Removing benches, blocking cycle paths: why are police interfering in the UK’s public spaces? | The Guardian

Phineas Harper
Last month, police officers descended on public green spaces in Stanhope, a 1960s residential estate in Ashford, Kent, to fight crime. Rather than arresting any suspected criminals, officers took away five benches and uprooted low-lying shrubs from small parks. In a since deleted tweet, Ashford Police explained that the benches had provided “places to gather” and their removal would help “design out crime”.