Police and Enfield Council 'ignored' woman over crime in flats

College Gardens resident Yasmin - not her real name - has lived in her flat for 30 years but told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there had been issues with crime there for three years and that in the last six months it had got so bad she “needed to move”.

She said there was drug dealing, prostitution, knife crime and sexual assaults happening in the stairwells, lifts and waste storage areas of the block, which overlooks Fore Street in Angel Edmonton.

Yasmin said when she reported these incidents to the Metropolitan Police she was told “they can’t do much” because they were “under resourced” and “haven’t got the manpower” but to contact the council instead.

The council, in turn, told her to call the police.

Yasmin said the police told her that until there was a “serious incident” they “couldn’t do anything”. She alleges her complaints were not taken seriously because she is a black woman.

College Gardens resident -fly-tipping

Following enquiries by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Superintendent Chris Byrne, the local policing lead in Enfield, visited Yasmin and left his number for her to use when she needed.

Supt Byrne said he wanted to “reassure residents” in the Angel Edmonton area and the borough generally that his neighbourhood policing team was “absolutely committed to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour”. 

Describing recent attempts to confront antisocial behaviour on her estate, Yasmin said: “I almost got hammered in the head over the Christmas period as I told them to leave the stairway.”

College Gardens resident -fly-tipping

She said they’d also shouted threats to attack her with “a knife” through her windows. 

Yasmin claims most residents now won’t go out at night because they feel threatened. She puts the recent increase of incidents down to the lack of a visible police presence. “They feel they can take over because nobody is doing anything,” she said.

Yasmin added that she’s now worried for her safety because the group recognises her as she’s proactive in calling the police and attempting to chase people off the site.

College Gardens resident - fly-tipping

When she contacted her housing officer earlier this month as a “last resort” Yasmin said she “broke down” explaining the situation and told him she thought her life was “in jeopardy”.  

Yasmin has reported to the council that she often sees paraphernalia left outside her flat including “needles, drugs and condoms”. She even warned her family not to visit her at Christmas because of the issues.

Supt Byrne said he’d recently been to two community meetings and listened to what residents had to say. He said the ‘New Met for London’ plan had allowed him to bring in additional officers and “realign existing teams” in ways they had not been able to previously.

He added: “For example, where there was one inspector overseeing the 25 wards across the borough, we now have five sharing that responsibility, meaning a real investment in local policing for Enfield.”

Enfield Council did not respond to a request for comment.