Understand each other to get along; DAILY POST OUR VIEW.

LAST year Bangor became the centre of a UK-wide media storm, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

North Wales Police enforced a dispersal order on part of the city, supposedly blighted by the anti-social behaviour of youths.

There was claim and counter claim over whether it was, as described, a dispersal order or whether things had gone one step further and a curfew on under-16s was in place.

Civil liberty campaigners were extremely vocal in their criticism of what was seen by many an extremely draconian measure.

It was decided not to extend the order after six months, in a city described by a senior police officer as a safe place to live work and visit.

Now the town of Barnsley looks to be following suit with a similar order.

We have to be very careful when setting these things up as the ease of tarring everyone with the same brush is all too apparent.

The majority of young people are not taking part in anti-social behaviour, and just because you wear a jumper with a hood on does not make you want to commit assaults or mug people.

By nature they will gather in groups as that is the sort of thing friends do, but while it is seldom their intention, this can be somewhat intimidating.

This is the case across North Wales and we have to ensure there is understanding on all parts.

Young people need to understand how locals feel, and that the police are simply doing their job - not looking over them like Big Brother.

And there has to be an understanding of the young people - all they want is something to do in the company of their friends.

The more we can all know about each other the fewer issues we will see in our communities.

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Title Annotation:	Letters
Publication:	Daily Post (Conwy, Wales)
Article Type:	Editorial
Geographic Code:	4EUUK
Date:	Apr 1, 2013
Words:	301
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