Dear Dame
Kensington residents have been tackling the vile and pornographic cards in our phone boxes. These blight our streets are seen by our young children.
The gangs who put them up are a daily threat to us and place us in danger.
Tourists note the sleaze and none of it is 'A Brighter Kensington' advertisement for UK PLC.
Residents removing the cards have been threatened with blades. Streetline employees clearing the cards have been harassed.
Despite meetings with the council and police for 18+ months to try to stop this dangerously antisocial behaviour there has been no meaningful action.
Why? Cllr Joanna Gardner, Cllr Mathew Palmer, the police, and BT, have all failed us.
Whose Side Are They On?
It can't be corruption, but could it be deafness and/or incompetence? Any ideas, anyone?
Cllr Nick Paget-Brown suggested at a MOPAC meeting that these gangs have been linked via DNA evidence to burglaries.
Current senior police officers speak about listening to local community concerns.
National Police Chiefs' Council head Sara Thornton said in July, and in September, that "the police need to have a conversation with the public to determine what they want us to do".
RBKC Council provides funds to the police in the Borough. The former has a stake in setting police priorities and objectives. That's money from our Council Tax, which should in part go towards what 'we, the people' say is a priority.
Organised crime includes people trafficking and prostitution. Behind the cardists is a gang leadership. The Met's representatives in our Royal Borough are not on their case.
Inspector Lestrade with or without Mr Holmes would identify gang bosses, but RBKC's blue line seems too thin and is not listening. Nor is the Council. Disgusted from Kensington is no prude, and knows the oldest profession will always be with us but would hope our elected representatives, and the police who serve us, can do better. Pick up the glove, Cllr Gardner and show some spirit!
Disgusted of Kensington
It's quite surprising that we still have phone boxes on the streets in this age of universal mobile phones.
ReplyDeleteWhy are Eastern Europeans targeted in the headline when the story makes no reference to race, country of origin or ethnicity?
ReplyDeleteOh, do stop this pathetic attempt to pretend that it's not the East European gangs who run prostitution. Do you live in a cave?
DeleteRead the stats from the Home Office: it's blatantly obvious.
Eastern Europeans gangs are the ones committing the crime as they have been witnessed and reported to the police, who know about this. Go stand on the Brompton Road outside Little Waitrose between 3 - 6pm and you will see the gang operate. It is well known. Since 2004 Eastern European crime has increased with burglaries, prostitution, people smuggling and fraud which has stretched Police resources.
ReplyDeleteSuggest Local resident associations begin to fine BT a £1000 a day if cards appear in the telephone boxes maybe then they will attempt to stop this crime.
The problem is that the penalties for carding are so feeble that they are not a deterrent.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the penalties are feeble and often unimposable. Taking into consideration the number of people who use phone boxes, these professionals must be using food banks to survive. Who needs phone boxes? They are not used, often dirty and quite expensive to maintain.... They should be re-designed, to be open kiosk like, with no wall space, or consigned to history......
ReplyDelete