On Fri, 12 May 2006 21:32:18 +0000 (UTC), Mike Bristow
wrote:

In article ,
Paul Corfield wrote:
... that finds the deployment of *20* Met Police / Community Support
Officers and a drug sniffer dog at Walthamstow Central Tube Station to
"check" passengers something of a waste of resource?

Walthamstow Central is something of a crime hotspot; these operations
are significantly reducing crime in the immediate area.

At 16.30 in the afternoon? I agree the place is damn intimidating after
20.30 at night but then you never see 20 policemen there at that time of
night.

It would be much simpler if One simply increased their staff presence
and reopened the ticket office after 21.00 - that would deter part of
the criminal element.

Or so said the borough commander a month ago.

Well I'm sure he knows far more about crime levels than I do but I have
never perceived Walthamstow as being the crime capital of the East End.
I don't feel threatened walking about the place. If his comments are
correct I would expect to see a far higher police presence around the
borough all the time than I do see. I think his comments are a simple
justification of what is in effect cheap and obvious policing.

I've no problem with a small police presence to support a proper revenue
control check but we get these police overload checks far more
frequently than a ticket check. Do criminals now solely travel by tube
train?

No, but there are an awful lot of people passing through the station, so
it's a good place to start looking.

Being cynical I think they are using the fact that terrorism took place
on the tube and that is therefore easier for the police to undertake
operations in that environment that they could never get away with if
they did them on Walthamstow High Street.

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!