Police Consultative Group: Join Lobby of Labour Group

THE POLICE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE- Join the lobby of the Labour Group_on Feb. 22rd

On January 22nd the initial meeting of the Police Consultative Committee in

Camden was picketed by NALGO, Camden Printworkers, City AA, Camden Council for

Community Relations, Camden Unemployed, Plack Workers Group, King's Cross Women's In probably the largest gathering 150 reople met outside the

Centre, gay and lesbian grouns, and Briefing. of concerned grouns since rate-canping, avproximately

Camden Centre, to be joined by some 50 police who ‘consulted the community’ by

shoving neovle around while escorting councillors, community ‘revresentatives'

and their fellow officers into the meeting. Among those who crossed the picket line were Labour councillors Ken Hulme, Ben Griffiths, Alan Rinvington, Janet Pove,

Barbara Hughes, Robert Tatham, Mary Cane, and Tony Dykes. It's unclear who called the nolice. It could have been the police themselves

who wanted to maze sure that, for their vurposes, the meeting would go uninterruvted; or it could have been one of the councillors (it would not have been the first time that the Labour groun has called the police to deal with a demonstrative public).

any case, an attempt was made to arrest a black woman, but the police were quickly

surrounded, and they had little choice but to let her go. Particularly provocative was Councillor Ken Hulme in his attempt to break through

In

what was an official NALGO picket line. So extreme was his behavior that it prompted

one person, who had never encountered this rambo of the fight, to mistake Hulme for a

member of the National Front. In his mindless attempt to get into the meeting, it's |

revorted that Hulme assaulted four women on the picket line, to which women responded

by chanting throughout the evening, 'Ken Hulme abuses women. ‘As though in a haze of

valium, Hulme did not avpear to be conscious enough to know what they were talking about. Only a fraction calmer was Councillor Robert Tatham, who, brandishing his 'soft

centre' briefcase, screamed that he was carrying out the manifesto. This sound and fury, in fact, signified nothing. Not only had the manifesto stated that Camden would narticinate in the Consultative Committee on a trial basis~ that year having ended in December, un to which time the Committee had not held a meeting- but the basis on which it was included in the manifesto was both questionable and controversial (both GC's, LGC, Borough Conference, and community groups were against varticipation). It's quite likely that it was only uvon hearing that Councillor Adrian States, vice chair of the Police Sub-committee, was planning to raise the issue again, that the meeting was sud= denly arranged even though NALGO had said they would not service it- a legitimate vosition since the provosed position of Clerk to the Committee, though working in the Town

Hall, would be paid by, and accountable to, the Home Office and not the Council. Given Camden's schizophrenic attitude towards trade unions (last year they passed

a resolution, moved by Hulme, saying that t.u.'s Should not be present at group meetings when there's a dispute against one or more councillors- since rarely a day goes by when

there isn't a dispute of some kind, this would have meant that t.u.'s would have had

to declare themselves volitically impotent before they would be allowed to attend another group meeting. Fortunately, there was enough vressure from the party to force the group to change their policy), verhaps the actions of these councillors isn't all that survrising. Yet here were councillors attempting to walk over the very veonle who sunported them during rate-canving, and who they will need in any fight against nrivitisation, just so they could attend a meeting that would allow them to indulge in the cosmetics of consu! tation.

Once the collaboraters got through the picket line- the blind leading the blind through an aisle formed by the volice- there wasn't much to do, so it was decided that we should leave the police to stroke their truncheons while we moved inside to put our views to the meeting. After all, if the police were going to knock us around they might as well do it in full view of the Committee. Once inside, a woman remarked, ‘Surorise, surprise, there's not a single black person on the committee.’ It was, of course, true. There were also precious few women, no disabled people, and it was apparent that the number of police officers, not counting those in Dlainclothes, were only slightly outnumbered by Tabour councillors. Barbara Hughes told us that Westminster(!) had set up a Consultative Committee and thet the ethnic minorities in that borough were very satisfied with it. Picking up on this elementary error in logic- 40,000 frenchmen- a woman in the back shouted, 'Yes, Barbara, so it must obviously be right for the veonle of Camden.

Another woman said, with reference to the advertisement for the Consultative Committee that arpeared in the local napers last December, ‘Where's the creche you ~romised? Where's the access for the disabled?' A black comrade held un a nlacard- ‘Who killed Cynthie Jarrett? Who shot Cherry Groce?'- adding, ‘These are the real questions that this committee won't answer." At which time another woman shouted, 'And who raped Jackie Berkeley?’ Whenever anyone on the committee attemoted to say something, someone in the gallery had something better, and more intelligent, to say. It was reminiscent of the rate-capping meetings that had taken place next door.

