Camden News: 999 | Kentish Town

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Camden News - by PAUL KIELTHY
Published: 28 August 2008

Four calls to 999, but the police still fail to stop burglary

POLICE are investigating a “lack of communication” after burglars spent 30 minutes raiding two Kentish Town houses despite residents calling 999 four times – and a police patrol driving past.
Residents Harvey and Caroline Flinder called 999 to report a group of men acting suspiciously in Bartholomew Villas at 4.35am on Monday.
Mr Flinder said: “My wife then heard what she later realised was a door being kicked in and saw them going into a house in Lawford Road. A police van arrived – it drove slowly down the road, but it didn’t stop. They didn’t go to the address where my wife said there was a burglary in progress and they didn’t stop at ours.”
Police log entries show that the patrol arrived at 4.49am but drove past despite another call to 999 at 4.51am by Mrs Flinder. The log reads: “Upon arrival, the area was searched but the officers did not locate any persons acting suspiciously.”
At 5.22am the Flinders called 999 again when they saw the men leaving the house carrying large bags.
The log states: “Police attended at 5.32 hours and found that entry had been gained to two properties.”
Mr Flinder said: “We called 999 four times – we really tried to do the right thing. My concern is that there was no sense of urgency about this.”
DCI Steve Burns from Camden Police said: “At this stage, it appears there may have been a lack of communication between the Met’s Central 999 Despatch Centre, who received the emergency call and passed the information to local Camden units. The caller has been very vigilant and done exactly what we would ask from any member of the public.
“Clearly, we need to look into this further, to establish the sequence of events and to see if there are any lessons to be learned.”

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If traders have been warned about the consequences and still ignored them in this way they should be named and shamed. It's disgraceful.
Georgina Parry