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Marauding gangs rule in lawless Haverstock
• YOUR item, Cop Hotline Ignored (May 17) reveals serious trouble for under-siege traders in Malden Road and the total lack of police response.
This is not the only area in Haverstock ward, however, that is experiencing such problems. Queen’s Crescent is similarly affected and the police show scant interest.
As a longstanding inhabitant of the Queen’s Crescent area, I have never known such insecurity. It is true that from time to time we have murders and robberies that grab the headlines.
Now it is different because we have persistent, unrelenting background lawlessness with no indication of the police getting involved.
Women are fearful of going out at almost any time because of violent dog fights goaded by their irresponsible owners. Shopkeepers watch powerlessly as gangs of youths lift alcohol from their shops and smash the booze bottles on the road.
And everywhere late at night, when it is not raining, marauding gangs treat our area as their playground.
Haverstock ward is undoubtedly Camden’s most neglected and most dangerous. We hardly ever see a police officer. The Met’s Safer Neighbourhood initiative has meant nothing to local residents around here, except the departure of our police force.
H ANGELL
Allcroft Road, NW5
• MIKE Katz has been chosen by Labour to defend the Haverstock ward in the July 12 by-election (Labour unveils poll candidate, April 26).
The candidate then goes on to say he would focus on the future of elderly care homes and council homes during the campaign. These are worthwhile causes but might they not be on the sure list of almost any candidate in any other ward?
He claims to have helped Roy Shaw’s campaign but seems totally unaware of what concerns local residents.
It is hard to believe he has ever ventured into Haverstock ward. He does not even mention Queen’s Crescent, which is where most residents shop and where there has been several spates of serious violent crime (murder) over the past few years.
He does not mention a word about the antisocial harassment and constant attacks from local youths at Malden Road and nearby estates. How about the chronic lack of police presence in the borough?
These are issues to get one’s teeth into and grab our attention.
I can assure him, we need some moving and shaking in our area to get the police to pay attention to our plight. We are the forgotten ward.
And how about the poor social housing residents (they are the majority of the population in Haverstock, he should know) who have no access to any outside space, except our local park at Talacre?
Has he not heard about that, too?
For his information, Talacre Gardens and its nearby sports centre are in constant threat from a private developer who seems determined to gobble up as much as he can of our open space and take over the (only) road leading to the Community Sports Centre in the bargain.
Of course, Mr Katz should fight for better accommodation for the elderly and other residents, but those are long term goals which any self-respecting aspiring councillor should have.
The above, however, are far sexier, if riskier, and infinitely more achievable during a term in office for those who are willing to get really involved and make a difference.
T McFADDEN
Southampton Road, NW5
• FOLLOWING on from your article, a number of people approached Frank Dobson MP and me – at our regular street stall on Queens Crescent on Saturday – really worried about the antisocial behaviour in the area. (Cop hotline ‘ignored’, May 17).
As the shopkeepers in your report said, gangs of young boys and girls hang around outside the shops on Malden Road making it a virtual no-go zone some nights.
This isn’t just a couple of mates hanging about, but sometimes dozens of young people at a time.
These residents want to know what the council is doing about the problem.
Given the promises they made before they were elected, the Lib Dems have been lamentable in failing to address this issue, which is a matter of quality of life for people living in blocks like Denton and Southfleet, and on the streets around Malden Road itself.
All the Lib Dems do is churn out leaflets – which seem to ignore the fact that they actually run the council these days, so are in a position to help police tackle the problem.
On the one hand, they wasted many months on an academic review which concluded that the council should continue with Asbos, dispersal zones and the policies initiated by Labour.
On the other, they’re cutting youth services, like the youth club at Queen’s Crescent Community Centre, depriving young people of things to do in their spare time.
This is a complex issue, which requires both support for our teenagers and tough enforcement where necessary.
The Lib Dems are providing neither stick nor carrot.
It is little wonder that local people despair at their performance.
MIKE KATZ
Prospective Labour candidate, Haverstock ward
Gladys Road, NW6 |
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