CCTV

I notice with interest the pictures of Kensal Green station prior to
that terrible murder. Notice that all the gates are open, indicating
that no staff are on the station at all. So these murderers were able
to mug at least 1 person on the platform and then leave without any
actual witness and then go murder someone.
I'm not suggesting that a staff member would stop these people, but if
the gates were working, staff were in the office actually watching the
CCTV, chances are they could have called for help. I summise these 2
murderers didnt have a ticket and seeing gates in operation may have
persuaded them to exit at another station having just mugged someone,
knowing it was probably seen on CCTV. If not they would have had to
jump the gates, again bringing attention to themselves and possible
descriptions. If only.........
Also am i the only one saying how bad the images are, (if they could
see the faces i'm sure we would all see them by now), and whats the
point of CCTV if no one looks at it. Lets face it, we would never have
known about the platform mugging unless the guy hadn't come forward
well after the event - he had not reported it and wasn't going to.
So nobody watches it, and if they do they can't make out anything
anyway. What a great detterent.
Do we need more staff on the stations - or less?

As a local Brent councillor I have long been concerned about the state
of Kensal Green Station. Residents have justifiably raised this issue
with me and my colleagues on numerous occasions

The point about station gates and staffing is well made. In the case of
Kensal Green, Silverlink close the ticket office at 20.30.each evening.
It is unclear what security is supposed to be provided after this.
London Underground run stations are better staffed, as a consequence
the gates are kept secure until much latter is the evening

At nearby Queens Park Station, where the ticket office closes at 20.45,
with open access after this time, Silverlink advise that a security
guard is supposed to be present until the station closes. This does
always appear to be the case.

The sooner TfL takes over responsibility for setting standards at these
Silverlink stations the better. Hopefully the staffing and environment
can be improved so that they reach that expected and experienced by
London Underground passengers on other lines and indeed the Bakerloo
south of Queens Park

In the longer term we need to build on the joined up work being
developed by TfL /BTP /Met Police /TOC /local authorities along this
line


Neil



MIG wrote:
> downunder wrote:
> > I notice with interest the pictures of Kensal Green station prior to
> > that terrible murder. Notice that all the gates are open, indicating
> > that no staff are on the station at all. So these murderers were able
> > to mug at least 1 person on the platform and then leave without any
> > actual witness and then go murder someone.
> > I'm not suggesting that a staff member would stop these people, but if
> > the gates were working, staff were in the office actually watching the
> > CCTV, chances are they could have called for help. I summise these 2
> > murderers didnt have a ticket and seeing gates in operation may have
> > persuaded them to exit at another station having just mugged someone,
> > knowing it was probably seen on CCTV. If not they would have had to
> > jump the gates, again bringing attention to themselves and possible
> > descriptions. If only.........
> > Also am i the only one saying how bad the images are, (if they could
> > see the faces i'm sure we would all see them by now), and whats the
> > point of CCTV if no one looks at it. Lets face it, we would never have
> > known about the platform mugging unless the guy hadn't come forward
> > well after the event - he had not reported it and wasn't going to.
> > So nobody watches it, and if they do they can't make out anything
> > anyway. What a great detterent.
> > Do we need more staff on the stations - or less?
>
>
> I use Kensal Green quite often, and the gate situation is difficult to
> work out. Sometimes the gates will be open at lunchtime and working in
> the evening; sometimes the other way round.
>
> Sometimes the gates will be open even when there are staff in the
> office with a clear view of anyone in difficulty.
>
> Of course we need more staff on stations, and on trains. This would be
> true if only to help people, provide information etc, rather than act
> as enforcers. And there tends to be less to enforce in a well-staffed
> and maintained public place than in a deserted place.
>
> Kensal Green platforms are almost totally featureless, with no
> information displays or any announcements that I can ever remember.

I visited Kensal Green a couple years ago during the week and the gates
were powered down and ticket office closed by the early afternoon. It's
quite clear Silverlink don't give a damn about the Metro franchise,
which presumably never produced the same financial return as their
County operations (and no wonder!), and which will disappear anyway
soon. On the New Year's Eve all night services at this station were
frustrated, not by the RMT, but rather a time switch which extinguished
all platform lights between 0200 and 0500! Clearly this was the usual
Silverlink overnight practice - i.e.the idea of entrusting this task to
a person, who might also check that the station is secure before
locking up, is completely alien to them. Then there other stations on
this section which are non-stopped for days due to defective OPO
monitors, faults which if on LUL property, would have normally been
fixed within hours (or platform staff provided). The quality of station
CCTV footage also speaks for itself, next-to-useless grainy images
which wouldn't have a hope of standing up in court! And am I right in
assuming that Silverlink's trains on the North London, West London and
Euston -Watford lines still carry guards, for if so, why also is there
never any attempt to carry out on-train ticket inspection?

<bowroadukm> wrote in message
news:1137513960.848963.113490@g44g2000cwa. o...
>I visited Kensal Green a couple years ago during the week and the gates
> were powered down and ticket office closed by the early afternoon. It's
> quite clear Silverlink don't give a damn about the Metro franchise,
> which presumably never produced the same financial return as their
> County operations (and no wonder!), and which will disappear anyway
> soon. On the New Year's Eve all night services at this station were
> frustrated, not by the RMT, but rather a time switch which extinguished
> all platform lights between 0200 and 0500! Clearly this was the usual
> Silverlink overnight practice - i.e.the idea of entrusting this task to
> a person, who might also check that the station is secure before
> locking up, is completely alien to them. Then there other stations on
> this section which are non-stopped for days due to defective OPO
> monitors, faults which if on LUL property, would have normally been
> fixed within hours (or platform staff provided). The quality of station
> CCTV footage also speaks for itself, next-to-useless grainy images
> which wouldn't have a hope of standing up in court! And am I right in
> assuming that Silverlink's trains on the North London, West London and
> Euston -Watford lines still carry guards, for if so, why also is there
> never any attempt to carry out on-train ticket inspection?

They're not called Silverstink for nothing. The trains that go from
Richmond past Dalston (I forget where they terminate) never have guards on.
There's usually one grumpy looking unfortunate driver (I don't blame the
drivers, obviously), and that's it. I've seen one ticket inspection on the
train, and inspectors at the exit about 4 or 5 times at different stations
down the line. The ticket halls are usually closed at ridiculous hours, or
they don't have change or some other silly reason for them adding extra
angst to your journey.

dave

On 17 Jan 2006 00:02:08 -0800, "downunder" <lu13sn@lycos.co.uk> wrote:



>Also am i the only one saying how bad the images are, (if they could
>see the faces i'm sure we would all see them by now), and whats the
>point of CCTV if no one looks at it. Lets face it, we would never have
>known about the platform mugging unless the guy hadn't come forward
>well after the event - he had not reported it and wasn't going to.
>So nobody watches it, and if they do they can't make out anything
>anyway. What a great detterent.
>Do we need more staff on the stations - or less?


I agree on the quality of the images.
I'm all for CCTV but what is the point if all you can make out is a
blurred human shape with absolutly no detail. Its not just Kensal
Green, most images I've seen in the newspapers don't convince me
they're an effective deterrant.


Dave

In message <auPzf.3741$0N1.274@newsfe5-win.ntli.net>, Mal
<malcolm.nika@ntlworld.com> writes
> perpetrators know CCTV is everywhere and yet still commit crimes
>against people and property knowing they probably have been filmed. Now
>i've confused myself.......
Could this be the reason for "Hoodies" and the use of balaclavas'
--
Clive