Cleaning up Brixton
I have been raising the disgraceful state of Brixton and the existence of an open drugs market in the centre - with the Council, Mayor and the Metropolitan police.
One of the main issues that I have been working with Lambeth Police, Transport for London and Lambeth is to try and get the phone boxes outside Brixton tube station moved. There are 12 boxes in this area which the police claim are encouraging drug dealing and associated crime in the town centre. TfL also supported getting rid of the boxes as they impact on the large-scale refurbishment plans for the street scene in Brixton Road. However, British Telecom who own six of the boxes are reluctant to move remove the boxes as they say there is demand for them.
Recently BT submitted a planning application to Lambeth Council to remove some of the boxes and move the remaining ones across the pavement slightly. I objected to this proposal. The permission was refused because Lambeth (plus the police, myself and TfL) want a complete removal because the cluster of boxes contribute to overcrowding and block 'sight lines' along Brixton Road which makes it difficult to identify the drug dealers operating outside the station. The boxes also of course provide a shelter for users and dealers.
Another issue that I have been involved in is the removal of the bus shelters on Brixton Road. The bus shelters created a pinch point for pedestrians leading to overcrowding and increasing vulnerability of pick-pocketing as well as blocking sight lines for police and CCTV and providing somewhere for drug users and dealers to congregate. I hope TfL's decision to remove the shelters will make a positive impact.
The police are dedicated to joint enforcement working with the British Transport Police, Lambeth Council and the policing section of TfL (TOCU) to make further progress with respect to crime reduction and public reassurance in Brixton Town Centre. The police, the Drugs and Firearms Unit and Transport Operational Unit officers have been undertaking long-term surveillance of the area culminating in a three-day operation at the end of June to arrest those dealing Class A drugs. As well as arresting and working towards convictions for these offenders, operations like these are also intended to increase public reassurance with a high visibility of police presence. The police will be carrying out continuing covert operations in Brixton and patrolling with drug detection dogs. This is a long-term crackdown with the aim on cleaning the dealers out of Brixton.
I observed the current operation in the CCTV control room back in June and was very impressed with the process by which the police snatch dealers off the streets. They have also liaised with the courts system and CPS so that the processing of the charges will go smoothly. One of the issues which has been raised during this latest operation is that a number of dealers are in fact selling counterfeit drugs - they are so called skankers, removing these people is a different issue.
Next year Transport for London will be refurbishing the street and removing some of the clutter of street furniture which impedes the surveillance of the area.
Mayor Boris Johnson is carrying out a "value for money assessment" on long standing plans for a new station on Surrey Canal Road.
