January 6, 2025, 09:35
Police told residents of a north London neighborhood to play classical music as a strategy to defend themselves against criminals.
Photo: Getty
Police ordered terrified residents harassed by drug addicts and criminals in a posh north London neighborhood to play classical music to keep the thugs away.
Locals reported having their car windows smashed in the middle-class neighborhood of St John’s Wood, northwest London, prompting a flood of complaints from irritated neighbors in recent months.
Drug addicts have also been seen injecting crack cocaine on the doorstep of a £3million family home.
Another resident complained that a drug dealer threatened to shoot and dismember him after he confronted them in public.
When she later reported an alleged drug deal to police, sending photographs as evidence, she was simply told to “play classical music” to stay safe, according to an email seen by The sun.
He was urged not to play those tunes too loudly as it may lead to other complaints, and was advised to call 999 if he sees the suspect again.
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St John’s Wood residents have inundated police with complaints in recent months.
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Former Sussex Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Moore slammed the advice as “completely crazy”, adding that former Sussex Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Moore said he had “never heard anything so ridiculous.”
The Met Police said in a statement: “While clearly well-intentioned, the advice in the email sent to the resident in this case does not reflect Met policy.”
Playing classical music to deter antisocial behavior has previously been used as a tactic in train and tube stations.
In April, rail company Northern said it would continue to depict tracks inspired by artists such as Handel and Mozart at up to 35 stations to combat bad behaviour.
The company claimed this resulted in fewer reports of large groups loitering at its stations in the north-west and north-east of England.
A spokesperson for the North told BBS: “Customers have told us they feel safer and we have seen a reduction in the number of reports of people loitering at the station in large groups with no intention of travelling.”
London Underground has also previously trialled the use of classical music in ticket offices, waiting areas and station corridors to discourage anti-social behavior at several stations.
It first launched the scheme in 2007 and reported a 33% drop in thefts, a 25% drop in assaults on staff and a 37% drop in vandalism.
The investigation also revealed that about 85% of respondents were in favor of the classical music program and recommended that it be broadcast to other stations in the network.
The tactic has also been used by councils including Shropshire, which staged classic singalongs around its historic Old Market Hall building to tackle anti-social behavior and rough sleeping.
