The Metropolitan Police has launched a new policing framework for the area

The Metropolitan Police has issued a statement after meeting with the Finsbury Park community saying they plan to “design out crime in the area”.

In the statement, issued yesterday (24th January), Superintendent Jack May-Robinson, from the Islington Neighbourhoods team, said: “Local policing teams are listening to residents and working alongside partners – including Islington, Hackney and Haringey councils – to tackle issues that matter the most to residents of Finsbury Park.

“We are working with residents to encourage them to work with us and provide us with information that will enhance our intelligence picture and help officers to target offenders and tackle gang-related and organised crime in the area, making the area safer.”

The Metropolitan said they met with residents of Finsbury Park who said they felt unsafe in specific locations and that ‘anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, theft, and sexual offending’ were their main concerns.

To respond to this, they say they will be deploying plain-clothed and uniformed officers conducting patrols in the area, carrying out warrants at business addresses suspected of being involved in drug dealing, and working with British Transport Police to crackdown on theft, robbery and other offending taking place on public transport.

The statement follows an increased police presence in the area over several months as part of the ‘Love Finsbury Park’ policing framework.

The latest targeted policing deployment on 17th January – in which local officers from Islington, Haringey and Hackney worked with the Dog Support Unit and colleagues from the Met’s Territorial Support Group (TSG) – January culminated in: three arrests for knife enabled robbery; one arrest for possession with intent to supply Class A and C drugs, handling stolen goods and immigration offences; one arrest for being concerned in the supply of drugs and money laundering; one arrest for possession with intent to supply Class B drugs; one arrest for conspiracy to supply Class A and C drugs, and possession of Class A drugs; and one arrest for breach of immigration bail.

A ‘Clear Hold Build’ framework has been introduced, which was launched earlier this week at St Thomas The Apostle church in Finsbury Park. Partners from local councils and community groups were in attendance to discuss how policing would “design out crime”.

May-Robinson added: “The Met is dedicated to working with partners such as Haringey, Hackney and Islington councils to carry out work in order to design out crime in the area. This will include looking at lighting in the area as well as other physical factors that would make Finsbury Park area safer for everyone.”

Adam Jogee, cabinet member for community safety and cohesion at Haringey Council, said: “We support the implementation of the tri-borough Clear, Hold, Build approach, which brings together key services and local groups from the wider Finsbury Park area and puts the community’s voice at the heart of the response.

“Clear, Hold, Build will benefit businesses, communities, residents and visitors by targeting anti-social behaviour and criminality – some of which has been entrenched in N4 for several years now. In seeking to make the area safer for all, we hope this will enhance community confidence accordingly in due course.

“A lot of hard work is going in to make the park in Finsbury Park as family friendly, safe and welcoming as possible and this initiative will bolster those concerted efforts as well.”

Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE, cabinet member for community safety and regulatory services at Hackney Council, said: “Our priority is understanding local residents’ concerns and working together with our partners to build lasting improvements to community safety. “In areas like Blackstock Road, where people told us they didn’t feel safe, we’re working with the community to set up a neighbourhood watch scheme. We’ve also launched public safety campaigns against harassment, misogyny and pickpocketing, and increased police patrols and CCTV coverage in the area.”

John Woolf, executive member for community safety at Islington Council, said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe wherever they live, study or work in Islington. I am pleased that the police are taking robust action against offenders in Finsbury Park, and we will continue to work in partnership with them to prevent crime.

“We are committed to supporting the project by improving the environment, providing diversionary activities, sharing intelligence and engaging with our residents and businesses. I look forward to working with the police and community to build a safer Finsbury Park.”

May-Robinson added: “We are working with residents to encourage them to work with us and provide us with information that will enhance our intelligence picture and help officers to target offenders and tackle gang-related and organised crime in the area, making the area safer.

“If residents have concerns, I encourage them to get in contact with their local Safer Neighbourhood ward teams or email the Love Finsbury Park team on [email protected].”

On 6th December 2023, police conducted three raids at business premises that were believed to be involved in the supply of drugs. Seven arrests were made for offences including burglary, robbery and allowing drug activity on premises. A closure notice was issued to one of the three businesses.

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