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Been affected by gang crime?

Have you been involved in gangs or affected by gun crime?

Police investigating Afro-Caribbean gun crime in London say a teenager shot dead in south-east London may have been a victim of mistaken identity after two gunmen forced their way into his home. It's the third murder incident in this area in the last week.

In Los Angeles police officials from the United States and Central America are discussing a crackdown on international gangs. Hispanic gangs have been blamed for a spree of murders, rapes and robberies across the region.

What do you think should be done to tackle gangs? Do you think guns should be banned? What are the root causes of gang culture? What more do you think the police should do to control it?

Reply 1

supernova2

11

guns don't kill people, rappers do.

I saw it on a documentary on BBC 2

Reply 2

L i b

19

Have Your Say

What do you think should be done to tackle gangs? Do you think guns should be banned?

Oh yes, because over here inner city gangs are running around with perfectly legal, licensed shotguns and rifles...

Reply 3

Horatio Caine

12

Lib North

Oh yes, because over here inner city gangs are running around with perfectly legal, licensed shotguns and rifles...

I'm going to have to agree with you.

It wouldn't make a difference if they were banned or not, people would still get hold of them.

Reply 4

Ferrus

19

Gang culture: lack of education, unemployment and broken families.

Reply 5

andy_1989

... and poverty

Reply 6

40550

2

I would agree. It also can not help that many young people in Britain idolise "gangsta" culture and what they see on mtvbase. The government needs to reach inner city kids, and give them a chance to break the cycle of poverty and that. How, I don't know

Reply 7

silverbolt

19

and once more it comes back to "its not there fault its thier situations in life."

The need to be held accountable for thier actions

Reply 8

samba

6

if you outlaw guns, only the outlaws have guns.

Reply 9

bubu

Cadre_Of_Storms

and once more it comes back to "its not there fault its thier situations in life."

The need to be held accountable for thier actions

i remember that quote being said in school all the time

yet theres people out there who come from 1 parent family tight money situation and they never been introuble with the police why are these so special

what needs to be done is bring american law in 3 strikes and you get life, life meaning life not no poxy 16yrs serve half of that if your good

Reply 10

Invocation

12

No. But I have friends who are heavily involved in gangs. Sad really, they should really pick up a book instead.

Reply 11

silverbolt

19

bubu

i remember that quote being said in school all the time

yet theres people out there who come from 1 parent family tight money situation and they never been introuble with the police why are these so special

what needs to be done is bring american law in 3 strikes and you get life, life meaning life not no poxy 16yrs serve half of that if your good

exactly this pussy foot attitude the british government of saying "the poor little mites its not thier fault really" makes me want to puke

Reply 12

Ink

12

I think it's more about wanting a sense of belonging and acceptance in their communities than the lot these people were dealt in life.

By the time they realize exactly what the cost of being in a gang is, it's too late to back out.

It is their fault that they got involved, yes. But it's also true that where and how these people grow up plays a large role in whether or not they'll get involved in it. A lot of people are too young and naive to understand the consequences when they join a gang, or scared of what will happen if they don't. Some people feel that it's more dangerous to live in a bad neighborhood without the backing of a gang brotherhood than it is to be a part of the gang and potentially face the government's wrath.

I'm not sure it's the police that need to control the gangs. It's the communities. No matter what the police do, people are going to continue killing, hurting, and replacing one another. People need to stop fighting over petty things, stop seeking revenge, stop making their communities the dangerous ****holes they are.

Is that too idealistic?

Reply 13

L i b

19

bubu

what needs to be done is bring american law in 3 strikes and you get life, life meaning life not no poxy 16yrs serve half of that if your good

I actually agree with this, or something close to this. Obviously not life imprisonment for three counts of shoplifting pork pies, but certainly a longer term of imprisonment to reflect the repeat offending.

The problem here as well is that it gives to much power to prosecutors. If I rob a bank once, there's countless subsidiary charges I could be charged (and would be technically guilty of) with - breach of the peace, firearms offences, breaking into a lockfast place etc etc. Very few actually criminal acts fall into one single offence.

Reply 14

Ossie1701

1

I have not been affected by gang crime (directly).
But my brother's school (my former school) had to be shut by the police and many pupils there escorted to the closest bus stop due to threats of violence (including supposed threats of stabbings) against the pupils from local gang groups.

I agree with Lib North and bubu, regarding the three strikes idea (which I have heard mentioned before). The root causes of gang culture are a 'poor' society (not wealth) - these people live on council estates, they fail at school, they get into petty crime at young ages, have poor role models (i.e. absense of a father figure) and slowing decend along that path. And see their only 'way out' by getting involved in crime and getting a better 'rep' - by dealing in drugs or physical assault - usually both. I think we need tougher sentencing and a better support network once these people come out of prison to try and stop them slipping back into their old ways.

There is not much the police can do to control it at the moment, I'd suggest they are doing the best job they can. More police really won't solve the issue per se, simply because these people come out at night, in dodgy local areas where even the police are wary to go - and if you send in a 'gang' of police into these areas they will simply become another target and you will have a situation of gang vs. police wars. A crackdown on drugs would be a good start although.

Reply 15

Bexxxx

14

This gang culture has been going on for years in cities. Five years ago when i was in school, there were often occasions where certain individuals had to be escorted home for fear of an attack by a neighbouring gang. There was one time, something had happened, and some boys in our school were allowed to leave early to avoid this known gang from peckham fighting with them, the gang hung around for a bit after school and proceeded to mug people i knew!

Im pretty sure a young person was shot in a gang related incident in their home near me, a few years ago - its ashame its taken this long for people to finally notice the problem. I suppose if you're lucky enough to live in a rural area, where none of this happens, you dont really care/notice.

