Newcastle City Council's damaging plans to criminalise street culture

Labour-led Newcastle City Council have re-introduced proposals to criminalise street culture in Newcastle using a PSPO which could see vulnerable and destitute people facing criminal records fines of up to £1000 for begging and even 'assertive' charity collection. The proposed powers are very broad in scope, vague and open to misuse. The Keep Streets Live Campaign is opposing the use of PSPOs to criminalise activities that are not, in themselves harmful. We have prepared a response to Newcastle City Council's online consultation about these proposals (The deadline is tomorrow, Friday 14th October):

http://keepstreetslive.com/uncategorized/2016/10/ksl-response-to-newcastle-pspo-proposal

Please take a few minutes to complete the consultation and to encourage Newcastle to take an alternative and more proportionate and balanced approach to the oversight of public space in the city. There is also a petition about these specific proposals which has been started by a Green Party candidate in Newcastle which I encourage you to sign if you can:

https://www.change.org/p/safe-newcastle-unit-newcastle-city-council-don-t-let-newcastle-criminalise-the-homeless-and-destitute

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Jonny Walker 
Founding director Keep Streets Live Campaign 
http://keepstreetslive.com
http://facebook.com/jonnysongs