Removal of Ridley Road ‘crime hotspot’ phone box sparks requests for others to be taken away across Hackney
Dalston Police tweeted: "Where has the phone box gone?! No more drug taking, dealing or other anti-social behaviour happening in there anymore. Thanks to our partners @hackneycouncil for helping get a source of many complaints removed and @bt_uk for getting it done so quickly! #Dalston #RidleyRoad" - Credit: policep
The removal of a phone box in Ridley Road to stop “drug taking, dealing and other anti-social behaviour” taking place inside has sparked a flood of requests for others to be taken away elsewhere in Hackney.
Dalston police thanked Hackney Council and BT on Twitter for getting the redundant box in the busy Dalston market street taken away so quickly.
Residents asked if a box near to Nightingale Estate in Upper Clapton that “seems to be continually used for ASB, and never used for phone call use” could also be removed.
“There have been numerous complaints registered over it. How do you begin removal process?” they asked.
But Hackney mayor Phil Glanville chipped in that the box in question should be gone by spring – with the delay down to a “large BT backlog”.
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Similar requests were made for Bouverie Road, Church Street and Manor Parade in Stoke Newington.
Twitter user James J asked what sense there was in removing the box: “You’d think that having a location known to be frequented by criminals would be very helpful in arresting and jailing the idiots. Aren’t you just moving the problem elsewhere?”
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Dalston police explained that “those considerations are taken into account”.
“It would make sense for them to just go elsewhere,” they said. “However, removing the opportunity for crime to take place has been studied and little if any crime displacement occurs.”
