Fear and frustration over rising anti-social behaviour in Hackney Downs

Hackney Downs. Photograph: Alastair Binnie-Lubbock

A surge in anti-social behaviour and crime in the Hackney Downs area over the summer months has made residents feel powerless, as police and the council attempt to get a grip on the situation.

Offences ranging from drug-dealing to theft, dangerous cycling, and damage to trees have been reported to councillors, the Met and the Citizen.

Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock said he had been contacted by “lots of residents” who are “not seeing progress being made on making the park feel welcoming and safe”.

One resident, Declan Clancy, wrote directly to the mayor’s office on 27 June listing multiple incidents witnessed within one 24-hour period, including hard drug use, drunk and violent behaviour, damage to trees and cycling at whirlwind speed.

He told the Citizen he had phoned the police weeks prior, who explained that the park was a “problem area” and that while they were aware of the issue they “[couldn’t] do much to stop it at the moment”.

He added that he had seen men smoking crack pipes next to “dozens” of children on their way to Mossbourne Academy and Pembury Nursery.

Clancy’s letter said: “I have lived here for six years and not experienced this level of crime before. You need to organise a response to this situation.

“The risk now is that Hackney Downs becomes a hub for anti-social behaviour, drug-dealing and drug-use. We need more police or other enforcement presence in the park stopping this behaviour.”

Clancy also told the Citizen that weeks later his neighbour, who wishes to remain anonymous, was filmed by drug dealers in the middle of the park who recognised him for pointing them out to the police the week before.

He also reported another incident where an “inebriated” dog owner allowed their pet to tear branches from a new sapling tree, which happened to bear a sign asking people to report if they saw anyone damaging trees.

On 25 August, posts by Hackney police on Nextdoor showed officers conducting reassurance patrols in the area.

The Citizen understands police presence has been increased since 22 May, when the Met website reported gang violence, sexual harassment and antisocial incidents “in the vicinity of Downs Park” as a priority.

On the website, the Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT) said it was undertaking high visibility patrols and targeted stop-and-search measures in the area “based on intel from the community to remove those with drugs and weapons from the streets”.

Today, a spokesperson for the Met told the Citizen there had been a total of six information reports regarding drug dealing in the park. 

They said: “Hackney Downs Safer Neighbourhood Team are in communication with Hackney Council regarding the issues in Hackney Downs Park. A request has been made for continuing assistance from enforcement officers to conduct patrols in Hackney Downs Park as a priority.”

On 30 August, a council officer told Cllr Binnie-Lubbock that the Town Hall had recently spoken to the police sergeant for Hackney Downs on the matter.

The officer said the sergeant explained that police are aware of the situation but “had been abstracted heavily due to other matters recently” and had not been able “to dedicate the resources they would have liked”.

“It is still in their plans to deal with it and they will contact us if they need our support for special operations. In the meantime, our enforcement officers continue to patrol the park to gather intelligence, provide high visibility reassurance patrols, and deter anti-social behaviour,” they said.

In communications shared with the Citizen, a council officer said the area’s principal enforcement officer, Dawn Henry, had earlier this year requested additional cameras be installed in the park to reassure residents, “gather intelligence” and monitor areas where drug dealing was taking place.

They also said they were currently “conducting visits” in order to engage with “vulnerable individuals dealing with substance misuse problems or experiencing mental health issues”.

“The council continues to invest in community safety services and work across our services in partnership with the community, police and voluntary sector to divert people away from crime, create meaningful opportunities and keep residents safe,” they said.

Cllr Binnie-Lubbock said: “I believe action is being taken and residents’ concerns are being taken seriously, however I share their frustration that action is not happening fast enough.”

The Met said the Hackney Downs SNT will carry on its operations in the ward, with “targeted patrols” and community contact sessions to reassure the public and allow them to approach officers with “any crime [or] anti-social behaviour concerns”.

Hackney Downs residents with concerns about the matter discussed in this article can contact the Community Safety and Enforcement Officer for Hackney Downs at dawn.henry@hackney.gov.uk. 

If residents’ bicycles have been stolen, they should report them to the Police by calling 101 or reporting it online.

Residents can report any incidents of damage to trees to the Council’s Streetscene Team at streetscene.enquiries@hackney.gov.uk. 

Witnesses to problems of a criminal nature such as drug dealing can be reported directly to the local Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101 or at https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/ and in the case of an emergency, 999. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. Any reports or intelligence will be treated seriously and in the strictest confidence.