The order gives certain regulated bodies such as West Midlands Police and the City of Wolverhampton Council powers to ask groups of 3 or more people to vacate the area if there is reason to believe they are causing or likely to cause a nuisance, threat or alarm to others, and to remove face coverings if they have no reasonable grounds to wear them and are purposely using them to disguise their identity.
It has been specifically developed to target those who cause anti-social behaviour in the area and will not affect people gathering to shop or visit the city centre, nor will it discriminate against those legitimately wearing a face covering, for example for medical reasons or religious purposes.
Data shows an increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour in the city centre over recent years, and while a number of measures have been put in place to address this, more robust and long term measures are needed to ensure that Wolverhampton remains a safe place to visit, work and live.
Superintendent Martin Hurcomb from Wolverhampton Police said: "We, working with our partners at the council and specifically the Community Safety Team, are completely committed to providing a safe space within the city centre, where members of the public can feel safe in the knowledge that crime including anti-social behaviour is prioritised and proactively tackled.
"This Public Space Protection Order is a great example of how the partnership continue to consider all appropriate options to tackle anti-social behaviour."
Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the council’s Cabinet Member for Digital and Community, added: "Public Space Protection Orders are designed to ensure the law abiding majority can continue to use and enjoy public spaces, safe from the threat of anti-social behaviour or nuisance.
"Where a group of people or an individual is likely to cause, or is causing, anti-social behaviour, the PSPO enables the authorities to request that they leave the area and remove any face coverings being purposefully used to disguise their identity."
The order covers the whole of the city centre inside the ring road. It came into effect following a period of public consultation earlier this year and will initially in place for a period of 3 years, subject to regular 6 monthly reviews.
