Camden New Journal - Letters: Police challenge of working with public

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

Police challenge of working with public

• THANKS to Beverly Gardner (Forum, September 20) I now finally understand what this Safer Neighbourhoods business is supposed to be all about.
If the police responded to their citizen panel as they are supposed to, then Safer Neighbourhoods could work for everyone’s benefit. Unfortunately, there seems to be a great reluctance on the part of the police to work with the public on safety and crime issues which concern local residents.
Beverly Gardner, in my opinion, was totally justified to go public about the lack of performance of the Safer Neighbourhoods Team in her ward. Yet, it is obvious from your article (Neighbourhood teams’ targets pressure, September 20) that the police have yet to figure out the first thing about working with the public on common goals.
Sally Jackson, NW3

• IT is disturbing to realise that those who are meant to promote justice are themselves guilty of having done an injustice to one of their dedicated volunteers (Forum, September 20.)
Not only was the former co vice-chair of the Safer Neighbourhood Panel expelled on some trumped up charges by a local sergeant, she was also prevented from running for office at the annual meeting of September 11.
This deprived our community of an important voice and so we have been cheated. Charges against Beverly Gardner and her co-vice-chair Yasmin Allen should be ignored and their record cleared of any wrong doing.
These are women who took the risk of reprisal from local villains to expose the plight of their community.
The results of the election of the September 11 should be overturned and a new election scheduled. A Safer Neighbourhoods constitution which represents the interest of the community at large should be agreed, not only locally, but throughout London.
It would be tragic for the future and reputation of Safer Neighbourhoods if the matter of the Police-versus-2006 EPIC winner Beverly Gardner was not addressed properly.
Celine La Freniere
Talacre Road, NW5

• YOUR reporting of the problems with Haverstock ward Safer Neighbourhoods Team can be summarised as follows. The fact that it has been so ineffective for two years is because their judgment is impaired by poor leadership qualities. It is a retrograde step for the Met to be treating respected members of Safer Neighbourhoods citizens panels with disdain. Community volunteers are entitled to express their frustration in the press with the lack of progress in dealing with a surge of racist crimes against vulnerable shopkeepers.
It was neglectful policing over the past 10 years that turned Camden into what it is today, a criminals’ paradise.
Jim Redmond
Mornington Crescent, NW1

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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