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‘Crack street’ given a brush up
A STREET plagued by crime has been given a £1.5 million facelift – and its own police from January.
Inverness Street in Camden Town has been relaid with cobble stones, now has better lighting and CCTV cameras as part of a crackdown on crime.
Police have struggled to take in hand the burgeoning drug dealing culture in the street, which, at 100 years old, is one of Camden’s oldest market streets.
It will get four special police officers (PCSOs) stationed in the street permanently from January.
In September singer Amy Winehouse, who drinks in a pub nearby, branded Inverness Street ‘crack street’ because of the anti-social atmosphere there.
Market traders and store workers say groups of teenagers dealing drugs and ‘hanging out’ intimidates shoppers and drives down their earnings.
The new features were unveiled on Friday by Camden’s crime chief Councillor Ben Rawlings, environment chief Cllr Mike Greene and ward councillor Pat Callaghan.
Cllr Rawlings said the new look would work to reduce the fear of crime: “It looks great it’s definitely an improvement to the area. Obviously no-one’s saying it will suddenly improve the problems but its part of a longer term solution. It used to look uninviting and shoddy – that encouraged crime and the fear of crime.”
Jake Travis, owner of record shop Out On The Floor in Inverness Street, said he hoped police would improve things ”if they’re a permanent presence”. |
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