“There are still not enough police on the beat. I have not seen any police walking down Saltoun Road in the last two months.  Most evenings there are a number of people loitering around the end of Windrush Square and of course still around Kentucky Fried Chicken. It is hard not to draw the conclusion that they are involved with drug dealing which is why most evenings I still try to avoid walking through this area, even though it is the quickest route home.  The sooner that development work starts on this area, the better.”


“Are cannabis dealers or crack dealers being arrested the most ?” 

 “ In my opinion I am still seeing evidence of drug dealers peddling their wares and hassling passers-by with whistles and other gestures – I was hoping for a significant change but I now feel they are too savvy to make a difference as they believe they are above the law – I have noticed them on Acre Lane too. There are still lots of Spanish/Portuguese/Italian junkies around behaving in a chaotic way which makes the area feel unsafe as they are too random in their behaviour under the influence of class A drugs. I am supportive of the initiative but to be honest I walk through Brixton every day and have never been made aware of the initiative which may defeat its purpose if people are unaware they will be arrested for buying drugs.  “

 
“ I am witnessing increased dealing at bus stops on Acre Lane near the old planning office, bank and caribbean restaurant I suspect as a result of displacement. Can I formally report this somewhere? 

Also there are a number of phone boxes in which people are abusing class A drugs around central Brixton - the ones opposite tube, and the ones near the bank on Acre Lane are particulary disgusting - can these not just be removed?  “

 
“In the days following the announcement in the press (but before the launch of the initiative) the streets were almost empty of dealers. This emphasises the importance of perception in the whole issue.

Shortly following launch it seemed that the focus was mainly on the weed dealers on Brixton high street. The effect of this was make the crack/heroin dealers on Brixton Market feel safer.
 
This led to crack/heroin dealers and crack users taking more liberties than usual e.g. being deliberately confrontational; being more blatant about using private areas such stairs and doorsteps to dealing and using.

I think the importance of drug tourism has, to an extent, been overplayed. It is an important factor in fuelling the wider drug problems in Brixton, but not a causal factor. In my opinion it is widespread crack use and blatant dealing that is at the root of the problems and this should be the primary focus of No Deal moving forward.” 

 
“ I think it is time we moved away from the way people feel as a point of reference. This is an emotion and as such is of little relevance as there are too many variable for any effective survey of the facts.

It would be far better if the whole truth (Good and Bad) were effectively publicised. This of course depends as to the public believing in it as opposed to spin.  And then let the public just make there own mind up.. In General the public will understand facts (Such as lack of resources) but must be given at the same time the option of who to go to get this changed ie which politician or body. The is a huge lack of knowledge in the public arena and trust in the real decision makers as opposed to implementers. “

 
“ I return home at about 10pm every Friday and one Friday just before Christmas was the only time I’ve ever felt safe and hassle free on my walk from the tube station to Rushcroft Road. This was mainly due to highly visible police presence at the tube station and around KFC / Ritzy. After Christmas the experience is back to how it was previously “ 

 

“ The dealers have moved into the No. 2/432 bus shelter and are outside Lick-Finger at the bottom of Tulse Hill.  For me, the situation is far worse than before. “

 
“ Only once in November 2005 I was approached by a white person in Vauxhall Bus Station offering to sell me crack “

 
“ Police more visible.  They still drive erratically and park erratically too!  People hanging about due to lack of affordable drink/drug free zones/social places makes it hard to distinguish (unless approached, which I never have been) between a lonely soul and and a drug pusher who hangs out among them.


Whilst I admire the commitment and multiteam approach to the situation – drug dealing – there are other issues I would like to see tackled too:

Jaywalking by club revellers, who walk in the street in front of cars without a care in the world, obstructing the footpaths so you are forced to walk in the road.

Overcrowding in clubs – health and safety issue around packing people in clubs well over their legal capacity, which is?  It should be sign posted and transparent. 

Tax/VAT Evasion – white collar crimes tend to be overlooked, which impact on the community just as much as drugs do.  Receipts are rarely given in pubs especially.

Parking should be free after 10 a.m. as this affects families/carers/visitors who have to pay to visit relatives, which can be expensive.  This breaks down the fabric of certain communities.

More family friendly places of interest/ places to eat/relax and enjoy.  Brixton is not a family oriented place to live or visit.    “

“ Further information is needed. “

“Dealers have become more aggressive on side streets whilst coppers are ignored. 

Having a ‘Just say no to drugs’ is like having a ‘Just say no to sex’ policy – look at the catholics to see how effective that policy is.  People will use drugs regardless of what you say.

You need to regulate the supply of soft drugs that everyone uses anyway to keep the supply of cash for harder drugs out of the criminal’s hands.  Just like with alcohol.  Otherwise, any policy you have is a complete waste of time, and I resent having to continually throw my tax at you so you can continue wasting effort on  policies doomed to failure.” 


“What was generally noticeable  apart from Brixton Road  was the  sparse number of people ( I was there between 10am and 12pm.) 

Also noticeable the large number of  premises shuttered up and Railton Road  between Brixton Wholefoods and Dog star devoid of people  only one customer in the shop. 

Sat  in Eco pizza in Grenville arcade between 11am and 11.30  I was again the only customer during that period.  

The Brixton Mainline  station arcade is a ghost town with all but two business units shuttered up.  “


"As a Brixton resident I have been genuinely stunned at the way in which dealers have become so blatant and - in what appears to be a correlation - police so scarce. Either fully legalise drugs and take them off the streets so that those who want them can have them without being criminalised, or maintain a strong arm against them as the ridiculous in between measure we have seen results in the worst of both worlds - ie it's in the faces of people who don't want them through no choice of their own, and making dealers very rich. 

I get offered various substances on my way home from work each evening anytime from 5.30pm onwards. I walk from the tube station exit to the bus stop by Woolworths and am usually approached between 1 and 5 times in a 100m stretch. There are never any police around - once in a while they might be stood in the exit of the tube station but they never venture onto the street itself.

If you want to decriminlise cannabis do it properly and tale it off the streets and into regulated establishments. half measures are counterproductive." 

"I am very supportive of this initiative. I think that Brixton residents have suffered far too long from the effects of drug dealing and the associated anti-social behaviour. I am simply fed up being hassled by dealers on the High Street, and the anti-social behaviour of users doing things such as disposing of dirty needles without a thought or begging very aggressively. Its about time this was addressed."

"A welcome initiative. It's nice to walk home without being hassled. It's not that people are selling cannabis, they could be selling washing powder, it's the way they do it. We will do better to manage the output more comercially. Anyhow, I see the policing initiative lasts as long as the, standard, pub opening hours? The dealers seemed more proactive tonight (Thurs), perhaps trying to make up for lost business during the day"

"I would like to pass on my appreciation that something is finally being done. I have had several incidents over the last few months including; being harassed by aggressive beggars outside Ritzy; my girlfriend being followed at night and scared stiff on two occasions; constantly being asked if I want drugs every day of the year on the way to the station. I never reported any of this because I have no faith the police will do anything……..maybe I am wrong!"

" well they're all back outside Iceland around 6pm, as ever whistling at everyone like were sheepdogs...

while one of your community officers stands outside the tube, as ever, oblivious to whats going on 10 metres away."

"After about 11pm the real hardcore crack dealers come out and form groups on the cobbled stone path between saltoun road and rushcroft road. all the junkies hang around them to get their fix. why not have a CSO on fulltime duty around this area at night?"