Suspicious activity on Court Lane, increasing crime from Southwark’s LTN

[JMK]

Male acting very suspiciously on Court Lane and adjacent roads (Calton Avenue, Gilkes Crescent, Woodwarde Road etc…)

There’s been a very significant increase in crime on these roads and adjacent roads due to the Southwark Council LTN, even more so with the recent works that are ongoing

Residents and their property are being deliberately and negligently put at risk by Southwark Council’s actions and criminals are deliberately targeting this area and exploiting it given significantly reduced flow of people, much quieter, poor lighting, easy getaway and no access for the police

The closure of the junction at Court Lane, Dulwich Village and Calton Avenue is a boon to thieves and criminals making the adjacent streets much less safe.

The workmen have put in place wrought iron bollards in the middle of the road on Court Lane and Calton Avenue which stops police and other emergency services from accessing from Dulwich Village

This materially increases the risks to residents and crime has gone up materially as a result

The workmen say that they are under strict instructions from Southwark Council to put the wrought iron bollards in the middle of the road and that there’s nothing that they can do

it alao stops ambulances and fire engines from getting through 

[malumbu]

Criminals prefer well lit streets too.  I expect that Southwark has turned up the brightness of the street lights which has increased crime.  

early research suggests no increase in crime, possibly a decrease but Covid makes analysis more complex

 

https://findingspress.org/article/19414-the-impact-of-introducing-a-low-traffic-neighbourhood-on-street-crime-in-waltham-forest-london

[first mate]

JMK, do you have some local statistics to indicate crime has increased on the streets you mention recently? Without that kind of evidence you are unlikely to persuade others of the case you argue.

I only say this because you already have a poster jumping in with research from another area and using that as evidence that you must be incorrect in your assertion.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

1 hour ago, first mate said:

JMK, do you have some local statistics to indicate crime has increased on the streets you mention recently?

https://www.met.police.uk/area/your-area/met/southwark/dulwich-village/about-us/crime-map

This would be a good starting point and probably a bit more plausible than "I saw a suspicious male and this proves there is a crime wave".

[march46]

The bollards have been installed to protect the workers from dangerous drivers ignoring the road restriction signs, health & safety innit. 

[alice]

It’s a financial mess

[Penguin68]

48 minutes ago, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

This would be a good starting point and probably a bit more plausible than "I saw a suspicious male and this proves there is a crime wave".

On the other hand 'I saw a suspicious male' is a starting point for concern, and the fact is that the road changes have made roads that were quite well used now much less so - which is certainly an aid to those who have nefarious purposes. True 'gated communities' are just that, ones with gates. Maybe ours are now 'target communities' - indeed maybe this is Southwark's hidden move to achieve redistribution of wealth, from the 'haves' to the 'have not - yets' - thus placing them as true socialists!

[first mate]

It is amazing though that certain people in here immediately require gold standard evidence to back up any observation that does not meet with their own views and biases but are also intensely relaxed about using 'evidence' from the other end of London to 'prove' there is nothing wrong.

 

[Sue]

 

12 hours ago, JMK said:

Male acting very suspiciously on Court Lane and adjacent roads (Calton Avenue, Gilkes Crescent, Woodwarde Road etc…)

There’s been a very significant increase in crime on these roads and adjacent roads due to the Southwark Council LTN, even more so with the recent works that are ongoing

Residents and their property are being deliberately and negligently put at risk by Southwark Council’s actions and criminals are deliberately targeting this area and exploiting it given significantly reduced flow of people, much quieter, poor lighting, easy getaway and no access for the police

The closure of the junction at Court Lane, Dulwich Village and Calton Avenue is a boon to thieves and criminals making the adjacent streets much less safe.

The workmen have put in place wrought iron bollards in the middle of the road on Court Lane and Calton Avenue which stops police and other emergency services from accessing from Dulwich Village

This materially increases the risks to residents and crime has gone up materially as a result

The workmen say that they are under strict instructions from Southwark Council to put the wrought iron bollards in the middle of the road and that there’s nothing that they can do

it alao stops ambulances and fire engines from getting through 

What was "suspicious" about this man's behaviour, and did you inform the police?

[Spartacus]

When Rye Lane was closed to traffic, there was a marked increase in crime and anti social behaviour (one element that remains is the graffiti all over the lane) 

Much of this increase wasn't reported to the police as it was considered 'pointless' by the public due to lack of police numbers and ability to respond. As a result there was only a mild uplift in Crime figures despite increases in muggings, asb, drugs and shoplifting that was observed. 

So a claim of more suspicious behaviour might well have justification as an issue or new trend. 

[SpringTime]

To the OP:

Black, was he? Brown? Maybe Yellow? An inbetweener? 

Perhaps he's a traveller. Perhaps he's working class. Oh no - we can't have any of this business around here.

Just wondering if maybe he's an addict, or trapped in a gang, abused as a young kid, someone with serious mental condition(s), someone without a home or family, someone who can't get a job and has no money. Someone in deep trouble. 

Maybe a combination of all the above  apply. Or perhaps the whole lot.

