Police get new powers to tackle youth gangs in Caledonian Road

Published: 21 May 2010
by ROISIN GADELRAB

POLICE have been given extra powers to disperse groups of youths in Caledonian Road following reports of a “brewing gang” who have been buying knives from hardware stores. 

The planned dispersal zone has been brought in following the recent murders of teenager Jessie Wright and her friend Sam Fitzgerald.

But it will not cover Bingfield Park, where Jessie and Sam’s friends hang out, instead targeting south Caledonian Road and Edward Square, where a gang of youths, many from outside the borough, have been running wild.

Caledonian ward councillor Paul Convery said: “There’s a gang brewing there causing a lot of disturbance. Some of them are reasonably well-behaved but others are at best boisterous and at worst seriously intimidating and a bit wild. They’ve been doing things which are very alarming – trying to buy knives at hardware stores, throwing bottles, bricks, stuff like that, getting out of control. More than two-thirds of them don’t live here.” 

He said it is possible the group are part of a gang that call themselves ­Cally N1.

Islington’s new Labour administration, he said, is looking to shift council resources to improve youth services.

He added: “There are four or five parts of the borough where we’re very concerned that there’s a significant youth problem and a shortage of youth facilities. We want to fill that vacuum.”

He criticised past council efforts to only target small groups of the most troubled youths, asking: “what about the rest of the kids?”

Cllr Convery has warned police to make sure the youths are not displaced to Bingfield Park, which is not covered by the zone, adding: “Bingfield Park is a patch where this particular group of kids generally don’t go.”

The zone, which gives police the power to move on groups of two or more youths who are or are likely to become involved in crime, will run for three months from May 17. Anyone who doesn’t comply with the zone can be arrested.

Graham Burke, of Islington’s Antisocial Behaviour Team, said: “The dispersal zone is aimed at breaking up large groups of young people who seem intent on causing trouble. 

“This will not only protect local residents and traders from the noise, nuisance and threatening behaviour they have been suffering but will allow police to deal with individuals more effectively.”

Barnsbury and Caledonian Safer Neighbourhoods teams, the South Islington Problem Solving Team and the Safer Neighbourhoods Task Force will be enforcing the order with increased patrols in the evenings.