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Camden New Journal - by PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 13 September 2007

Trouble takes the bus

FREE bus travel and the use of police dispersal powers in the south of Camden are pushing youth gangs into the streets of Hampstead, the area’s resident crime expert claimed this week.
Young people – including some troublemakers – are taking the 46 and C11 buses north to escape the attention of the authorities in areas like Haverstock and Camden Town, which currently fall under police powers to disperse groups of two or more and send under-16s home after 9pm, according to Nigel Steward, chair of the Hampstead Town safer neighbourhoods panel.
He said: “Youths are using transport and coming up – it is something that residents have been mentioning since July, and that is when the dispersal zones really hit in the southern part of the borough.
“The police are trying to deal with it and at the end of the day you have to be firm. But there is a lack of will to communicate between the police inspectors who are in charge of the clusters (geographical police divisions).”
South End Green and the streets bordering the Heath are most affected, according to Mr Steward, who cited a group of 20 youths allegedly kicking cars and verbally abusing residents in South Hill Park on Monday night to support his argument.
The latest Met Police figures show that criminal damage in Hampstead ward more than doubled in July compared with the same period last year.

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