Did you go out and confront this "male" or try to help him out?

Or is it just easier to hide behind your curtains and have a rant about some boxes...

 

JMK

JMK

Posted 13 hours ago

• 14 hours ago, JMK said:

  Male acting very suspiciously on Court Lane and adjacent roads (Calton Avenue, Gilkes Crescent, Woodwarde Road etc…)

  There’s been a very significant increase in crime on these roads and adjacent roads dueto the Southwark Council LTN, even more so with the recent works that are ongoing

  Residents and their property are being deliberately and negligently put at risk by Southwark Council’s actions and criminals are deliberately targeting this area and exploiting it given significantly reduced flow of people, much quieter, poor lighting, easy getaway and no access for the police

  The closure of the junction at Court Lane, Dulwich Village and Calton Avenue is a boon to thieves and criminals making the adjacent streets much less safe.

  The workmen have put in place wrought iron bollards in the middle of the road on Court Lane and Calton Avenue which stops police and other emergency services from accessing from Dulwich Village

  This materially increases the risks to residents and crime has gone up materially as a result

  The workmen say that they are under strict instructions from Southwark Council to put the wrought iron bollards in the middle of the road and that there’s nothing that they can do

  it alao stops ambulances and fire engines from getting through 

  Male acting very suspiciously on Court Lane and adjacent roads (Calton Avenue, Gilkes Crescent, Woodwarde Road etc…)

 

Posted 13 hours a

• Male acting very suspisly on Court Lane and adjacent roads (Calton Avenue, Gilkes Crescent, Woodwarde Road etc…)

Posted 13 hours agMale acting v

[malumbu]

In deed, appropriate that this is close to where Enid Blyton once lived.  

[Spartacus]

9 minutes ago, malumbu said:

In deed, appropriate that this is close to where Enid Blyton once lived.  

What are you smoking in your pipe sir, and did you buy it from.a suspicious character? 

[KAP97]

Posting alarmist nonsense without any evidence based facts.

You clearly have an issue with LTNs.

[first mate]

Interesting. Another poster suggested that crime may have gone up on those streets because Southwark Council might have turned the street lights up. Could that be an alternative explanation? Mind you, why would Southwark turn the street lights up just as the road is closed off to traffic if they are aware of really good research that suggests doing this correlates with an increase in crime? 

Anyway, you must have good evidence to disprove the perception that crime has increased in that area, which is a relief.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

23 minutes ago, first mate said:

you must have good evidence to disprove the perception that crime has increased in that area

A reminder of what the basis of that perception is: OP saw one (1) "suspicious male".

Christopher Hitchins was wrong about a lot of stuff but his line "that which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence" is bang on here.

[Penguin68]

31 minutes ago, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

Christopher Hitchins was wrong about a lot of stuff but his line "that which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence" is bang on here.

I think you'll find that if someone had told Chris Hitchens that they'd seen and experienced god - 'the evidence of his own eyes' he would perhaps have challenged the interpretation of the evidence - but he would not have said there was no evidence. An individual saw someone he believed was acting suspiciously - that individual may have been wrong in the interpretation, but that was interpretation of evidence. Chris, to my personal knowledge, was a much better thinker than that, and would not have challenged first hand experience as 'no evidence' but (if it was regarding the existence of god) as 'misinterpreted evidence'. Had the OP imagined, or reported other people's reporting, then your stolen aphorism might be appropriate, but not in this case.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Seeing a man in the street is evidence of seeing a man in the street. It's not evidence of a crime wave. HTH.

[JMK]

Reported to the police
 

Amongst other crimes in these roads, several cars have been stolen recently, almost always family cars and often with child or baby seats creating significant inconvenience for the families concerned 

equally, at least 5 stolen cars, again family style, have been dumped in these roads over the past few months

The police have advised that they are commonly used for ferrying drugs around from place to place and seeking to be inconspicuous and that the lack of CCTV that would be present around the Dulwich Village / Court Lane junction and could be used to identify such behaviour/people as well as the quiet nature of the location have encouraged such behaviour by the criminals 

[Penguin68]

Seeing a man in the street whose actions you interpret as suspicious, whatever those were, and however wrong your interpretation maybe is apparent evidence of criminality (we are asked by the police to report suspicious behaviour) but I agree is not evidence of a crime wave - the extrapolation to that may or may not be justified but isn't in itself a wholly unreasonable consideration given recently changed circumstances (reduction of through traffic to observe and inhibit nefarious activity). 

[malumbu]

There is crime in my area, mainly car theft, theft from builders vans and drug dealing. Maybe I'll campaign the make the streets priority roads for traffic, remove traffic calming, increase the speed limit....... 

[tjbuilders]

Dulwich is in a state of chassis Joxer.

[first mate]

41 minutes ago, malumbu said:

There is crime in my area, mainly car theft, theft from builders vans and drug dealing. Maybe I'll campaign the make the streets priority roads for traffic, remove traffic calming, increase the speed limit....... 

Maybe you should just check to see if the Council has turned the lighting up in the streets around your area.