Partnership continue to clean up Soho in time for Olympics

Well it seems Westminster are

still on their quest to remove the ‘crime and grime’ from the streets of Soho,

with yet another flurry of arrests last weekend.

More than 50 arrests were made, which included 10 for supplying Class A drugs,

as part of the council’s commitment to cleaning up Soho and rid the streets of

the more ‘unsavoury’ elements.

Increased police patrols have

been on the beat in the area in a bid to clamp down on what they describe as an

‘open-air drugs market’ and reduce the numbers of unlicensed sex premises. Soho

businesses too will be connected to the police by a new radio system and the

darker, poorly lit alleys and corners of the area are to be eliminated, in the

hope that better visibility in the area will deter some of the illegal activity

which is often takes place in the shadowy pockets of Soho.

The partnership of the Police and

Westminster Council are aiming for a safer Soho in time for the 2012 Olympics,

when many expect an increase in the numbers of visitors  to the area, many of whom will be coming to

Soho for the strip clubs, bars and sex shops and it is this the partnership

wish to see ‘cleaned-up’. With clip joints and unlicensed sex shops still

thriving and springing up in Soho, many tourists and visitors stand to be stung

by these unlawful ‘businesses’, but with the help of CCTV surveillance,

increased police visibility and the recruitment of specials to enable more foot

patrols, they hope to tackle this and make Soho a more friendly and safer place

to live in and visit.

A Westminster Council spokeswoman told the BBC: "The vision is that Soho

will no longer be somewhere to come to score drugs or visit unlicensed sex

premises but a vibrant and safe night out.

"The crime and grime

clampdown is part of a key pledge made by the council to help rid Soho of its seedy

reputation as part of its Living City programme.

"Evidence shows that by

improving the area's streets at the same time as tackling crime, authorities

can help achieve long-term benefits for an area."

She said increased street

lighting and work to tackle recessed doorways was being carried out to reduce

the number of "dark corners". This includes measure to extend building

entrances further forward towards street level in order to reduce the number of

shadowy, recessed area for illegal activity to take place.

It does seem the partnership of

Westminster council and the police have been very busy, but do you think this

is simply a cynical ploy to temporarily transform Soho into a cleaner, safer

place to be in time for the many tourists that will pass through Soho and the

west end during the Olympics? Will there be a lasting legacy of safer streets

and increased police activity in the area, once the Olympics clears off and the

council no longer has to be on its best behaviour? Maybe you think that these

measures are long overdue and despite Soho’s tradition and reputation as a

mecca for the more ‘adult’ pursuits in life, there are some activities that

just are not welcome and many which are outright illegal and have no place in

our Soho today. I personally welcome any steps which seek to eradicate clip

joints, unlicensed sex shops and drug dealing in Soho, but I must admit I am

slight cynical as to whether this is all being implemented now for all the

wrongs reasons; what Soho needs is a longer lasting commitment to tackling

crime, not just a quick fix to shape up for 2012.