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THE shooting of a youth worker in Gospel Oak has left a community divided over how to deal young people involved in crime.
Police called a public meeting on Saturday where community leaders said the area had been unfairly portrayed as a trouble zone by reports in the New Journal following the shooting in the leg of the youth worker known as Kito, 27, in Queen’s Crescent. In an interview, he warned that police did not have a grip on youth crime.
Neighbourhood leaders said his comments were made when he was recovering from his wounds and under stress, and that they did not represent those of the wider community.
But Yasmin Allen, who lives nearby, said Queen’s Crescent has always had a scarcity of uniformed officers. Speaking after the meeting, she said: “It’s not surprising that when there’s trouble, people call the youth worker – there’s never any police around at that time of night.”
Former mayor Jill Fraser, a Lib Dem councilor, said: “Police only come if there is an issue, you do not see them at night. I believe the force could take these kids and continue their education or train them.”
Ward councillor Lulu Mitchell said: “Three shootings later, the council have to sit up and listen, and we need more bobbies on the beat.”
Mick Farrant, director of the Queen’s Crescent Community Association, said: “I am very sorry that this particular young man said what he did. I shall be writing to the local press saying that this is not the view of the Queen’s Crescent Community Centre.” 
Superintendent Raj Kohli, the borough’s community policing chief, said people’s fear of crime in Gospel Oak was worse than the reality of crime levels, and that he would be assigning an extra police constable to the ward.
He told the meeting: “Gospel Oak, in terms of criminality is actually about average, but what we have here is perception.” He warned that young people should not be viewed with fear and should not be “criminalised”.
CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS and JOSH LOEB

Opinion – Highest praise for police in Gospel Oak

A PACKED public meeting of Gospel Oak residents condemned negative reporting on Gospel Oak by the Camden New Journal, and supported their local police team. In her introduction, PC Janine Cunningham was anxious to emphasise the excellent and positive response from the Gospel Oak community as a whole.
In open discussion, Kiln Place residents in particular were outraged by the tone of the CNJ report which seemed to suggest that local policing was invisible. They had nothing but the highest praise for Gospel Oak Safer Neighbourhoods Team (GOSNT) who had dealt with a nasty outbreak of anti-social behaviour in Kiln Place so effectively that six months later there had been no recurrence. Mick Farrant of Queen’s Crescent Community Association (QCCA), wondered why the CNJ had sought to interview an injured person likely still to be in shock and unaware that his words would be spun to create a wholly negative view of youth engagement and police partnership in  the area.
QCCA reaches out to a wide spectrum of residents, including young people, with structured and supportive programmes, while GOSNT has consistently supported a range of youth activities. Far from the CNJ’s preferred image of a deprived ward shivering in fear, the meeting showed Gospel Oak to be a thriving community, fully able to tackle its challenges with vigour and confidence.
CHRIS FAGG

• Chris Fagg is chairman of Gospel Oak Safer Neighbourhoods Citizens Panel
• Editor’s note: The New Journal does not have a ‘preferred image’ of Gospel Oak  but provided this opportunity for critics to have their say.