Published November 13th, 2008
More Police for Finsbury Park
Islington’s Liberal Democrat-run council has welcomed news that Mayor Boris Johnson has agreed funding for extra transport police at Finsbury Park.
Finsbury Park station will in future have a dedicated team of Police officers based permanently at the bus station starting in the next few months. They will patrol the tube and overground stations too as well as the area around the station .
Liberal Democrat Councillor Laura Willoughby who has been a longstanding resident of Blackstock Road and Finsbury Park said: “This new police team is a welcome boost for the ongoing improvements the Council is making around Finsbury Park.
The Liberal Democrat council has already invested money in a special policing team for Nag’s Head and Finsbury Park, the North Islington Problem Solving Team, funded new lighting in Seven Sisters Road under the railway bridge and is working with businesses to make Blackstock Road a safer place .
These changes are already making people feel safer and making Blackstock Road and Finsbury Park a place people really want to visit, live and work in.“
Published November 11th, 2008
Police set up new team to tackle youth crime
In response to concern about youth violence in Islington, a new Youth Engagement Team has been set up by police.
The Youth Engagement Team (YET) will help prevent serious youth violence and knife enabled crime in Islington in the long-term through engagement and diversionary activities. It will complement the short-term enforcement tactics already in place.
Sergeant Andy Briers is leading the team with support from four police constables - Ed Stevens, Emlyn Hughes, Andy Day and Tim Cooke, all of whom have a strong interest in youth issues and excellent local knowledge. Between them they have a breadth of relevant experience which includes having worked on local Safer Neighbourhood Teams and in local schools including the Pupil Referral Unit Project .
The simple aim of the YET is to prevent harm - by young people as perpetrators and to young people as victims. The Team will engage with young people who are involved in or are at risk of becoming involved in violent crime and gangs. They will prevent teenagers coming to harm through intervention and diversionary activities and will visit the homes of Islington’s most prolific offenders as well as victims of knife crime.
Working closely with other agencies such as the Youth Offending Service and youth workers from Islington Council they will visit areas where teenagers hang around and encourage them to take part in other more positive activities already provided by the police and the council.
A large number of engagement activities are already being carried out by police in Islington. During a 23-week period, local Safer Neighbourhoods Teams and Safer Schools Officers carried out 658 engagement activities and events in Islington. The YET will co-ordinate these activities as well as providing additional ones aimed specifically at young people who are at risk.
The team, which has been up and running since 13th October 2008 has already carried out numerous activities including: -
· Conducting daily intelligence checks on young people who have come to notice, then contacting these young people and their families/guardians.
· They have made numerous home visits.
· They profile, monitor and assess the progress of prolific offenders.
· They are running a Princes Trust programme with Project 16 two afternoons per week.
· They are liaising with Haringey Council to set up a running track at Finsbury Park for students from the local pupil referral unit.
· With local churches, they are developing a youth club to cater for 50 young people.
· They are liaising with the Youth Offending Service to produce a definitive list of activities for young people In Islington.
· Following the success of the Met’s partnership with MTV, EMI, charity XLP and the Safer London Foundation for MTV’s ‘Pimp My Ride’, they are liaising with the Islington garage which performed the make over of the police van and who have offered to give 12 young people apprenticeships at the garage.
Superintendent John Sutherland from Islington Police said;
‘We realised that we needed to complement our positive approach to enforcement with additional resources to support engagement - specifically with those young people who are involved in violent crime. The Youth Engagement Team aims to support potential victims and to help those most at risk of offending by building trust and diverting them towards positive activities.’
Published October 28th, 2008
Crack House closed
Police have closed down a crack house in Highbury after neighbours complained of anti-social behaviour by drug users. Local Lib Dem Councillors Terry Stacy, John Gilbert. A survey of residents in Highbury East ward revealed that drug-related antisocial behaviour was their biggest concern.
Sergeant Colin Francis, of the Highbury East Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “We are aware some residents are concerned about drug use. I would like to reassure them we are taking strong, decisive action by shutting down addresses connected to drugs and antisocial behaviour.”
Town Hall Lib Dem housing and crime chief Councillor Terry Stacy and Laura Willoughby took up the issue. The address, in Catherall Road, is just one of several homes on the Highbury Quadrant estate being monitored by police.
Officers requested permission to close the property after finding seven crack pipes and other evidence of drug use during a raid in August. After hearing anonymous evidence from residents, Highbury magistrates issued a closure order recently. The house will now remain shut for three months while Homes for Islington pursues court action to evict the tenant permanently.
The Highbury East Safer Neighbourhoods police team, that investigates drug use and anti-social behaviour, is targeting other addresses on Highbury Quadrant and in Highbury New Park in the hope of securing further closure orders. This move is fully supported by your local Liberal Democrat Councillors.
Cllr Terry Stacy said: “Our estate residents deserve to live their lives without having to put up with drugs. There is no place for this behaviour in Highbury, let alone Islington, so people be warned.”
He was joined by fellow Highbury East Councillor Laura Willoughby who said “Action speaks louder than words and we are delighted that the police took the action they did. The Council will do all it can to make sure places like this are closed and our estates are drugs free”
Published August 17th, 2008
Clamping down on knife crime
Along with working with young people to deter knife and other crime, the Council has another tool to help it tackle the problem - age restrictions on knife sales.
It has been illegal to sell knives to under 16’s for some time now, and the council is responsible for ensuring businesses don’t do this. Those caught face huge fines. In the last year the council has increased the number of test sales and prosecutions it has brought against those selling to under 16’s.
Cllr Terry Stacy said: “This is just one route we have for tackling knife crime. We will come down hard on anyone selling knives to under 16’s. Undercover visits make sure prosecutions stick.”
Published March 31st, 2008
Security at Starbucks Highbury Corner
Did you know Starbucks at Highbury Corner has ONE BAG A DAY STOLEN from its premises? Did you know they do very little about this and have no plans to help protect its customers? I think residents in Islington deserve better from its retailers, especially large profitable chains like Starbucks. So I hope you will sign my petition calling for them to take action. You can find by clicking here and do pass the link on to your friends. Cllr Laura Willoughby Liberal Democrat Councillor for Highbury East
