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Transport for London’s Tim Graves with PC Fay Brown |
Police: We brought in zone to stop gangs recruiting at station
New powers used to break up groups of youths as targeted Tube worker ‘fears for life’
POLICE have confirmed that a dispersal zone was set up at Finsbury Park Tube station in response to fears that schoolchildren were at risk of being recruited into gangs.
They have said that large numbers of youths apparently loitering outside the station intimidated commuters and staff, leading to the introduction of the zone last month.
The zone gives police the power to break up groups of youths and potentially ban them from the area for 24 hours. It has already been used to disperse groups “hanging around for no reason,” officers said.
PC Fay Brown, who was behind the introduction of the zone, said a Tube worker targeted by the youths was “in fear for his life” and refused to continue working at the station unless action was taken.
PC Brown said the Finsbury Park dispersal zone was introduced after gang members started attempting to recruit schoolchildren hanging around the station.
She added: “They’d be hanging around waiting for young peers, young new recruits or young ladies to play up to.
“Finsbury Park became the new location and it was causing traffic chaos and members of the public to feel uncomfortable.”
She made her comments as police and Transport for London joined forces to launch a dedicated police “hub” at Finsbury Park bus station.
As the nine-officer team – made up of a sergeant, a constable and seven community support officers – posed for a photo call outside the station last week, the need for their presence was demonstrated when an elderly passenger approached them to say her purse had been stolen on a bus.
PC Geoff Lamb, of the new team, said: “That’s one of our major targets – pickpockets and high visibility. We want to let the criminals know we’re here and mean business.”
The Finsbury Park bus station is one of 32 police “hubs”, centred on transport links, which are to be established across London under Mayor Boris Johnson.
The team will be based at the bus station but will also board buses. The Tube is monitored by British Transport Police. PC Brown – who patrols buses and the station as a part of Transport for London’s Finsbury Park ward police – confirmed what commuters have known for a long time: that the route 29 service, known as the “party bus”, is one of the worst routes in the borough for rowdiness and crime.
She said: “The route 29 is probably the worst. It’s a bendy and criminals can get on it without paying and they know they can get away. Unless you put conductors back on buses it’s very difficult.”
The 29 route snakes from central London’s Trafalgar Square, where many drunken revellers board, to party centre Camden Town and through Finsbury Park to Enfield.
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