2aguy
Diamond Member
- Jul 19, 2014
- 112,334
- 52,581
- 2,290
Criminals do not stay the same, and they do not keep to the same behaviors over time....sometimes they are more violent, sometimes they are less violent, depending on many, many factors....in Britain..they are becoming more and more violent...
London’s gangs have changed, and it’s driving a surge in pitiless violence | Andrew Whittaker and James Densley
he murder of 14-year-old Jayden Moodie on Tuesday night highlights how youth violence continues to devastate the lives of young people, families and communities in London. Jayden’s death marks a new low point as he is the youngest victim to die on London’s streets so far this year.
We don’t know whether Jayden was himself involved in gangs or if his death was gang-related. All we know is that he was struck by a vehicle while riding a moped, then chased by a group of three men and stabbed to death in what police believe was a targeted attack.
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Our research highlighted that gangs in Waltham Forest today view turf differently; less as symbolic hallowed ground, and more as a marketplace. Gangs are now more focused on profits, not postcodes. Two factors were responsible for this evolution: the ready availability of illicit drugs and the rise of social media.
Gangs had come to reject outward signs of gang membership as “bad for business” because they attracted unwanted attention from law enforcement agencies. They instead grew up and moved on to develop lucrative “county lines” operations in new areas where they were unknown to police.
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Now, perceived taunts and insults remain live and can be replayed indefinitely, as well as being seen by a large audience of friends and followers. This pressure to perform creates incentives to respond and retaliate, ultimately leading to an escalating prospect of real violence taking place.
Our findings have implications for thinking about rising numbers of violent incidents in London. There were 132 homicides in 2018 – the highest total since 2008.
Whenever violence is gang-related, it is increasingly about protecting drugs markets rather than the honour of the gang.
Although gang-related violence appears to represent a minority share of the violence we have seen in London this year, the fact that gangs have moved indoors and online may mean that more violence is gang-related than is realised.
London’s gangs have changed, and it’s driving a surge in pitiless violence | Andrew Whittaker and James Densley
he murder of 14-year-old Jayden Moodie on Tuesday night highlights how youth violence continues to devastate the lives of young people, families and communities in London. Jayden’s death marks a new low point as he is the youngest victim to die on London’s streets so far this year.
We don’t know whether Jayden was himself involved in gangs or if his death was gang-related. All we know is that he was struck by a vehicle while riding a moped, then chased by a group of three men and stabbed to death in what police believe was a targeted attack.
------
Our research highlighted that gangs in Waltham Forest today view turf differently; less as symbolic hallowed ground, and more as a marketplace. Gangs are now more focused on profits, not postcodes. Two factors were responsible for this evolution: the ready availability of illicit drugs and the rise of social media.
Gangs had come to reject outward signs of gang membership as “bad for business” because they attracted unwanted attention from law enforcement agencies. They instead grew up and moved on to develop lucrative “county lines” operations in new areas where they were unknown to police.
------
Now, perceived taunts and insults remain live and can be replayed indefinitely, as well as being seen by a large audience of friends and followers. This pressure to perform creates incentives to respond and retaliate, ultimately leading to an escalating prospect of real violence taking place.
Our findings have implications for thinking about rising numbers of violent incidents in London. There were 132 homicides in 2018 – the highest total since 2008.
Whenever violence is gang-related, it is increasingly about protecting drugs markets rather than the honour of the gang.
Although gang-related violence appears to represent a minority share of the violence we have seen in London this year, the fact that gangs have moved indoors and online may mean that more violence is gang-related than is realised.