Council seeks assurances on behalf of residents
06 November 2009
Council Leader Stephen Carr has sought assurances from Bromley Police Borough Commander Charles Griggs that recent crime and antisocial behaviour in the borough does not signal the tip of an iceberg of emerging crime.
It has been apparent for a few years that Orpington/Bromley had begun to degenerate into a mini culture of mindless and petty crime, as is well known to the residents of the area. Concerns should have been addressed at the first signs of criminal behaviour. Why did it take the scandal of two murders to kickstart Cllr Carr into asking these questions?
Orpington was once a very pleasant place to visit in safety, if you wanted danger then you went elsewhere; since the changes wreaked by the educationalists on the little darlings who occasionally inhabit the so called school system, this is proven t0 be no longer true.
In an early morning meeting today (6 November 2009) senior members of the Council and Police met to discuss the unusual number of high profile crimes in the borough this week.
Unusual number of high profile crimes? Are they kidding, go to Orpington on a Friday or Saturday night, stoked up scrotes on cider and beer incapable of holding it. Pop over to Bromley High St on those same nights, the scene is repeated. Ask the Police Farce and Safer Bromley Partnership how many serious assaults occur over a weekend, unless of course they do not class these offences as high profile.
Cllr Carr said: “I was concerned about recent events including two murders and an incident involving Orpington College students. I know that some residents were too. As part of the Council’s role as community leader I wanted to seek reassurance on behalf of those residents that the Police are doing everything possible to mitigate crime in Bromley.
Orpington College has an unenviable reputation, as do other Colleges/Acadamies in Bromley. Chucking out time from schools is a nightmare in the area.
“As part of our work in partnership with key local organisations, it is important that we continue to strongly challenge each other to ensure the highest level of service and well-being for residents throughout the borough.”
Cllr Carr called for all possible resources to be fully deployed and an increased visible police presence on the streets at this sensitive time. In the case of Orpington, he asked that the Safer Bromley Partnership take a stronger line in working with the College to deal with the selfish minority that seek to threaten our position as one of the safest London boroughs in which to live.
Hypocritical language from Cllr Carr, it has been apparent to all those that have suffered at the hands of these little darlings that the damage has been done already, I refer you to my first comment.
He added: “The Council will continue to do everything in our power to ensure safety on the streets, including maintaining our robust licensing policy, further tackling underage alcohol sales, being tough on antisocial behaviour and continuing to enhance our street scene.”
Ditto my last comment.
Chief Superintendent Charles Griggs reiterated that the recent incidents were not connected to each other and did not constitute a change in the pattern of crime in the borough. He gave assurances that investigations will be robust and proportionate and said that there will be a visible police presence using all available resources pro-actively in our town centres.
Ditto again.
Safer Bromley Partnership Chairman Cllr Colin Bloom added: “The partnership will go on working with the police to tackle issues of crime and antisocial behaviour in particular, and to urge residents to raise concerns they may have with their local Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Keeping Bromley a safe place is something that relies on many partners and members of our communities coming together and I’m convinced that in this way we can continue to make sure that Bromley is a great place to live, work and enjoy yourself.”
How comforting that we can call on the Safer Bromley Partnership for assistance. I would suggest that rather than have a SBP that the many police stations closed and sold off to private developers be reopened, and manned to cope with the increased crime rate in the Borough of Bromley.