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GANG RULE ON STREETS OF FEAR
Families admit they’re ‘too scared to leave home’
GANGS are turning a handful of Kentish Town streets into a no-go battlefield where people fear to leave their homes, councillors and police were told on Tuesday night.
Victims of intimidation and harassment around the Denton estate in Prince of Wales Road begged for protection and support at a heated, standing-room-only meeting.
Residents said gangs of up to 70 youths were besieging Malden Road, Crogsland Road and St Silas Place and threatening anyone who tried to challenge them.
“My whole family is scheduling their lives around these gangs,” said Shahed Kazi, 28. “They cannot go out there because it is not safe.”
A straw poll of the packed meeting found that all but one of the residents thought the situation had deteriorated in recent months.
“None of us have any protection,” said Malden Road resident Yasmin Allen. “There are residents scared to come to this meeting. They’re scared to come out of their doors.”
Council representatives pledged to increase youth work and evict problem families to ease the disorder, while Haverstock Safer Neighbourhoods police sergeant Mark Harries said extra Camden police were on the beat to tackle the gangs.
A dispersal zone covering Haverstock lapsed last week, to the dismay of residents at Tuesday’s Safer Neighbourhood Panel meeting in the Salvation Army Centre, Chalk Farm Road.
Last night, Superintendent Martin Richards, deputy chief of Camden Police said it would be reinstated, adding: “We are aware of the youth disorder in Malden Road, junction with Prince of Wales Road and the surrounding area. Several measures have been put in place to tackle the anti-social behaviour which has been occurring. Anti-social behaviour cannot be addressed overnight; a sustained effort by police, council, businesses and residents is required.”
He listed the introduction of a Youth Disorder focus group and the identification of 15 young people at the heart of the problems, four of whom were in the ASBO pipeline, as evidence of progress, and pledged to continue patrols day and night in the area. |
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