Police community support officers set to stay on streets of Camden Town
Published: 01 July, 2010
by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
POLICE community support officers will continue patrolling Camden Town until at least 2012.
The Town Hall and police chiefs this week agreed to pay out around £800,000 between them to keep 18 PCSOs on the streets.
The council say the support officers, who have been on the beat in the area for the past three years, have contributed to a 17 per cent reduction in crime since over that period.
Roy Walker, the chairman of the Camden Town with Primrose Hill Safer Neighbourhoods panel and owner of Walker’s Quay on the Camden Lock, said: “The PCSOs work very well in Camden Town because they have very good support. They’re on the street for most of their shift while police can be bogged down with paperwork.”
Community safety chief Councillor Abdul Hai said he was “delighted” at their continued presence at “a time of uncertain financial pressures on the public sector”.
And Camden Borough Commander Dominic Clout said the team had “made a significant impact”.
He added: “The only people not pleased with this agreement must be the local drug dealers and other criminals.”
Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Mennear said: “The real issue for the police is getting police officers out on the streets and not stuck in stations.”