Criminality in Finsbury Park

LukeG

I know there have been several muggings, stabbings and murders in Finsbury Park and the wider area, but this story seems to have really hit a nerve here - I'd recommend reading through the whole article.

https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/crime-court/gang-of-16-rob-finsbury-park-gym-users-and-threaten-to-stab-them-1-6277306

HolbornFox

I was running in the park that night, genuinely frightening, its obviously the massive bunch that sit dealing by the entrance.


https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/status/1173920814607097856

LukeG

You really have to wonder what the police, MPs and councillors are doing, haven't heard a peep.

joust

Why won't the police make the effort. They need to spend just an hour watching.
They'll get drug dealers, drug resuppliers, and muggers.
Are they that incompetent?

LukeG

I have a feeling that they have been ordered to take a light touch from a community relations POV. As well as that:

I've chatted to Police in the park several times about local stash houses (Endymion Rd is the most blantant one haha, literally seen drops out of the top floor window more than the fingers on my hands) and the answer was that they are sometimes happy to keep them there so that they can monitor them -> the last thing they want is to make a vacuum by breaking apart a ring and then new players move in and create body count.

So the dealing goes on, the boys make money, think they own the park and can rob people when they want. I'm pretty sure it's why the homeless problem is so concentrated at the bottom of Stroud Green.

At the end of the day you have to wonder why the MPs, councillors and police don't want this issue dealt with.

Eliz

I'm also pretty sure that's why the homeless problem is concentrated near the park. The Council and others have blamed the situation on kind hearted but misguided people giving money to beggers but I see very little evidence of begging under the bridge. I think it's proximity to dealers that keeps people in that location.

Not sure what the solution is but there's definitely a 'broken windows theory' situation developing in the area. Maybe the station entrance reopening will change the dynamics again but I wouldn't bet on it.

joust

This reminds me.. I must rewatch the wire.

Ali

Under the bridge was it demand that created the supply or supply that created the demand ?

It will go away once the footfall disappears when the new entrance opens

miss annie

Did any of you notice that the homeless people were there before Wells Terrace closed and you all had to start walking that way to get into the station? Just because you don't see something does not mean it isn't there.

gardener-joe

From our MP

https://twitter.com/catherinewest1/status/1174416092560859141

LukeG

Let's see what it amounts to - great to see people have been messaging her and the councillors

Ali

I have either walked or cycled under the bridges on the way to or from work for about 30 years and what we have now only really started after the closure of Well Terrace Tube entrance. The other thing is that this blog has been going for quite some time and this woudl have come up on here years ago again I dont believe it did until the Wells Terrace closure.

One thing I dont know is how mnay folks it actually is ie are there "shifts" or people comming and going. On the issue of people giving money someone must be as the drugs are getting paid for somehow ?

Another factor in that this will go away is the large numbers who arrive on W7, W3, 210 buses on teh Wells Terrace side used to and will still have a very short direct walk across either TfL or developer land so the opportinuty and space for loitering is very much reduced

Eliz

I’ve walked under that bridge at least twice a week for around 10 years (to get to N4 Library rather than the station) and never saw people camping out there until the Wells Terrace entrance closed. Fully accept that there may have been homeless people sleeping elsewhere in the area at that time but they definitely weren’t under the bridge.

Not sure what the answer is re supply and demand @Ali, I suppose we’ll know if the situation changes after December.

LukeG

I really hope the cameras are installed at the entrances to the park and the police take action - I'm worried that they won't really be given the resources to tackle the issue and it won't be sorted.

LukeG

I think those who met with the police were given a graph of the crime showing a big spike this year and last year... Would be good to see a copy. (Having seen some tweets)

Brodiej

Having read the article, can we take that this was also a racist attack? Surprised nobody has mentioned that so far. I found that element quite shocking to be honest.

LukeG

That shocked me the most too. It's frustrating not to be able to know if it was recorded as such by the police, but likely it was?

therattle

Sorry, miss annie, but I don't recall people camping under the bridge prior to the Wells Terrace entrance closure either. I ride under the bridge every day. I would have noticed.

miss annie

I do recall people sleeping under the bridge. Not as many, but definitely a homeless presence. The two old fellas at the Seven Sisters entrance have been there at least 10 years too.
There is usually no one in the homeless encampments between around 11am - 2pm, very few after about 9pm. There is very open soliciting going on at the moment with the two women who share the hut in the middle. Worryingly, they also had a camping stove on the go inside it a couple of weeks ago.

Arkady

Tina has been there on and off for years. The shanty town is new.

Ali

There will be a bit more footfall than before Wells Terrace closure as I guess folks will have realised you can now get to Blackfriars in 16 mins !

There seems to be only one "tent" up earlier today.

Arkady

The fence has greatly reduced the number of people under there, hasn't it.

The long-overdue bridge painting is rather pleasing.

joust

The fence stopped it for a while. But it's mostly all back again now.

How inefficient is it to hire three scissor lifts and two generators and then not use them for months. Project management in the council is amazing.

rikki

@LukeG "At the end of the day you have to wonder why the MPs, councillors and police don't want this issue dealt with."
Bribery and corruption?

LukeG

Maybe it's more that they are powerless

LukeG

I don't think it's politically attractive to any of them to send a wagon to arrest the twenty odd dealers in the park and take them all away.

LukeG

https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/crime-court/catherine-west-calls-for-more-patrols-and-cctv-in-finsbury-park-following-phone-robberies-1-6285269

senorb

Does anyone know why there is a dog unit or two every night under the railway bridge whilst the painters are there (usually 10/11pm ish)? Is it due to security concerns for the workers?

miss annie

I thought that was odd too.

HolbornFox

Someone mentioned the prostitutes that used to hang around Queens Drive recently, I actually drove past a couple last night on my way home from work in that very spot, I've not seen that for a very long time.

gardener-joe

@HolbornFox "... the prostitutes ... around Queens Drive... I actually drove past a couple last night on my way home from work in that very spot..."

Male or female?