A letter to the Hackney Gazette

I would like to draw your attention to one of the side-effects of the Acceptable Behaviour Zone (Dispersal Order) on the Pembury estate. Since it came into force, there has been a dramatic rise in harmful behaviour (eg. racist harrassment, threats of violence, damage to vehicles and community gardens) on our estates, which lie just outside the zone.

Could it be that in giving themselves the power to 'move on' presumed 'trouble-makers', the police are simply moving the problem elsewhere?

It's like having a leaky pipe in your kitchen and redirecting it into your living room instead of fixing it.

Janine Booth, Chairperson, Aspland & Marcon Estates Tenants' & Residents' Association