AIBU to ask what is happening in Middlesbrough at the moment?

I agree, middle class and professional people taking illegal drugs ARE part of the problem and they need to wake up and smell the coffee to realise that. And yes, they're the same people wanting "something" to be done about the problems with money laundering, street crime, etc., but don't seem to put two and two together to realise they're part of the problem!

Neither do I.

My point was that some of the middle class people who will be judging them will be the ones who are part of the problem.

A lot of them politicians who not only took the drugs but also but the services these families need.

Im highlighting that this is a HUGE problem with multiple causes and won’t be fixed with a sticking plaster.

This.

And it’s why reform are so dangerous as a party.

These are the people in society they target.The disenfranchised. We’ve already seen how easily they’ll blame everyone else for their actions.

But yet these are the parties who want to rip welfare away from those who need it and rely on it.

But these people will all believe that it won’t be them that’ll be affected because they are those who “need it” - hence why there is always the caveat of “those most in need”.

We need investment into communities, proper creation of jobs (not working for free in exchange for benefits).

We need people to have purpose in life.

The behaviour we’ve seen this week shows how communities of people feeling like there’s no hope lead to communities of people who have no empathy or social norms.

And those communities create offspring who are brought up with the same “morals” (read lack of!)

This HAS to stop. It’s horrific watching the loss of so much innocent life, people’s priority and wildlife/landscape.

But to do that we need to get to the heat of the problem.

Ok, but if the middle classes didn't take drugs then do you think these scrotes would just give up trying to make illegal cash?

They would just start doing something else.

I don't know what the answer is, but I don't think that the middle classes stopping taking drugs will solve what is going on in Middlesborough.

Speaking to the BBC, the Labour councillor said: "Let's not forget two police officers lost their lives in the line of duty, so of course colleagues from around the country are going to want to come and support Cleveland Police.

So police lives are more important than other lives? I don't mean the other lives lost in the crash but love in other crimes. Police have known about these gangs forever, now it's all hands on deck.

All this talk about cutting down benefits at the moment makes me nervous. You aren’t going to force people in Grangetown into work, there is no work, you’ll force more people into crime.
We need much more structure put in place before we talk about cutting benefits. You have to have jobs and options in place before you take things away.
Also getting these people to work for free which seems a popular choice, litter picking etc, will just make them more disenfranchised and further away from society.

agree with everything you’ve said

Yep.

and there will be certain fractures of the middle class community looking down them forgetting or ignoring the fact that their drug taking habits fuel this fire.

NOTHING excuses what these lads did or the current rivalry wars going on and the innocents being hurt.

But people are ignorant if they think banging up the perpetrators on the sole solution for this.

We need prevention - not a cure after innocent lives are lost.

Fair enough.

The memorial event? Cars set on fire. Sorry about the link.

What concerns me is, yes it’s a deprived area. Yes, people really are struggling and suffering. But…
These kids grow into adults with no empathy.
They are supported in their own circles.
They alleviate some of their problems by destroying the lives of other people.

And I think the celebrations and memorials are absolutely a symptom of the problem and absolutely should be recognised as one. It’s not ‘understandable’, ‘a valid way to mourn and recognise loss’. It’s a glorification of something that’s shameful.

apple.news/ACV64COm0TTKEafWCs7hsEg

“Resources are taken up” - this is targeting the root cause of wider crime issues.

Completely what I’d expect a police force to do.

The decent residents who will also be on the breadline and attempting to make ends meet deserve protection too. And younger kids will get sucked in to perpetuate the issues if nothing is done.

100%

No this is a short sighted take.

County lines now even deliberately target send children. And parents look the other way as they needed the money. 15 years of austerity and increasing poverty whilst the expectations of living (phones, cars etc) has increased.

Middlesbrough has the largest share of deprived neighbourhoods in the country.

County lines went bonkers after Covid. What’s clearly going on there is the result.

I agree with you @Newyearkiss. There has been report after report stating that we are letting down working class boys. There are some very nasty people who exploit young people for their own gain. Often there is nobody and nothing to prevent or protect the young people from getting involved.

All young people should have ambition, guidance, protection.

In the meantime, the police have my full support.

What are you talking about?

I saw a social media page of one of the mothers of one of the 17 year olds who died (don’t really want to say how or who), and it made me feel really sad. So many photos .. first day at school, NHS clapping during Covid, birthday parties, football tournaments, Christmas Eve and stockings. The last photo with the boy in it was about 4 years ago and he looked happy and innocent. It got me thinking how vulnerable some of these boys are as young teens, and especially if they don’t have positive role models in their lives, parents are distracted by new relationships/babies, and older boys are circling on the periphery of their lives (when you think in this case, two of the males involved were men, the other three much younger).

I have every sympathy for the policemen killed, of course, but I do feel as a society we fail young teenage boys such as these. It would take someone far cleverer than me though to come up with an answer…

@YorkshireGoldie unfortunately the tit for tat these thickos indulge in can go on for some time.
You can guarantee there will be a SM war going on between the different factions.
Appreciate Cleveland police need extra support.
It's disheartening when resources are taken up because of these louts not being able to behave like normal human beings.

Hope it does settle because innocents will get caught in the crossfire of their stupidity
Which has already happened.

It’s very worrying. I live within quick driving distance of south bank and grangetown, have family members who live in the TS3 area and have many friends and some family working for Cleveland police. I’m constantly searching for the latest news and hoping no one I am close to is affected

these areas are not central Middlesbrough but council estates driving out towards redcar.

for the person complaining about other police forces helping out Cleveland police, I remember when my brother in law got sent to London when there were riots happening there. It’s what police forces do b

reallu hope the unrest settles soon

Quote where I excuse their behaviour

Money,resources being taken up where it could be put to better use if only these dense bastards could behave like normal human beings.

Apparently 200 have been transferred to the area

If it's good enough for them 🤷🏻‍♀️ People are rightfully getting downright pissed off with these people thinking they can do what they like... you are also part of the problem, excusing their behaviour!

Right, so let’s be like them then?!