Crouch End Councillor Dave Winskill is to ask Haringey Council why it has taken so long for mobile CCTV to be installed in Crouch End and Muswell Hill considering decisions to install it were finalised almost two years ago.

Since the centralisation of borough police to Wood Green, areas such as Muswell Hill and Crouch End have experienced a serious decline in police coverage and an increase in response times. This had led to increases in various street crimes on property and individuals. After discussions between Crouch End traders and the police, a bid was put in for funding for CCTV.

However bureaucratic hold ups – including European tendering regulations – and British Telecom’s inefficiency in hooking up the equipment have meant that cameras installed physically last year remain unconnected to a central control room.

Cllr. Winskill and Muswell Hill Councillor Lynne Featherstone have been working hard to improve safety in the community. They are both disappointed and angered by the time that it has taken to get the cameras working.

Cllr. Winskill (Lib Dem) comments:

“The length of time taken to give cover to Muswell Hill and Crouch End is ridiculous. The decision to install cameras was taken almost two years ago and they are still yet to go ‘live’.”

Cllr. Featherstone comments:

“I hope that Haringey will review this whole process and feed back to all those concerned about how unacceptable this is. This is a matter of community safety and while the Council is being taken for a ride, local residents are paying the price.”