Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
How Betting Shops Divert Police Time
At a recent event, I fell into conversation with two very friendly local beat bobbies. One of them shared some striking information on the impact of betting shops on their job.
They said that there is a significant problem with disturbances caused by under-age gamblers in the betting shops on Wood Green High Street. I was told that the problem is so significant that their ability to spend time on the rest of their beat is severely compromised.
Apparently what happens is that these under age guys go in to the betting shops to gamble, often in gangs, and if they're challenged on their age they're liable to attack the staff or the premises. Just recently a staff member a the new Paddy Power near Wood Green tube was attacked with a street bin by some teenagers.
It would be difficult to think of a more troubling story. Here we have:
- efficacy of neighbourhood policing compromised (not the Met's fault)
- violence in a retail area
- vulnerable people being exploited.
What on earth else do the courts / does the Govt. need to act and change this terrible situation?
They said that there is a significant problem with disturbances caused by under-age gamblers in the betting shops on Wood Green High Street. I was told that the problem is so significant that their ability to spend time on the rest of their beat is severely compromised.
Apparently what happens is that these under age guys go in to the betting shops to gamble, often in gangs, and if they're challenged on their age they're liable to attack the staff or the premises. Just recently a staff member a the new Paddy Power near Wood Green tube was attacked with a street bin by some teenagers.
It would be difficult to think of a more troubling story. Here we have:
- efficacy of neighbourhood policing compromised (not the Met's fault)
- violence in a retail area
- vulnerable people being exploited.
What on earth else do the courts / does the Govt. need to act and change this terrible situation?
Tags for Forum Posts: betting shops, gambling
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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I'm sure they are Anette. Please let's not beat up the police for this. It ain't their fault.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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The police are picking up the pieces, just as they (and hospitals) pick up after the previous administration's 24-hour drinking legislation.
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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I'm not beating them up, I am just asking a question. It sounds like a potentially huge problem for this area, and it's an extremely valuable argument for a change in the law as well as a help for little people like us when faces with yet another betting shop on out little bit of Green Lanes. And it will happen. So I am just wondering why they're not more vocal about it and how we can use this argument in future. If the police them selves are not talking loudly about this, what chance do we have?
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I guess for all we know they are being vocal in the right places and if they're not, you're right they should be for the reasons you give.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Why aren't the police themselves flagging this as a big problem?
It's the perfect crime for a policeman is it not? Local, in a fixed location, good hours, defendants on CCTV and really pretty minor considering some of the domestics they probably have to deal with. If I was them I wouldn't want things changed, I might be out of a job!
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I think this example is only the most direct link between gambling and crime. The first aim of New Labour's Gambling Act 2005 was:
"preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime"
Though largely stripped of morality (this is no longer a legally valid objection to any new premises licences) – it at least had a recognition there was a risk that crime could be associated with gambling; such an aim is notable by its absence in legislation dealing with, for example, greengrocers. (It might be thought criminal that rotten fruit could be displayed, but fruit and vege sales are not widely associated with, for example, money-laundering).
It was a surprise when, in the Haringey Hearing for a gambling premises licence at Alexandra Palace, a lawyer for the Applicant asserted that crime was not associated with gambling (!?).
It was difficult to know on whose behalf she was speaking. I think she was paid by Ladbrokes, but the premises licence was sought by Alexandra Palace Trading Ltd. (APTL) – i.e. the Applicant was a trading company the wholly owned and controlled by Haringey Council, Trustee of Alexandra Palace.
Insofar as the gambling at Ally Pally was profitable for APTL, the council had a financial interest in the awarding of this premises licence to themselves. And thus there was yet another a conflict of interest, which goes blithely unrecognised by Haringey and leads to a lawyer making such a remarkable claim, with council-connivance.
The Act talks about preventing gambling being a source of crime. What about preventing it being a subject of crime, being an application of crime? I am not thinking solely of money laundering.
We tend to know about crime inside betting shops, due to CCTV, witnesses and reporting. But I to wonder how much crime exists, not inside betting shops but away from them, in order to fund poor punters' gambling addiction?
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Permalink Reply by Ian Willmore on
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You could try my old mucker Lord Harris of Haringey. Just don't tell him I suggested this. Jennette Arnold AM is on MPA too.
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Scandalous. Did nothing come of the petition that was sent to David Lammy? I received a polite and sympathetic automated response, but no action has been evident.
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Here's the latest update from David Lammy's office.
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Permalink Reply by Isidoros on
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Our MPs, the Police and the Council, all try hard these days to control the proleferation of betting shops and other similar parasitical "establishments", but we are all hamstrang by the current legislation and we need to have it changed. We need to convince the government that this is an urgent and important issue.
Betting shops, (as well as massage parlours and loan sharks), focus on low income areas like vultures, exploiting the desperation of the poor, peddling dreams to them and suckking out of them whatever little money they may have.
However their negative impact is wider than that; theyare also pricing out other "normal" traders and service providers, who cannot compete with them and survice.
These "parasitical" establishments can afford to pay more to landlords, driving rent levels beyond what an average retailer or service provider in a low income area could possibly afford to pay.
As a Tottenham councillor, I am painfully aware of the frustrating inability of local authorities under current legislation to do anything beyond playing at the margins of this vital issue, which is likely to become even more crucial for our area as the recession bites and unemployment rises.
I am grateful to the MPs for their efforts but we need to complement their efforts by campaigning tirelesly for legislation that enables local communities and their local authorities to control the proliferation of such "establishments" in low income areas. We can succeedd on this issue, but only if we demonstrate the public outrage that exists. Lets all keep writing to our MPs demanding such legislation and signing the various petitions that are around.
For those interested, there will be a session about betting shops at the next meeting of our Tottenham & Seven Sisters Assembly (Tottenham Green Laisure Centre, 15th of July, from 6.30pm) to learn about the legislation and to discuss tactics.
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