An Insight Into Gangs (Part 3)

Can Anything Change (cont.)
The fact is – crime exists, and as we can see, social unrest does also. The UK riots may have cost upward of 100 million pounds. Add to that the potential cost to the resources of the criminal justice system, it may reach closer to 200 million. It must be realised that immensely more resources need to be pumped into the CJS to deal with this. I’m talking about the whole spectrum.

Social Education (Before Crime is committed)
Youth Justice Intervention
More Resources in prison. Possibly loose and/or psychological platforms to change the thought processes of criminals.
Compulsory training for all, including remand prisoners. Academically, trade & other industry sectors.
Compulsory outreach work exists in legislation in Northern Ireland. In the form of a ‘custody/probation order’. splitting a custodial sentence with a probation order, in which the convicted criminal must abide by pre-arranged ‘contract’. Use of ‘tagging’ in addition to this is also an idea.
Prison Ombudsman investigation into why some prisons seem to have more resources than others. To the prisoners dis-advantage with rehabilitation.
Politically, i think i heard this intimated at yesterday – to seek to split up gangs. A concept similar to the RICO act in the USA would be an idea. It is crucial with gangs to break them up completely ideally in as close a time frame as possible. ensuring the gangs members where also not placed in the criminal justice system together would be crucial. The English dispersal system is ideal. Moving the prisoner from Jail to Jail every few months. Prohibiting all contact with people the CJS deem to be security risks is another idea. Bail. Making it hard to get bail, or impossible. Forget about ‘tagging’ them. New legislation for this challenge.

Of course, there is the subject of ‘human rights’. Human rights are of course there for all. I remember when the human rights act came into effect in the UK. I was part of the Criminal Justice System then, in HMP Maze. Neither the Prison service, nor the police liked it. At least not the ones that i spoke to. The people who did like it were the criminals! It gave us more power, and the CJS less. We had a platform, a legal platform, in which we could exploit any transgressions by the CJS. And, it gave us an arguable stronger case for bail. Some of the political proposals i pointed out, may have ‘issues’ with the human rights act. I’d suggest setting it aside, in a controlled way, for criminals.

What About The Innocent?
The most important subject. Really the only subject deserving of anyones time, is the subject of the innocent public. I want to close this 3 part blog with some observations, experiences & advice for law-abiding folk.

For some almost perverse reason, innocent people will stand and watch a riot taking place. I understand how this feels, I’ve done it myself. It really is hypnotic. Some things i am going to say here will sound obvious. However, from watching the media coverage intently, common sense goes out the window. Whether you are a criminal or a law-abiding citizen.

The first tactic is – don’t be there in the first place! If you know something is going to kick off, or it begins to develop, please don’t sit and watch. This isn’t a hollywood movie, it is a life-threatening event (as i will illustrate soon). You are in serious danger, you must understand this….

…what you really need to take on board, is that the State automatically protect you, every single minute of your life. By & large the UK government are very good at it (compared to other countries). People bitch & moan about such insignificant things at times, blaming the Government for ‘this & that’. You’re whole way of life only exists because the Government provide a pretty safe place for you to live. However….

…Social order can break down pretty quickly. It can be a riot in one street, or a national event. In any location it is happening, the rules we are conditioned to expect, no longer apply. And, the more widespread the breakdown of social order, the more potentially lethal the threat. This is because the criminal sees the national unrest, and knows the police simply wont be able to respond to all events. Heck, criminals commit crimes even with security deterrents, as they can factor in the police response time, even in everyday normality. Imagine what they feel they can do when they know the police can’t respond for hours, days, or if ever?

If you can’t get away as it is starting, perhaps you are thinking about getting into a vehicle? Your car perhaps? If manage to get into your car, lock the doors, forget about the damn seat belt for the minute, start the car and drive. Forget about one way streets, driving on wrong side of road (just make sure no cars are on that side of road), forget any speed limit (but beware of others), and just drive! Road safety laws are not the most important thing when rioters are coming toward you. What is the most important thing is that they don’t catch up with you, or your car is stationary. They can begin smashing the windows, and attempting a carjacking. And you may get seriously hurt. I’d make the point, with crowds of rioters around you, not to be concerned with trying to drive around them, because you may not be able to if they have surrounded you. I’m also not advising you to knock the rioters down. What i am saying is you need to keep that vehicle moving at all cost!

