Journazza

I was pleased when I read that Tony Blair and Home Secretary John Reid has discussed how the UK will handle the crimes performed by gangs. It’s about time that something is done to tackle the gang mentality in South London and other places.

Once upon a time I thought I would never get used to certain things. One of them being murders in my neighbourhood. That was before I moved to New Cross . I lived in a flat on New Cross Road, one of the noisiest streets in the UK, for a year when I did my MA at Goldsmiths in 2004-2005. It was here, that I was going to get a new perspective and new habits.

During that year, I got really sceptical, and started taking some (though not all!) security measures. I never brought anything with me when I went for a walk in the area during daytime (that includes a wallet and most keys). If I had my phone with me, I hid it. At night, I rarely took my visa card with me anywhere, and made sure I took the safest routes, mainly the 200m from public transport. I should probably mention that the area has a rough look, though after a while you get used to it and being asked whether you want to buy drugs. Police often patrol the area, especially on Saturdays when the queues and fights in front of the Venue, a club, takes place. The students quickly avoid walking past the Venue when it’s open. I heard stories about random crimes in the area from friends, and I also got used to hearing about gang shootings taking place outside the university’s accommodation and neighbourhood (Peckham, Lewisham e.g.).

One morning, the whole street was blocked off (A3), blocking the main road from the South East England to London. A youth tried to escape from another gang and crashed into a car in front of my street. He survived, but my point is, and what amazed me, is how quickly you get used to hearing about crimes. Including reading posters asking for information regarding crimes.

I could write much longer about all the incidents and what I know about the gang mentality in the South Eastern parts of London, though it’s time someone takes it seriously and deals with the problem before it’s too late. Having said that, I was impressed with the Metropolitan Police, but can the police do it all alone? I doubt it.

For me, it was a joy to return to Norway, in terms of security. Being able to wander around late at night (and during the day) without having to constantly be alert is such a great liberty – and one that most Norwegians take for granted. Hopefully more people will be able to take it for granted in the future. And these proposed measures by Mr Reid is a step in the right direction. It might be the case that altering the legislation won’t be the solution, however focusing on the issue is a start to finding the right solution.