Comments on: Dazed and bleeding on Monday morning

By: Mike P

Mike P — Wed, 23 May 2007 07:15:54 +0000

I used to manage a bookshop in the area and had cause to call the police depressingly regularly. They were mostly supportive but unable to effectively help.

Unless a serious assault was in progress (in which case they would turn up within a few minutes) they would call-in the next day to take statements etc. I got the impression that they were completely swamped by petty crime. There was a local beat officer for Camberwell who was impressively committed to helping prevent crime in the area but a one-woman operation sadly.

I was always heartened by the community spirit displayed by locals whenever anyone needed help though. People help people there.

Camberwell is a unique nodal point at the centre of a maelstrom of mental health, drugs, alcohol and crime problems. Iain Sinclair’s Psychogeography anyone? Anyway I’m in Melbourne, Australia now. Differently vibrant. Without that South London edge.

By: Dagmar

Dagmar — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:31:50 +0000

If we blame the police for the muggings, we can avoid the embarrassing question of who actually does it. We are, after all, totally out of our depth.

Still, I agree with John that when there was a police station here, we had immediate access to policemen, whether they were welcome here or not.

The chap the other day, who drove his jeep at the hooded youth who were kicking the African man in the head as he lay on the pavement, may have himself committed an offence.

He scared them. They scarpered like cockroaches, it was really something to see. The muggers should make themselves known so that the jeep man can apologise.

The African man could apologise. So could the police, as they arrest the jeep man. So could their own mothers for having them and not giving them the unconditional love that Camilla recommends for them now, but may yet be found in aptly named penal institutions, where it is meted out by the larger men.

By: lucas

lucas — Wed, 16 May 2007 15:45:03 +0000

when i was victim of an attempted mugging (they tried to steal my dog) the police let me look through their photo’s of about 300 possible local suspects who fit the description. Many of them were in prison but some were still strolling the streets. All this did was make me very wary of everyone I passed in the steet for a few weeks as I was sure I’d seen them on the police records.

By: Hannah M

Hannah M — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:49:52 +0000

To be far to the police when i was mugged in camberwell a few weeks ago — in my own road no less! They were great and turned up within about 5 mins and have taken an active interest in the case (althoug having said that they haven’t caught anyone yet!!)

By: bunbohue

bunbohue — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:01:06 +0000

crime is everywhere in london — the West end has had a problem with organised pickpocket gangs certainly since the C18th, the current gangs seem to be made up of Albanians etc. treading a well trodden historic criminal path.
I actually find Camberwell /Se london quite respectful in terms of personal space, maybe it is because people are more wary of others — I don’t find myself barged, knocked into/over by rude white commuters as you can be elsewhere.

I actually have to shield my wife ( SE asian & 4 ft 7 inchs) and take blows to protect her when trying to pass by Clapham Junction Station early evening. I have almost got in fights as a result
but am built like a brick shithouse and cowe my opponents.
These white middle class people behave like wankers — SE 5 is much better.

By: mark

mark — Tue, 15 May 2007 22:00:44 +0000

Er. On the point of the lack of rozzer presence overall I have to say I’ve seen a lot of them around during the day recently.

Usually with one or more Community Wardens alongside.

By: John

John — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:32:06 +0000

Not good to read about; was robbed outside MacDonald’s over a year ago. The police took over a week to return my call which I had to take in the office, they only call you once. I didn’t speak to a police officer, one of the civilian workers; one question made me laugh out loud — were there CCTV cameras? As if I could remember … I walked round to have a look, yes there were, but directed towards the ATMs outside Barclay’s.

In hindsight I should have asked why the cameras weren’t directed at the bus stops, or indeed MacDonald’s, the biggest honey pot in Camberwell for our sweet-toothed hoodies.

The police presence in Camberwell has been non-existent since the police station was closed. In terms of popularity I imagine being a police officer in this area akin to being a journalist for the Daily Wail.

By: bunbohue

bunbohue — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:45:03 +0000

& they don’t eat — but ‘meal’ instead when they ‘job’ — they probably don’t say ” shut it you horrible scrote ” thats just too many episodes of ‘the sweeney’
All the coppers here seem to be 19 yo skinhead thugs, except a really big lady one i saw on Crutch st yesterday — she was a female equivalent
of Big Daddy — will sit on ‘Perps’ to extract confessions without leaving marks.

By: Alan Dale

Alan Dale — Tue, 15 May 2007 10:44:18 +0000

They call eachother job.

Like, if they meet someone and suspect that they may be a copper too then they say ‘Are you job?’.

In Liverpool they are called ‘the bizzies’

By: bunbohue

bunbohue — Tue, 15 May 2007 10:09:53 +0000

hahaha Alan thats very funny!
I’m sure that it would qualify you for a kidney beating from the ’ boys in blue, rozzers, filth
woodentops ’ etc.
anyone else got any other names for our swiney mates?