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NO-GO ZONES FOR SUMMER
Groups of youths to be moved on in response to teen stabbing
ANTI-CRIME “dispersal zones” are planned for the summer holidays to move on groups of youths hanging around the streets where schoolboy Martin Dinnegan was killed.
Islington Police confirmed last night (Thursday) the emergency measures are “likely to cover all or part” of trouble-torn Finsbury Park, Tollington and Highbury West wards.
Martin, 14, was stabbed to death three weeks ago at the junction of Axminster Road and Tollington Way in Finsbury Park.
A police spokeswoman said: “In response to the murder of Martin, we are introducing a dispersal zone that will be intelligence led and cover congregation points, trouble spots and meeting areas. It will allow us to move groups of two or more youths or take them home to their parents.”
The Tribune understands the zone will last for two months, for the summer holidays, and will ‘go live’ in the next few weeks in a bid to curb youth violence and tackle the knife-carrying culture among some young people.
But Martin’s mother, Lorraine, 40, is concerned the zones may just displace youths elsewhere.
She said: “Where would they be moved on to? There really needs to be services put into place for when they move them on.
“They can’t just move them on and leave them, they will just gather somewhere else.
“There needs to be more done in terms of youth clubs for 14 to 21-year-olds.”
Mrs Dinnegan wants to become more involved with the Cornwallis Adventure Playground, Martin’s favourite hang-out, to help young people.
Residents will be encouraged to give their feedback on the effectiveness of the dispersal zones, a measure that has been used in the past to deal with street drinkers in the area.
The zones were one of a raft of proposals floated by children’s services boss Paul Curran at Tuesday night’s East Area Committee in the wake of Martin’s death.
He said more involvement of residents, intelligence sharing and “intervention” were all key factors in creating a safer environment for young people and everyone else.
Mildmay councillor Meral Ece, the former Lib Dem social services chief, said: “These are not kids who would go to youth clubs and play pool and hang out with their friends.
“To put a knife in your pockets when you go out for the evening, clearly you’ve got other motives.”
Cllr Ece called for more detached youth workers to walk the streets and engage hard-to-reach teens.
Mr Curran told the committee: “We’re in the process of working out what intervention would be needed.”
Finsbury Park ward councillor Phil Kelly, for Labour, said afterwards: “If it stops a group becoming a critical mass then I think it will stop violence, but it is a small part of the things we have to do.” |
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