Reply 16

FoeGeddaBowDeet

samba

if you outlaw guns, only the outlaws have guns.

well, a select few of the outlaws have guns.
which is far, far better than everybody having guns.

Reply 17

FoeGeddaBowDeet

B_e_x

This gang culture has been going on for years in cities. Five years ago when i was in school, there were often occasions where certain individuals had to be escorted home for fear of an attack by a neighbouring gang. There was one time, something had happened, and some boys in our school were allowed to leave early to avoid this known gang from peckham fighting with them, the gang hung around for a bit after school and proceeded to mug people i knew!

Im pretty sure a young person was shot in a gang related incident in their home near me, a few years ago - its ashame its taken this long for people to finally notice the problem. I suppose if you're lucky enough to live in a rural area, where none of this happens, you dont really care/notice.

you live in lewisham?

Reply 18

bubu

Lib North

I actually agree with this, or something close to this. Obviously not life imprisonment for three counts of shoplifting pork pies, but certainly a longer term of imprisonment to reflect the repeat offending.

actually let me just make it bit clear what i meant
even though i think any theft is wrong but shoplifting aint as big as gun/knife/sex crimes, shops get insurance but do these people who are killed/sexually abused daily(lets say kids) have insurance on there life? even if there not killed there effected for there life

judges are to soft lately people getting longer sentencing for drink driving(even though it bad) then people killing and messing with peoples lives

Ossie1701

The root causes of gang culture are a 'poor' society (not wealth) - these people live on council estates, they fail at school, they get into petty crime at young ages, have poor role models (i.e. absense of a father figure) and slowing decend along that path. And see their only 'way out' by getting involved in crime and getting a better 'rep' - by dealing in drugs or physical assault - usually both. I think we need tougher sentencing and a better support network once these people come out of prison to try and stop them slipping back into their old ways

even tho i agree with some of what you wrote i was brought up in a council estate with my brothers neither of us have ended up with police record , i know people whos fathers have walked out on them and they have no criminal record, its down to morals i and my brothers have always had morals yes they've tryed drugs, yes they've got into fights but not once have they brought the police to the door(my mom would kill us)

as for police i moved from were i was brought up as area got rough and i was attacked(which gave me agoraphobia) police are to scared to go down there what kind of "good job" is this? were i live now we have a "ipod" which is a small camera somewere unknown that the police monitor since this "ipod" has been active its caught drug dealers, drug dens, prostitution, anti social behavior ect but once again it all comes down to the prison sentencing 3yrs ASBO for drug dealing out side a primary and nursery school, warning for prostitution out side primary and nursery school, if UK had better jail sentencing you think half the people doing this will be doing it? also kids are bored(i know i was at 16-17) so instead of teaching them right from wrong and maybe bringing somethink for them to do they rather spend there money on helping criminals hide out for our tax money

Reply 19

ro-ro

10

I don't live in the city. Not a proper one. I live in the only city in Cornwall.

I am 17. I have been threatened with a knife once and calmed down an incident with a knife where one friend was ready to knife the other (successfully). I have had someone tell me through other people to stay off their turf or they will come for me.

Where I live gangs aren't formal and they aren't divided by location. They are drug orientated and divided by who you know and who you're with. Once you're in with a crowd they inform you who is trouble and whose not. Some people are notorious, like one guy who is called Craig (the guy who threatened me).

Everyone knows me. People know me before they meet me. I am in with a certain crowd (well used to be) and I just have to mention their name and anyone backs up. What was my best friend was the hardest girl in her school and so no one starts fights with me unless they have a weapon. Personally I carry no weapons, start no fights and try to get on with anyone! However I have been identified before as oh yeh, you're in with Amy aren't you *suspicious look* We did alot for each other and it was our 'family'.

People fight each other, go round people's houses to 'sort things out', explain why you shouldn't push things further and in one incident, pay for people to 'disappear temporarily' (bundled in a van, beaten up and dumped in a rural area after 4 or 5 hours of drivng).

In contrast my family is from London. When I was little my dad wrote me letters (he lived up in Catford while my mother lived down here) in which he described high speed police chases, him picking up a knife and running at a burglar who broke into his flat and racist attacks on our friends who lived on the same road. My cousins tell me off when i go to visit for looking at people on the tube (they're not sound) and have told me there's gang warfare that start's in schools and escalates when you get older. They aren't involved except one cousin who dealt drugs.

Gangs are a problem wherever you go. Why does it matter if you ban guns when you can go in a kitchen and pick up a weapon, that's illegal to carry, take it out and commit violence. Human's mentality is to stick together and try to be dominant, traits that are displayed from pre-school to old people homes.

Oh and before anyone mentions poverty and ignorance and stuff. I am middle class, my father was a surveyor and my mother is an art teacher who decided to be a carer as it was more rewarding, I grew up in a victorian semi with an acre of land. I was state educated and have 9 GCSE's and am studying my second year of college, I've been told consistently since I can remember that I am a university candidate and that a degree is part of life. So poverty isn't the only factor in gang problems.

I am well aware of the consequences of these problems. I live away from home (have done since 16) and I am scared of being in a house alone. I can't sleep very well at night (for two months I was phobic of sleeping in my own bed and the guy was with had to help me work through it), I have nightmares all the time, I obsessively lock windows and doors and I get hysterical when the guy I'm with produces guns or knives (he has two bb guns, one with metal pellets that can split the skin, a throwing knife and we have loads of knives in the kitchen) or messes about. I have cried and cried before when he jokingly pointed a gun at me (he'd never fire) and I will scream and curl up if he spins round with a knife in the kitchen.

Been affected by gang crime?

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