• AS someone who also lives close to Garlinge Road, I was also shocked to hear how the level of anti-social behaviour has escalated in recent months, (Our road also needs police patrols at night, January 20).

It’s not just groups of cannabis users gathering around certain hotspots. Over Christmas I received reports from neighbours of intimidation of residents and the vandalism of property, including the Virgin Media internet cable being cut.

I thought that they might be stealing the copper from the cables, but the Virgin repair guy says that they do it for fun; it’s happened several times and they send the same repairer to fix it each time. That is crime, pure and simple.

On January 11, with the help of evidence from neighbours on Garlinge Road and Chevington, past reports made to the police, and Virgin Media, I presented a large case file to Camden Council asking for patrols and extra security measures.

On January 20, the day you published the letter, I received confirmation that a security patrol will patrol Garlinge Road, Chevington, and other areas for the next two weeks. They will do this at night when the ASB happens.

The police have not been able to come despite repeated resident reports because they have been off shift.

This is welcome news, but as anyone who has worked in crime prevention will know, root causes must also be tackled. This means rehabilitation, good work, and community involvement.

My own research looks at crime which starts online, and the social structures and emotions which form which ultimately spill out onto the streets.

A concern one resident on Fordwych Road expressed to me was that “parents have much less power to know what their kids are doing, and the instant nature of the internet can massively inflame emotions which can very quickly lead to physical actions”.

I will push for ongoing safety measures such as CCTV for the affected areas, and will push Camden very hard to develop an integrated online-offline strategy to deal with emerging online crime.

And to intervene earlier in cases of domestic violence, for example. There is a lot more work to do, but the new patrol will be a start.

MARCUS STORM
Labour Candidate for Fortune Green ward