One More Young Victim Of London's Increasing Knife Crime.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3673253/Boy-16-stabbed-death-chased-gang-youths-bikes-London-s-Notting-Hill.html

Perhaps the new Mayor of London should make this his top priority, and perhaps increase the number of stop and searches?

[retrocop]

//They would also include drugs offences and stolen property. //

Gang/Drug dealers also carry knives. That's how they claim their drug turf by stabbing rival entrepeneurs. Drugs are the main cause of knife and gun crime in London and elsewhere and you know that. You also know that 10 year old boys are used as drug mules as well by these armed drug gangs.
I am not suggesting that this young lad was involved in drugs but not many in Notting Hill are not.

[sp1814]

AOG

I don't know if you know this, but Mayor Khan is not in favour of stop and search:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/sadiq-khan-i-d-do-everything-in-my-power-to-cut-stop-and-search-a2924706.html

Perhaps (as the article suggests) - a greater reliance on intelligence-led 'targeted' surveillance/arrest is more effective?

What should Sadiq Khan do - choose the less effective, but visible 'stop and search' or go for what appears to be the more efficient option?

Difficult question.

[sp1814]

divebuddy

I'm almost certain that there are two groups who object to SAS.

Those who have no reason to be stopped and searched, and those who have every reason to be stopped and searched.

The police need to target the latter more than the former.

An extremely difficult position for the Met.

[sp1814]

divebuddy

Stop and search is a large mallet, and it has an 8% success rate.

Intelligence-led investigation is much more successful.

If you lived on a council estate in Liverpool and your 18 year old son was stopped every time he went into a shopping centre because other white kids on your estate were known to be shoplifters, after a while, he would start to get cheesed off.

If he mentioned it to you, would you say - "Well son...you're white and you are out with your mates. What can you expect?"

However, contrary to what you may think - I think there's a way to avoid being stopped and searched. It's never happened to me.

Wear a suit.

[retrocop]

We are not talking shoplifters here. We are talking about young kids lives. Too many times we see wailing black mothers mourning their loss on TV wailing ,"Why my son. He was a good boy" I bet they would be happy for the police ,in retrospect, to carry very vigorous SAS on targeted youths. If 8% is the success rate then I suggest not enough SAS are done just to appease a certain section of the community.
As Divebuddy suggests there are more blue on blue killings (Operation Trident) so it is Intelligent to target those who are more likely to be in possession of illegal weapons. That would suggest black youths and if we are going into denial mode over this then it will never be reduced.

[sp1814]

divebuddy

The problem extends beyond simple stop and search on the street (which has been shown to be pretty ineffectual) - there's also the stop of vehicles. Not sure how much it goes on now, but I remember quite a few of my mates who happened to be black or Asian would get stopped around town at a suspiciously high rate, simply because they drove nice cars.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

I was once stopped for driving a 'nice car' it didn't bother me, because the police were looking for a particular model of car that had been stolen.

That might have been my car, and if they were not occupied in looking for it, then they would be lacking in their duty.

[retrocop]

As a 16yr I was constantly stopped on my motorbike by the local Traffic Division. A small 125cc BSA Bantam. I had committed no moving traffic offences and it was almost incapable of any excess speed. My Father was often grounding me because word got back to him but he always took his colleagues position. Par for the course being young and owning' wheels'.

[sp1814]

AOG

Eaxctly. It happened to you once.

One of my mates (back in the late nineties) got stopped five times over a six week period.

He happened to be black, and a broker for Lloyds. He drove a 3 Series BMW (the M3...which was very expensive).

I suggested that every time he got stopped after that, he should record details of the officers who stopped him (badge number, registration number of their car and their station).

If they were going to waste his time, then it was only fair they they should worry that he might launch an official complaint.

Thankfull, the Met Police aren't like that any more. It seems they have weeded out the muppets.

[retrocop]

Good innit.
If the police choose a vigorous approach, swamp an area and conduct SAS whereby numerous arrests are made for drug dealing, offensive weapons etc and lives saved they are harassing muppets!!!
Soon as the butcher's bill rises because the police have been shackled by those who shout racist then they are not doing enough.
It might come as a surprise but working on Intelligence is usually as a result of informants. The community might scream the loudest when there is a blue on blue but lips are firmly sealed when enquiries are conducted by police in the neighbourhood. The police have to work on their own initiative because precious little 'intelligence' is forthcoming from the community.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

Yes it is a sad fact but it seems in some cases, the minority have to suffer for the majority.

[sp1814]

AOG

I think it's the other way around.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

Not in some areas.

[Lynn_M]

At least the story didn't go unreported. It would have done had the victim been white

And there's not much chance of a Pakistani Mayor instigating an increase in the amount of 'stop and search'

[mushroom25]

//And there's not much chance of a Pakistani Mayor instigating an increase in the amount of 'stop and search' //

he's not pakistani. he's from tooting.

[Lynn_M]

"He's not a Pakistani, he's from Tooting"

Ha ha ha!

[sp1814]

Lynn_M

You wrote:

At least the story didn't go unreported. It would have done had the victim been white

What makes you think that???