Camden New Journal - Letters: Lesson from Copenhagen on the police and civilians

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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 27 September 2007

Lesson from Copenhagen on the police and civilians

• I USED to live in Camden during my student days at the Architectural Association.
Here in Copenhagen, our police force has a reputation for efficiency and professionalism, as demonstrated in the recent riots in the city.
The government is under pressure, however, to involve civilians by letting them work in partnership with their local police.
This may seem a good idea in principle, but having read Beverly Gardner’s account of how her local Safer Neighbourhood failed to address civilians’ priorities, I doubt that such a scheme would work in practice. (Forum: Thin blue lines are blurred in our unsafe neighbourhoods, September 20).
The problem with Safer Neighbourhoods, which seems on the surface to be a good idea, is that there appears to be a lack of effective management at the top and an inability of the police on the ground to adapt to new ways. Until London gets its act together and proves to the rest of us that it has the answer I will be voting for our police to keep their effective old ways.
Jens Hede
Norrebrogade Copenhagen, Denmark

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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