Note a downward trend in reported crime

Published: 2 September, 2010

• YOUR excited and verbose correspondent Nick Gordon of Highgate Road, NW5, is keen to support the doomsday scenario of Gospel Oak as the Dodge City of gang violence (Gangs don’t look at A-Zs! August 26).

If he would care to consult the Metropolitan Police Crime Survey online he will find that reported crimes in Gospel Oak ward in the year ending July 2010 represented 0.7 per cent of the population of the ward whereas reported crimes in Gospel Oak for the year ending July 2009 represented 0.8 per cent of the ward population, thus a downward trend overall.

One crime, of course, is one too many, but can we suggest that when he leaves his Kentish Town ward to enter Gospel Oak ward, he may do so with a degree of confidence?

Can we also suggest that, if he wishes to make a difference, he might seek out Kentish Town Safer Neighbourhood Citizens Panel (next meeting 15/9, Playproject, Islip Street, NW5) as a source of accurate information about the area as a whole?

CHRIS FAGG
Chair, Gospel Oak Safer Neighbourhood Panel