"Attacked in Finsbury parked [sic] this morning"

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on October 23, 2015 at 22:24

The geography of crime is a really important consideration when you look at stats. You would expect an area with a large transport interchange and regular large crowds, be they from events in the park or football matches, to have higher rates of crime. For years the Kings Cross area has been reported as having a high crime rate but when the offences are accurately mapped the real crime hotspot is the station itself, not the surrounding area
Ruth is of course right, the willingness to report crime is a huge factor but given that Clissold Park is not near major transport hubs or on a regular route to a football ground and hosts small scale events, that cannot be the sole factor.

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Permalink Reply by Judith Box on October 29, 2015 at 10:55

Perception is an interesting beast.  The perception of safety (or not) is fuelled by such scaremongering headlines as this thread. 

I've been a regular user of Finsbury Park for over 20 years - in that time it has become nothing but safer and better.  The amount of anti-social behaviour I witness is minimal - and this is both from the perspective of being a dog walker in the park, and a parent with young children. - Yes it could be cleaner at times - so maybe there are specific campaigns that can be run.

It's a park in an urban area - you are never going to get no crime at all.  You  adhere to the basic safety rules you would anywhere - lock up bikes, make sure your bag is secure etc.

It's aways horrible when someone gets attacked/robbed - but it's shocking as it happens less often than people perceive.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on October 29, 2015 at 11:19

I have the same feeling about the park as you Judith. I've lived near the park on and off since 1981, and one point directly opposite on Seven Sisters Road. I was always wary of using the park in the 80s and 90s, and would walk all the way around it to avoid cutting through. My feeling of safety in the park has certainly increased in the last 5 or so years. I think the improved feeling of safety has also changed the make up of park users. In the 80s it felt threatening, now it's filled with people with their kids or groups playing sport. This is not to say that crime does not happen there and the impact on those who are the victims of crime is terrible. What I don't want to see is the park being labelled as a crime ridden place. If that becomes the perception, people stop using it, and when people stop using it that is definately when it becomes a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour.

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