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UK: Blitz fails to beat the Camden drug menace
Haroon Siddique haroon.siddique@hamhigh.co.uk Hampstead and Highgate Express
Friday 04 Aug 2006 IT will take more than a one-month blitz to banish the drug dealers from Camden Town. That was the consensus at the end of the joint council and police crackdown on anti-social behaviour in July. Camden Markets Traders Association chairman Jimmy Anderson said: "To be honest we haven't noticed a big difference. As soon as the police aren't there, they [the drug dealers] are straight back out. "On Camden Lock bridge I can assure you there is a team of Africans who are there whether the police are there or not. "I think we need a more permanent police presence along the main walkways in Camden Town." The crackdown involved additional police, some with sniffer dogs, street wardens, licensing, street trading and trading standards officers targeting crime and anti-social behaviour. During the month police made 168 arrests and seized drugs worth £3,650. Street trading officers seized nearly 1,000 DVDs from illegal sellers and trading standards officers seized counterfeit goods worth more than £4million. Anti-social behaviour crusader Silla Carron, from the Castlehaven estate, said: "A few of the dealers will come back and a few of them never left. I think it's had an effect but I think we have to change people's attitudes. We need a lot more police to be able to do the job effectively and make it sustainable. "There's a lot more people willing to report and give information and that's very positive. There's still a culture out there that will do it [deal drugs] and I don't know whether that will change but it's worth keeping going." The Ham&High tested the effects of the blitz on Monday afternoon, the last day of the one-month crackdown. Walking past Camden Lock bridge groups of dealers were not as conspicuous as usual. But it was soon apparent they were just being more cautious. Two separate individuals offered skunk (super-strength cannabis) outside music shop Fopp, by the bridge. Walking a few metres down Chalk Farm Road towards Camden Town tube station a youth outside a shop again offered skunk. On Inverness Street it appeared to be business as usual. A youth immediately offered skunk in whatever quantity required and others followed suit. Councillor Ben Rawlings said: "The idea of once a year having a month-long blitz is not in itself a particularly useful strategy. "The challenge is to take lessons from it with our review of anti-social behaviour orders, controlled drinking zones and dispersal notices so we can look at what works. Looking at evidence we can see how, where and when more police resources and more council resources are effective. If high visibility patrols are more effective that's what we'll look at doing." http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/
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