Perran Moon, the Labour MP for Camborne and Redruth, has said it is “blindingly obvious” that Camborne has an urgent problem of crime, antisocial behaviour and addiction.
Various people in the town, including its mayor, have spoken out recently about feeling unsafe in Camborne.
Mr Moon took to social media to say that following the public’s concerns he has spent the past two weeks meeting the Mayor of Camborne James Ball, the town’s BID team, Camborne’s police inspector and other officers and the manager of the homeless pods in Rosewarne car park, which some residents believe is where a lot of the problems in the town stems from.
“So far, I have carried out three weekly Friday evening doorstep surgeries in Camborne and, on Saturday, a sit down surgery at Camborne Community Centre. I have also met several concerned residents, in addition to dozens of other meetings across the constituency from east to west, north to south,” said the MP.
“I know there are plenty more stakeholders who are keen to catch up on the issues in Camborne, where it is blindingly obvious to me that we have an urgent problem of crime, antisocial behaviour (ASB) and drug and alcohol addiction. Our patrol, neighbourhood policing and ASB teams are under-resourced but deserve our full support. They are doing their level best.
“As a result of my discussions, I’m having meetings with the chief inspector of police and the CEO of Cornwall Council over the next two weeks. As well as ASB and crime, I want to talk to them about the issue of the lack of CCTV in town which makes it even harder for our security services.
“Although I know it’s taking ages to report crimes both online or on 101 phone line, please keep reporting crimes through these channels. The higher the reported crime the more likely we are to get the resources that we need. Rest assured, I am working closely with all agencies to improve the situation.”
Many residents thanked Mr Moon for his involvement in comments beneath his post. Rachel Ann wrote: “Thank goodness. I really hope things improve. The idea of my son growing up into a young man in this area fills me with dread at the moment and it shouldn’t. Camborne could be a nice town, it has so much potential to be great again – but the current atmosphere in town is very very unsettling.”
Traders and residents have been calling for the homeless pods to be removed from the town centre car park as they say it has led to a rise in street drinking, drug dealing and antisocial behaviour.
Town mayor James Ball, who is disabled, said it has got so bad that on one occasion a street drinker jumped on the back of his wheelchair as he went past and broke it. He said: “It is an issue in the town. We have a huge problem in Commercial Square and in town generally with shoplifting and street drinking. It’s not necessarily the people hosted in the homeless pods but the hangers-on.
“Residents in the pods are not allowed to have guests so are on the street where drink and drug taking takes place. It’s happened in full view of Cornwall Council officers. It’s just getting worse at the moment.”
Cllr Ball said instances of antisocial behaviour in Camborne have got worse in the last six months. He recently walked the town with Superintendent Ian Thompson to show him the problem hotspots and speak with concerned traders and residents. “Many people in the town are not feeling safe right now. Shoplifting is leading to a loss of trade and if residents are not feeling safe they don’t come into the town centre. If they’ll jump on the back of my wheelchair and break it when I’m coming through, what else will they do to people?”
The issue has become so bad that a petition has now been launched on the Change.org website calling on Cornwall Council to remove the homeless pods from the Rosewarne car park and relocate them elsewhere.
Samantha Hussey who launched the petition, said: “I am a resident of Camborne and like many others, I am concerned about the safety of our town centre. Rosewarne car park, once a regular car park, has become a hosting ground for homeless pods. This has significantly impacted the sense of security, discouraging people from visiting the town centre due to fear.
“Unquestionably, supporting the homeless is a crucial commitment, but there has to be an alternative solution which suits the interest of the homeless community without disadvantaging the residents. According to the UK Office of National Statistics, areas with visible homelessness experience a lower rate of business activity and tourism, negatively affecting the local community.
“Our shared objective is a safer Camborne where residents and visitors can feel secure around the clock. For this reason, we call upon the local council to remove the homeless pods from the Rosewarne car park and consider alternative solutions like adequate housing facilities or established local shelters.”
A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “There is no evidence to suggest that the antisocial behaviour in Camborne is linked to the residents at the accommodation in Rosewarne car park. The site is managed 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
“Residents are risk assessed before moving into the accommodation and they receive support with moving on from homelessness into long-term homes. Residents sign terms and conditions including acceptable behaviours both on the site and the wider area. Where evidence is available we will investigate any tenancy breaches and take appropriate action including eviction.
“There is a lot of work ongoing to tackle antisocial behaviour in Camborne through the Safer Cornwall partnership, including £340k of investment from the Safer Streets scheme.
“We encourage members of the public to report incidents of antisocial behaviour by visiting www.dc.police.uk where you can access the police’s online contact methods – WebChat and Crime Reporting Form. Alternatively, you can call 101 (in an emergency always dial 999).”
Further information about reporting community safety concerns can be found on the Safer Cornwall website.