Cardboard Cut Outs (From Times Series)

Cardboard Cut Outs

7:51pm Wednesday 11th March 2009

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A lull in Council meetings provides an opportunity to mention other aspects of a Councillors’ duty. I can only speak for my Ward colleagues, Councillors Susette and Monroe Palmer but I am sure other Councillors are, also, like us constantly in touch with residents about a whole range of local issues.

We deliver a regular newsletter in Childs Hill Ward. This is not funded by the Council. We also hold regular ward surgeries. No appointment is needed. Residents contact us by phone email and some still write to us via snail mail.

What kind of issues do we deal with? Well over the past twenty or so years, we seemed to have dealt with every subject under the sun.

This past week is fairly typical. I attended two separate ward surgeries. One was held at Child’s Hill Library. The other took place in the allotment hut situated at the Railway Terraces, in Cricklewood.

Residents turn up with various concerns. Subjects included, planning, street cleaning, council housing, anti social behaviour, traffic, and rat infestations.

Our Constituents email us daily with problems. We always try to respond by return. I think most residents are very patient and do understand that the workings of the Council can move very slowly.

What a many members of the public do not know is that from time to time we are called upon to advocate for our constituents on extremely sensitive issues. Examples include children with special needs, bullying and harassment by neighbours, racism and anti Semitic incidents.

Some Council departments are excellent in acknowledging and dealing with issues. Unfortunately others need constant reminding.

There is on issue in particular that has filled our email in boxes .this week. Local residents, in Cricklewood have been complaining about a group of youths congregating each night in a children’s playground. The play ground is locked so the youngsters must be getting in by illegal means.

Now the residents are well organised and know their patch very well. They feel the group of youths are up to no good. They have good intelligence that these particular youths are probably harassing local shop owners and passers by.

The residents also know not to any longer dial 999, but instead phone the new dedicated non emergency telephone number. Well fat lot of good as invariably their call goes unanswered or, by the time it is answered the youths have gone.

The local neighbourhood police confirm that the on duty police will not give such an incident priority, and say the youths are not breaking any laws. Well may be the youngsters are not up to mischief but their presence does make residents fearful. I do not blame the residents for wanting something done about it.

The Council now says that they will repair the fence where the youths are apparently getting in. But I hear nothing from the agencies about actually speaking with the young people and finding out what they are up to, or nipping any criminal intent in the bud. The Police say they are too busy .The Council seems too distracted by other events to act.

I trust no one is thinking of following the example of Redcar, a town in N. Yorkshire, where they are planning to install cardboard cut out police officers to dissuade shoplifters. Apparently they are intended to touch the conscious of felons. What ever next!