If you are on foot, this can of course be more tricky. One simple thing is don’t walk, run! Rioters can be running, run also. If you walk they will notice you, and if you aren’t with them, you are against them. If possible, get into a shop. The reasons are clear. If it is a choice between a rioter attacking someone, or being spoilt for choice in what to steal in a shop, goods in a shop may get their attention. Whereas you in the street may be the only immediate attention as they run past. Stay away from the cash areas in a shop, less you be mistook for an assistant. Stay also way from offices or storerooms. Offices will be search for cash, storerooms for more goods. Once the rioters in your immediate vicinity move on, you move also. Always try to move, however tempting, don’t stay in a shop once the approaching rioters have gone. More will come. Try to go to the nearest area where police are. Irrespective if they are being attacked, run through the missiles, covering your head with your arms. These are some points I’ve used at times on other situations that may help yours.

This is the saddest part of the blog. As mentioned, when riots of the nature that have recently happened in the UK occur, the complete social order breaks down in many areas. One must realise there is no more social justice there. The criminals must be viewed almost as cannibals, ready to devour you. You, the decent, law-abiding citizen, still have your moral compass. Are still conditioned to expect certain things without question in society. Even though you know something called a ‘riot’ is taking place, i bet most wont realise it’s reality. Unless they are right in it. When the police are fully stretched, and unable to be everywhere at once, it is natural that people still want to defend their property. righteous anger will be felt against the criminals, and rightly so. We must put the situation into perspective however. Yes, a decent person or people may feel morally required to take on some form of pseudo-police role, vigilante it is called. However, how far are you prepared to go? If we have a person who already has no qualms doing an armed robbery, or kicking the crap out of you with his mates as a matter of normality, on the one hand. And a decent person who never breaks the law, has a good moral compass on the other hand. And we have a situation where societies rules have completely (albeit temporarily) been abolished, the everyday extreme criminal will likely raise his game easier, and much quicker.It already is his lifestyle anyhow. Strength in numbers means nothing if folks are getting knocked down, or maybe shot at, drive by petrol bomb, etc.

immensely more damage was done once law-abiding citizens got themselves into a vigilante role, than was done collectively on property & possessions throughout the whole of England. And the reason is simple. Human life is worth more than the damage to property, and theft of goods. Decent, respectable people, with good hearts & intentions, placing themselves in danger, but sadly – really out of their depth. Some paying with their lives.

The police must do the job themselves, and they likely would be able to. Eventually under most circumstances. The army would be called in probably after a few weeks or so of national rioting. And police tactics would become more draconian by necessity. The deterrent of law & order must be a deterrent. therefore it must rise to meet to escalating violence in real time. It did do this, and of course it has been criticized by some. Looking at it from a criminals perspective, the police contained it well. Usually the police are in a reactive role to crime, criminals are used to this. Let’s get real, the police were never going to be able to contain it as as quick as the public would wish. It was too large, too fast moving. Think how the police are stretched on the weekends normally, then think about a few days ago. What impressed me was that whatever operational tactics they used were changed after a day or so of the riots beginning. It worked very, very well, ending things very abruptly. I’ve read on social media sites the possibility of things starting up again soon. I highly doubt that. The criminals have vented their emotions in the most sickening way. Momentum is gone. The criminal justice system is being very proactive, and the rhetoric at least is leaning toward being draconian. I hope the actions are likewise. If the CJS keeps up it’s momentum and be’s equally ruthless, it iwll greatly lessen the chance of more trouble from these people. The ordinary people who got involved with the riots are no longer ordinary. They are criminals. Acting alongside more hardened people. The ranks of criminals has swelled, the networking a great ‘success’. Before this lifestyle gets any further imbedded into until recently decent people, please stop talking Government, and do something. not six months away. Right now.

Stay Safe

Wayne