After violent incidents on two successive Saturday afternoons -- an imitation firearm was brandished in the High Street and a stabbing in the nearby recreation ground -- there could hardly have been a more opportune moment for some reassuring words from High Barnet's Safer Neighbourhood Team.
Two of the team’s police constables and its community support officer spent an hour in Greggs’ bakery talking to residents and reinforcing their appeals to the public to report suspicious behaviour.
Mahender Khari, chair of the panel that monitors the local police response, said numerous posts on social media site reflected local concern about what for some residents had clearly been two frightening incidents.
Mr Khari – (seen above from left to right with PC Daniel Boon, PC Umar Fida, Mr Khari, and Paul Horgan of Barnet Residents Association) – said complaints about rowdy and anti-social behaviour were at the top of the agenda for the Community Action Panel.
In the first of the Saturday afternoon incidents (1.10.2022) armed police, backed up by a police helicopter hovering overhead, responded to a disturbance outside McDonalds after reports of a firearm being brandished.
One person was arrested for possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear and alarm.
The second incident (8.10.2022) involved fighting between a group of youngsters in the Old Court House Recreation Ground.
A twelve-year-old boy was stabbed and taken to hospital by ambulance. His injury was not life threatening and he was said to be fine and stable after treatment.
Again, there was an armed police response and, as a precaution, the London Air Ambulance helicopter was called and landed temporarily on one of the greens at Barnet Bowls Club.
Mr Khari said despite these two alarming Saturday afternoon disturbances, he agreed with the Safer Neighbourhood Team that these tended to be isolated incidents.
High Barnet had a lower crime rate than in other parts of the Borough of Barnet, well below the average for London, and did not often experience the kind of disturbances that were more common in other town centres.
Because there were relatively few potentially violent incidents in Barnet High Street – compared with Cricklewood, Kilburn or Finchley – residents were not as used to seeing the high level of police response that was needed for stabbings or reports of possible offensive weapons.
Mr Khari said the Community Action Panel had expressed concern before about the way rowdy youngsters congregated in the Old Court House Recreation Ground – a problem that was exacerbated at lunch times when students from Barnet and Southgate College tended to congregate around the children’s playground.
This was the first time that the Safer Neighbourhood Team had held a public consultation session in Greggs’ bakery. The aim was to provide a convenient friendly location so that residents could call in, meet the police officers, and discuss issues of concern.
“If people see anything suspicious it is better that they report it, and if it is anything serious, we can deal with it.
“We are keen to take every opportunity to get to know local people, so do come along and say hello.”
The team’s next getting-to-know you session will be at 12noon outside the Waitrose entrance at The Spires shopping centre at 12 noon on Wednesday 9 November.
