DISPERSAL ZONE EXTENDED IN CAMDEN TOWN

1 November 2006

Police powers to ban troublemakers for up to 24 hours from the Camden Town area are being extended over the festive period to help prevent alcohol-related violence and street robbery.

Camden Council has agreed to continue the dispersal zone brought in during a joint council and police Camden Town Clean-up campaign in July, but reduced in size to focus on the areas with the most problems. The zone includes St Pancras Way, Camden Road, Primrose Hill and Parkway. The council will continue to use its powers to respond to residents’ concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime in the areas surrounding the old dispersal zone.

Police can ban groups causing trouble from the zone for up to 24 hours to diffuse problems and keep the streets safer for all. The zone will run until 1 January 2007.

The dispersal zone is one of a number of initiatives from Camden Council and the police to ensure alcohol related problems do not ruin the quality of life in Camden Town. It will run alongside joint council and police operations and visits to licensed premises to ensure the terms of their licence are met. Camden Council’s licensing panel recently suspended the licence of Victoria Food and Wine in Haverstock Hill for a period of three months after serious breaches of its conditions, including selling alcohol outside permitted hours. The panel also imposed stricter conditions imposed when the licence comes back into force.

Cllr Ben Rawlings, Camden Council's Executive Member for Community Safety, said: "Thousands of people come to Camden Town to have a fun and enjoyable time. Unfortunately, their fun - together with the lives of the people who live around Camden Town - can be ruined by violent and aggressive behaviour from a tiny minority of people that have drunk far too much.

“The dispersal zone is there to help the police deal with trouble before its starts. It is one part of a wide range of work we are doing to make Camden Town a safer place. This includes the recent joint high visibility month initiative with the police and improvements to Inverness Street market that will see more police patrols and an increased Street Warden presence, better CCTV and new initiatives to work with young people to deter them from crime and anti-social behaviour.

“We’re also reviewing all the work we do to tackle anti-social behaviour. We’re looking at all the projects and initiatives we run, to see what works well and what can be improved and to ensure that we are tackling anti-social behaviour in the most effective, responsive and non-discriminatory way."

Superintendent Martin Richards, Camden Police, said: "This extension will continue to enable police to combat anti-social behaviour in the Camden Town area which will mean that the area will be safer. Those few who may cause disturbances or are unruly will be challenged by police and dispersed. We are working together with the council to make sure that Camden is even safer for those who live, work and visit the borough."

Residents can have their say on how the council should tackle anti social behaviour through a series of ward meetings organised by ward councillors on the borough’s new community strategy - Camden Together. More information about the ward meetings and the community strategy consultation can be found at www.camdentogether.org.uk.

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