Well At Least It's A Start.

[anotheoldgit]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6295711/Drill-rap-gang-banned-Grays-town-centre.html

But if the police know of these gangs why doesn't the government mask it illegal to be a member of certain gangs?

[archibaldy]

Seeing as they are dealing in heroin, cocaine and guns whilst stabbing people and committing violent robberies I don't think making "being in a 'gang" illegal is really going to bother them too much.

[fiction-factory]

I note the article refers to drill rap. to drill music. WHilst violence and drug possession must be tackled, we have advised before that making it illegal to produce/promote/play drill music would be a non-starter. Could a judge/court really decide whether some music is rap, grime or drill?

[Zacs-Master]

60 questions and 230 answers from AOG on ‘gangs’. You’d think he’d have learned something about the position of the police and law wouldn’t you.

[anotheoldgit]

Zacs-Master

It's a serious problem and I think that we shouldn't be scared off from addressing it.

[1ozzy]

Time and time again

[anotheoldgit]

archibaldy

Well if they made it illegal to being a member of these gangs, at least they would have something positive to charge them with, because at the moment it doesn't seem as if they are pinning them down for the other offences.

[fiction-factory]

>Well if they made it illegal to being a member of these gangs

Which gangs? Black gangs? Those that listen to drill music? How do you define which gangs are to be legal and which are to be illegal? How would you define 'member' as opposed to supporter, follower, friend of...

[Old_Geezer]

If it's so easy to identify and gain proof of gang members then making it illegal should make it easier to convict them. Making all types of gangs illegal may not be useful though, and naming specific gangs may just result in the winding up of one gang and formation of another under the same 'management'.

[Zacs-Master]

There a big difference from being ‘scared’ of addressing it and addressing it time and time again to make your racist point.

[Old_Geezer]

In a practical situation, "supporter", "follower", "friend of" would be considered synonymous with "member".

[fiction-factory]

So do gangs have a membership list, written constitution etc? What about mother of a gang member? Would it be a crime to be friends with a gang member? Would a parent/sibling/youtube follower be considered a gang member?

[Zacs-Master]

Don’t pander to the people on here who think in tabloid headlines, ff. you’re wasting your time.

[anotheoldgit]

The police are aware of the C17 gang and the 410's, but this 'velvet glove' approach will only move them on to cause problems in other areas, they should be put behind bars out of harms way.

[anotheoldgit]

Zacs-Master

/// There a big difference from being ‘scared’ of addressing it and addressing it time and time again to make your racist point. ///

Ah!!! here we go playing the race card once again, but I don't care and unlike some, and I will keep addressing it just as long as they keep bringing their gang culture onto our once safe city streets.

Which is now almost every day.

[Zacs-Master]

AOG, you only bring up such news items so you can have a go at black people / ethnic minorities and the damage you perceive them doing to the country. You then get told that their probably as English as you or I, which you will fail to comprehend. You’ll then start arguing with people and invent spurious ‘what if’ scenarios and the tread will run into the 100s of answers which you will then claim as some sort of badge of hounour.

I’ve told you many many times, we can see through you.

[andy-hughes]

I don't think the police can grab a suspected gang member, find his membership card in his pocket and tear it up, with a stiff telling-off as well - do you?

[retrocop]

ZM
with 4 posts under your belt you have not once answered the question in the OP but used it as another opportunity to take a pop at aog.
As we were politely requested not more than a week or two ago," Play the ball not the man please". :-)

[retrocop]

The law has no problem in proscribing certain groups under the Terrorism Act 2000. It should not be that difficult to proscribe gang membership or affiliation. Perhaps a gathering of more than ,say,three people loitering to commit an offence or menace passers by could be introduced.

[Zacs-Master]

I’m playing the man’s principles, Retro. There’s no need to address the OP if you read just a few of AOG’s 60 questions on Gangs. He’s been told several times why they’re difficult to police (he knows it’s because they are black but he’s too disingenuous to mention it first himself, preferring to let someone’s else make the first move, thinking this gives him the moral high ground).

If you want to waste time telling him the same thing he’s been told dozens of times, go ahead.

[anotheoldgit]

Zacs-Master

/// Don’t pander to the people on here who think in tabloid headlines, ff. you’re wasting your time. ///

Well the race card has been played, the OP accused and now the source of the news story has been criticised, surely you must be running out of the usual methods of silencing free speech?

Well here are the links to the same news story one the BBC and the other Essex Police, sorry I can't find one from the Guardian, but that doesn't surprise me in the least.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-45919680

https://www.essex.police.uk/news/news-and-features/2018/10oct/drug-dealing-thurrock-gang-made-subject-of-tough-i/