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Demonising the young
• DISPERSAL zones have a role to play in Camden in reducing youth anti-social behaviour, but they must stick to their intended purpose – temporary measures to help diffuse things in a particular area.
They should not be continually renewed and spread over more and more of Camden, but this is the direction in which we are heading.
One problem with the overuse of dispersal zones is that they can demonise and antagonise otherwise innocent young people.
Another problem is that they can be an excuse for lazy policing and simply push a problem into another area.
This is what seems to be happening in Belsize, which is not all quiet, leafy streets.
Neighbouring wards have dispersal zones and residents here report an increase in youth anti-social behaviour and gang activity.
The real, long-term solution to these problems, in Belsize and elsewhere, lies not in curfews, but in a combination of actions.
We need the council to install decent external lighting and closed circuit television cameras on estates, and to act efficiently against consistent antisocial behaviour offenders, including eviction where appropriate.
We also need the police response teams to take reports of antisocial behaviour more seriously, and for Safer Neighbourhoods teams to focus their patrols so as to be more likely of being in the right place at the right time.
In turn these steps can build the trust residents have with the council and police, leading to better co-operation.
Cllr Tom Simon
Liberal Democrat,
Belsize ward
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