without their locations being publicised.
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Weather for Cleckheaton
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
