Police Response to Harringay Online members questions re personal safety

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alison P on March 31, 2010 at 22:47

Is there any way of posting the info contained in these links on HOL as they can't be accessed via mobile?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz on March 31, 2010 at 23:00

Bear with me, as a woman with mobile that just about makes a phone call, do you mean just cutting and pasting the key bits out into a text box? or attaching the documents as word docs?
The underlined links police and addressing public safety will take you to the scribd site where they can be read as pdfs, but maybe that site doesn't work on a mobile?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alison P on April 2, 2010 at 20:13

Yep, sorry - that is what I mean, the scribd site cannot be accessed via a mobile or Blackberry. Am sure the sainted iphone copes fine however :)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz on April 2, 2010 at 20:46

As requested, the key points extracted from police response to David Lammy, apologies for slight loss of formatting with numbers:
1. There are normally two or three robbery cars on duty however they do not patrol on a 24 hour basis. They generally patrol later in the day and into the early hours of the morning, though these hours can be adjusted to deal with specific problems.

2. This is not an area I can discuss, especially since the investigations into these incidents are being handled by our Serious Crime Directorate. Undercover operations are one of the resources that can be deployed.

3. The CCTV cameras along Green Lanes are council cameras and I’m advised by our video sentry unit that they are of a good quality although their primary use is for monitoring traffic.


4. This point has already been answered in our previous press releases and I’ve provided Nora Mulready with the detail of our public communications around the rapes.

5. This point is covered in the detail already provided for an incident that occurred on the 9th of January and was subject of an appeal on the 17th of February.


6. In respect of figures for robbery and sexual assault [sexual assault covers all types of sexual assault, whether or not the suspect is known by the victim, including more minor offences, figures for rape are much lower] I’m able to provide figures for Harringay Ward and they are as follows -



Robbery SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB

2009 -10 2 1 1 5 4 4



Sexual offences SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB

2009- 10 1 3 4 3 2 0



7. This point is covered in the detail already provided and as a result of the continuing investigations they are not being treated as linked.



8. Police would, dependant upon the circumstances, probably use offences under of the Public Order Act 1986 to deal with any individual who is acting inappropriately. Specifically these would be -

S.4 Fear of provocation of violence

S.4A Intentional harassment, alarm or distress

S.5 Harassment, alarm, distress.



In addition a four day operation to tackle kerb-crawlers was carried out in March by several neighbouring safer neighbourhood teams, together with officers from CO14 Clubs and Vice Unit. The operation was conducted in the N15 and N17 areas and included a long stretch of Green Lanes that runs along the border of Harringay and St Anns wards. This resulted in 22 charges for soliciting although there was no evidence of the offence being committed in Green Lanes. A similar operation conducted in South Tottenham last year resulted in 25 arrests and is a tactic we will continue to use.



9. Having spoken with the local safer neighbourhood team sergeant he is unaware of any arrests or investigations for offences as described on Harringay ward. The issue for my officers is that although incidents are being posted on Harringay online they do not appear to have been reported to police. My officers may become aware of them via Harringay online but that could be sometime well after the event. If members of the public are concerned then they should contact police, not necessarily by the 999 system if that isn’t appropriate, but by use of the non-emergency number 0300 123 1212. At least then we can be made aware of a problem, a patrol be dispatched or at least have it flagged for the attention of the local SNT.



10. The safer neighbourhood team, if they are aware of problems, can patrol and show a visible presence to deter it and response teams can be tasked to patrol areas more frequently. In addition operations as previously described in point 8 should help to show people that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable.



11. Police have given updates through the local media, Harringay online and e-mail.



12. I have spoken to my officers and they are not aware of any new halfway houses that have opened.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz on April 2, 2010 at 20:51

Second document
Addressing Public Confidence and Safety around the Harringay Ladder Rapes

Incidents in vicinity of Harringay Ladder:
Saturday 21 November 2009 - Pemberton Road N4 Rape
Tuesday 15 December 2009 - Mattison Road N4 Rape
Saturday 9 January 2010 - Green Lanes Rape



Summary:

In order to maintain public confidence and increase public safety around a number of rapes in the vicinity of the Harringay Ladder, Haringey Press Office has taken action to liaise with the relevant investigating officers, SMT, Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeant, council partners, Area Press Office and Press Bureau to ensure that the community was kept up to date with information regarding the incidents, police action and personal safety advice.

This was done by providing the Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeant with information enabling him to send out reassurance to his Key Individual Network (KIN), answer queries from the public and post information onto Harringayonline.com (a popular social networking site covering the area of the offences).

Local reporters have been kept informed through emailed releases and phone calls to put things in context. St Anns and Harringay Safer Neighbourhoods have used their newsletters to advertise personal safety classes and the availability of alarms. The council has been kept informed through updates and a partnership letter offering reassurance has been sent out to Harringay ward.

Action:

24/11/09

· Appeal and personal safety information sent to local press re Pemberton Road.

· Sgt Clay-Michael emails to KIN, and help with enquiries from the public, covering Pemberton Road appeal, personal safety information and details of personal safety classes being organised by the SNT.

· Appeal and personal safety information posted onto Harringayonline.com (popular social networking site in the area)

09/12/09

· Press release sent out about staying safe when traveling over the festive season and various stalls being held across the borough where people can get advice.



16/12/09 - 18/12/09

· Sgt Clay-Michael emails KIN, and help with enquiries from the public, covering Mattison Road appeal, personal safety information, details of personal safety classes being organised by the SNTs and offering personal alarms.

· Sgt Clay-Michael [Harringay] posted basic appeal re Mattison Road rape on Harringayonline.com site to quell growing speculation about a rape in the area.

· Appeal given to local press re Mattison Road N4 rape

· Joint press release with council about personal safety classes

· Sgt Hannah [St Anns] posted details of personal safety classes onto Harringayonline.com

21/12/09 - 24/12/09

· Assisted council with wording of reassurance letter to be distributed in Harringay ward with details re the police investigation, reassurance about police action, personal safety advice, offering personal safety classes and alarms.

21/01/10

· Sgt Hannah posted details of personal safety classes onto Harringayonline.com

· Sgt Clay-Michael posted reassurance quote from CI Jon Williams onto Harringayonline.com including personal safety advice.

January 2010

· Harringay SNT include personal safety advice and availability of personal alarms in monthly newsletter.

03/02/10

· Joint press release with council about personal safety classes

17/02/10

· Rape near Green Lanes N4 on 9 January 2010. Haringey Press Office made aware that despite this being a different MO and location, it was still close enough to The Ladder to impact on the local community.

· Haringey Press Office contacted local press to say that this was not linked to previous offences and also to reassert that the previous offences were not being linked.

· Sgt Clay-Michael provided with Green Lanes appeal to send via key individual network and assist with enquiries from public.

18/02/10

· Sgt Clay-Michael posted Green Lanes rape appeal onto Harringayonline.com with line saying there is no evidence to suggest the incident is linked to any other.

February 2010

· Harringay SNT include personal safety advice and availability of personal alarms in monthly newsletter.

• ▶ Reply