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By ROISIN GADELRAB
 

Some of the officers who will make up the new patrols at the Town Hall on Tuesday
Police restructure under fire as 'undemocratic'

Dedicated teams of officers now patrol ever ward to fight crime

A MAJOR restructuring of how Camden is policed was officially launched at the Town Hall on Tuesday.
A dedicated team of six police officers will now patrol each of the borough’s ten wards, or constituencies, tackling crimes such as vandalsim, graffiti and street urination.
Officers from each of the ten teams attended a reception at the Town Hall on Tuesday.
But one aspect of the government scheme, has come under fire from critics who claim it is undemocratic.
Also included in the plans are Safer Neighbourhoods Panels (SNPs) – a forum of residents and police.
The panels replaced sector working groups, which have existed for more than a decade and hold open public meetings for the discussion of any crime concerns.
The new panels, however, can choose whether or not to make all their meetings public. Critics are also worried that the focus on low-level policing will mean residents do not have a forum where they can discuss more serious crime issues.
Lib Dem council election candidate Ed Fordham said: “There is nowhere now, apart from borough-wide meetings, to discuss serious crime because SNPs only deal with lower-level crime.”
He said that drugs, sustained criminal activity and organised crime are all off the panels’ agenda.
Eight SNPs, including ones in Hampstead, Kilburn, Gospel Oak and Swiss Cottage, have been running for some time. Hampstead’s SNP meets regularly, but will only hold two public meetings a year.
Tory councillor for Frognal and Fitzjohn’s Andrew Mennear said the panels were too small. He said: “People are unhappy because it means the only places where they are able to discuss policing issues is at ward or borough level.
“For example there is no place to discuss what’s happening across Hampstead because it’s split between Hampstead, Frognal and Fitzjohn’s.”
Borough Police Commander Mark Heath, speaking at a Town Hall meeting of Camden Community and Police Consultative Group (CCPCG) last Wednesday, attempted to allay fears, saying: “Community engagement is not going to go away.”
Peter Ward, CCPCG group administrator, said: “If you identify something that’s got bigger implications than just your patch you can raise this at the panel meetings.” He said that views would then be carried on to cluster meetings – a forum for those who chair panels, police sergeants and inspectors.
Outraged sector group members told the meeting they had received no notification of the decision to close their groups. June Swann, of Kentish Town sector working group, which ran for 12 years, said: “It would have been nice to have a thank-you for all the work we’ve done for no money.”
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