Though someone inthe autlience nominated God, Barbara Hughes was somehow elected chair, Tony Dykes nervously tried to convince everyone of his good intentions.

He vassed around a piece of paper concerning the number of Camden police used at Wapping. Hadn't anyone told Tony about ‘overational matters' which Consultative Groups are not allowed to sveak about? While Hulme was glumly si'ent, ’atham yelled at the women from King's Cross, ‘And who did you go to for nrotection when you were being attacked? It

was the Tabour groun...' Though everyone was imnressed by the vower of his voice, it wasn't the most convincing arguement, and I think it's safe to say that none of the women's minds were changed by the force of Tatham's bunt, and vaternalistic, invective.

A man on the Committee said he renresented the e’derly in the borough, Who were

frightened to wa’k the streets at night. He was countered by a Woman in her ‘ate 50's

who said that e'derly neop’e in Camden were as frightened of the nolice as anything else. Another woman questiomed the man's right to elderly women. Others spoke, including revresentatives from the “abour varty. A gay man said that the gay community had no

faith in, nor respect for, the nolice, and that, amongst gays, the Committee had no | support. Interesting)y enough, the clerk made no attemnt to minute anything the public said, an interesting point since Barbara Hughes, in a meeting with NAIGO, had assured everyone that the community, and not the volice, would control the Consultative | Committee. In fac&, no one gave, nor has anyone ever given, a single good reason why Camden should participate in the Committee. | ikewise, there has never been any evidence that any borough's participation has vroduced positive results.

The meeting lasted around forty minutes, much to the relief of the bewildered Tories, Barbara Hughes, and the volice who were stil! waiting for us outside. After the meeting we svoke to a man from a Tenant's Association who, with the best intentions, had been beguited into thinking the Committee was an onportunity to discuss imnortant matters with the volice. He had no idea he was stepning into a hornet's nest. We had the distinct imorescion that this would be both hic first and Jast meeting.

Tikewire, those with ~erhans more nolitica! acumen than that varticular verson had also underestimated the strength of feeling in the community on the subject of the Committee. Many thought on’y a handful of vickets= would show uv, forgetting that for onpressed \ grouns policing is a bread and butter issue. While councillors are stuck in the Town Hall, caught in a maze of figures and meetings, they often forget that there is another world outside the council chamber.

Significant’y, neither Frank Dobson, MP for Holborn-St Pancras, nor Phil Turner, PPC for Hampstead-Highgate, showed un to attend or protest the meeting. But in an article in the following day's Evening Standard, Dobson was quoted as saying that he has refused to take vart in Camden's Committee- so much for the unity that some Holborn-St Pancras councillors claim to have on the subject. Meanwhile, Phil Turner, who voted for participation at his branch meeting, most likely stayed away in order to see which way the wind was blow= ing- a particular skil! that var’iamentary candidates seem to cultivate. Back at the Town Hal’, Tony Dykes was overheard to say that Thursday evening had been the worst moment in his volitica’ ‘career'(?); while, Nalgo Officers are writing to Complain about Lhe toinil!sa belaviook The folowing week, the chief Exe, after claims by Hulme and Hughes that they had been ascau’ted on the nicket line, began discinlinary action against two senior NA'GO workers for organising the -icket and going against council policy. During the same week, though Ho? born-St Pancras voted, at their GC, to continue particinating in the Committee, Hamn tead-Highgate GC voted to withdraw, a view that was confimed at Borough Conference on January ist.

So the ball is back in the court of the ‘abour grou. If there is another meeting, it will doubtless'y be picketed by even more veonle. For the residents of Camden- partic-

ularly those who are up against the police- don't get any svecial mies” > out of sitting

around with police officers who, as the saying goes, kee» their iron fists concealed within their velvet gloves whenever it suits them. It was obvious that the police tane recorders were more efficient than the selectively deaf clerk in noting what was being said. Yet the neople vrerent were adamant in their desire to have an accountable police service= one that will] not harass blacks,gays, lesbians, and working class people. They wanted assurances that plastic bullets and CS gas would never be used in this borough. But they know that none of this can be. accomplirhed through the Consultative Committee. It's very difficu’t to have a rational conversation with someone whc's just hit you over the head. What looked ‘ike a marginal issue has become a oriertt} dh the politica) agenda for the veon’e of Camden. The Labour varty should take notice before it's too late.

Woody Haut Steve Taylor (Hampctead-Highgate C.P)