In Conversation with … Dr Iain Raphael

Detective Chief Superintendent, Dr Iain Raphael, joined CTU for our fifth “In Conversation with…” event.

On 16th October, members from Camden Town Unlimited (CTU) and Euston Town business improvement districts (BID) had the opportunity to meet the recently-appointed Chief Superintendent, Dr Iain Raphael. Dr Raphael’s appointment followed Catherine Roper’s promotion to Commander earlier this year.

The conversation, chaired by CTU/ET Chief Executive Simon Pitkeathley, covered topics ranging from drug crime, perception vs reported crime in Camden, and police resources.

Kicking off the event, Dr Raphael made clear that his top priorities for the police force moving forward included reducing violence in all its forms, keeping children safe and apprehending criminals.

Between April and now, reported crime across all of Camden borough was down 13%, moped crime down 78%, knife crime down 15%, robbery down 22.5%, anti-social behaviour calls down 9%, but while on paper there has been a reduction, local business owners and residents still saw the same individuals perpetrating the same crimes. Dr Raphael acknowledged that the success of the strategy would not just mean a reduction of numbers on paper, but a visible reduction in the number of people committing violent and drug-related offences in the Camden area.

The increase in drug-related crime is a major concern for the residents of the Camden area, and so it was positively received when Dr Raphael explained that a Drug Strategy for Camden and Islington was being developed. Residents greeted the news positively, but commented that drug use and dealing was still very prevalent in public spaces.

Over the last 10 years, there has been a clear reduction of ‘capable guardians’ (police officers on the beat, ticket checkers on buses, and park officers) which has given space for individuals to commit crime because of the perception that the probability they will be caught is low. Therefore, it is critical for BIDs, local businesses, and the community to foster new partnerships with the police to make Camden Town an attractive place to live, work, and visit. Crime levels and the perception of crime both have a direct impact on businesses and the appeal of a neighbourhood for local people and tourists to visit.

Luckily, starting from the 5th of November, the ward will have a fully dedicated team of officers made up of a sergeant and four support officers in addition to the security team CTU funds through its business rate levy. Dr Raphael saw this as an opportunity to ‘reset the clock’ on the ways to engage with residents and deal with crime that are reported to the police.

Members and residents highlighted the anxiety they feel about the levels of crime in the Camden area and Dr Raphael said he wants to foster an environment whereby it “shouldn’t feel hostile for residents but should feel hostile for criminals.”

Asked what his three ‘wishes’ would be to help reduce crime levels, Dr Raphael identified that a visible increase of capable guardians, better community space design (i.e. CCTV, more lights, fewer places to hide illegal materials), and stronger community partnership would all allow him to put more resources into tackling more complex lawbreaking.