Mosquito gadget could force Dolphin Square yobs to buzz off in Tring

A controversial anti-loitering device could be installed in Tring’s Dolphin Square to combat the recent rise in anti-social behaviour, police have revealed.
Dolphin Square, Tring, January 2013Dolphin Square, Tring, January 2013
Dolphin Square, Tring, January 2013

Sgt Peter Huffer – who oversees the teams which patrol Tring and Berkhamsted – confirmed that the gadget was on the list of possible solutions to tackle the problem of youngsters hanging around after dark.

He said: “We are looking at all the options, including the Mosquito alarm, but we will have to look into the health and safety implications.

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“In the meantime, there will still be regular patrols from our PCSOs at night.”

Sgt Huffer said that he would be in touch with residents to invite them to a meeting with the police and the anti-social behaviour team at Dacorum Borough Council, with a view to working towards a solution.

The Mosquito device works by emitting a high-pitched screech only audible to those aged 25 and under.

The new idea was born due to residents of the shopping precinct suffering repeatedly at the hands of insolent teens for the past three years.

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One resident – who wished to remain anonymous – said: “They just won’t listen to me. I’ve asked them politely to go away, but they just shout and scream. It’s very frightening.”

The device has received criticism from opposition campaigners, who say the Mosquito breaches the teens’ human rights, but supporters say shopkeepers have a right to trade without worrying about youths affecting their business.

An example of where the ear-splitting apparatus has been successful is on Greenway Parade in Chesham – an anti-social behaviour hotspot before the noise drove the teenagers away.