Street drug use is the key to the continuing anti-social behaviour (ASB), and worse, afflicting Brixton, a workshop meeting organised by the local Action on ASB! group agreed.
About 60 local residents, police officers, Lambeth councillors and representatives of local organisations packed into Pop Brixton’s meeting space to discuss in detail the issues affecting the area and how to tackle them.
“It was clear that people care deeply about the ASB issues impacting Brixton,” said meeting organiser Peter Impey. “There was a powerful sense of community, with people from across Brixton keen to get involved to drive change.
“We left the meeting energised and full of ideas for advancing the campaign.”
He urged anyone who has not already done so to complete the brief online survey (see QR code) organised by Action on ASB! to highlight concerns and strengthen the organisation’s hand in its dealings with the police and council. The survey closes on Friday 11 April.
Opening the meeting, local resident Baroness Ayesha Hazarika said that in her job as a journalist she had recently visited the Essex town of Saffron Walden, named as the best place to live in England.
Her many interviewees told her that the number one thing that made it the best place to live was that it felt safe for their children as well as for themselves and older people.
“I thought, if a place like Saffron Walden, which is really affluent, can have that safety, why can’t we have it here in Brixton, and that we should demand more,” she said.
“We should expect more and we want more and we’re all prepared to play our part.
“That just stuck in my mind. We deserve better in Brixton and we are going to fight for it, and you are part of it. So we’re going to be optimistic, we’re going to have purpose, we’re going to surge forward.”
Key points from the meeting, in which participants discussed issues in small groups, summarised by Action on ASB! include:
Street drug use is the key issue:
One theme that came up repeatedly was the impact of street drug use as the leading cause of the high levels of ASB in Brixton. The idea of adopting a zero-tolerance approach to drugs received a significant positive response and the biggest round of applause of the evening.
Police activity increased:
There was a general sense that police visibility has improved, and their efforts to address ASB have increased.
Frustration with Lambeth council:
Many expressed disappointment that Lambeth council has not communicated effectively about their response to ASB in Brixton or taken proportionate action to tackle the issue.
Many people feel frustrated with their interactions with Lambeth, especially when ASB is reported to the council. The perception is that the council is more defensive than collaborative in its approach.
Call for a dedicated taskforce:
The police have proposed quarterly joint-agency meetings – with council representatives, police and other stakeholders, including community representation – to focus specifically on ASB in Brixton.
This aligns with what ACTION on ASB! has been calling for since its inception: a dedicated Brixton ASB taskforce, given that the four wards of Brixton have the highest rates of ASB and drug offences across the whole of Lambeth.
“Despite the urgency, Lambeth council, as far as we are aware, has not confirmed its participation. We eagerly await their response. If this taskforce is launched, it would represent a significant breakthrough for the community,” said Peter Impey.
Need for transparency and communication from agencies:
There was a strong sense that communication around efforts to combat ASB – especially the role drug-related activity plays – is lacking and the community are often left in the dark about progress.
Reporting is too hard:
There was consensus that reporting – despite its key role in the allocation of police resources – is too complex and time-consuming.
There was real confusion about what to report and to whom, especially regarding reporting street drug use.
The meeting saw several slides of information giving details of ASB, its perpetrators, and how the police are tackling the issue.
Some standout insights from figures came from the council’s street engagement team (SET) – which, with substance misuse services and the police, addresses drug-related issues in Brixton town centre. Members build relationships, and support access to treatment services, as well as providing a visible deterrent and acting as professional witnesses:
- Of those engaged by the team in one quarter, 49% were known to the team and 51% unknown.
- Crack and heroin were the most common substances reported (about 26% of individuals engaged).
- About 40% of people engaged had a local connection, 40% had no known local connection. The other 20%had “nearby” connections (adjacent boroughs).
- Of known individuals, 28% were successfully referred to health, social care, or adjacent services.
- Thanks to increased capacity, the SET has established new shifts across the borough – 80% of their resources are dedicated to Brixton.
- Brixton accounted for 87% of the team’s engagements in the quarter in question.
