Hackney By Night

08 Feb 2008

Hackney Gazette

As many readers will know I am always willing to stick up for Hackney when the area receives bad press. I was disappointed with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s comments that she would not walk in Hackney after dark. And I was shocked that she suggested other people do not go out in Hackney at night. My first reaction was to think about all the people who come home from work or an evening out on public transport – they are certainly walking the Hackney streets after dark. My second reaction was that Ms Smith’s comments completely misrepresented what Hackney is like. Of course there are problems with crime but that does not mean that Hackney does not have a vibrant and attractive nightlife.

So last week I decided to invite members of the home affairs select committee to come with me on a late night walk of Hackney. I wanted to show them that Hackney streets are not all places to fear for your life, and moreover that there are lots of wonderful restaurants, shops and cafes to enjoy. The committee is in the process of compiling a report on policing in the 21st Century and so were keen to visit an inner-city area that has received such a poor reputation for crime and policing.

Immediate problems arose with this visit. On the one hand, I wanted to counteract the negative press Hackney receives by inviting members of the press to join us on the walkabout. On the other hand I did not want the event to turn into a media circus but rather was aiming for the members of the home affairs select committee to get a realistic picture of what Hackney at night is really like. In the end I compromised and allowed the press to follow us as we walked down Stoke Newington Church street and around Stoke Newington High street. Myself and the other MPs present could then answer their questions, as well as giving our impression of the area as we went. For the second part of the walkabout we walked around the Smalley Road estate without the press. This gave the other MPs a chance to have a realistic view of what Hackney estates are like at night-time.

I have always enjoyed living in Hackney but in recent years I think there has been a real improvement in the area. More and more people are flocking to the area for an evening’s entertainment. Yum Yum restaurant owner Atique Choudhury agrees. He thinks the area has really picked up in the past decade with the increase in families living here and new businesses that have invigorated the streets. He has seen for himself the success of Hackney restaurants in attracting crowds from all over London and beyond. The shopkeepers we spoke to were also positive about working in Hackney. They said that despite some problems with crime and anti-social behaviour, they felt the local police were doing a good job of keeping their shops safe. They had CCTV cameras and alarm buttons as protection and appreciated the increase in community support officers Hackney has received.

The members of the home affairs select committee were impressed with the latest crime statistics for Hackney. Knife crime is down 23%, serious violence down 28%, and robbery down 23.9% on last year. These reductions are reflected in the opinions of Hackney residents taken in a crime poll. Confidence in the police rose from 22% at the start of 2007 to 53% by the end. 96% of people questioned felt safe walking in Hackney in the day time and 73% after dark.   



back ⇢