London does not feel safe

[thinkiamgoingcrazy]

The Westminster attack, now the London Bridge and Borough Market attacks .

The horrible rise in knife crime .

And the knife crime / murders are not remote. The 18 year old son of our ex neighbours was chased and stabbed to death about 2 years ago, about 10 minutes drive from where we live. About a week ago a woman was shot and killed on the same road that my H has a shop on. A few months ago a young boy was stabbed to death outside a neighbouring secondary school - the students at my dcs' secondary school were offered counselling.

The reality is we have never had as little violence though so don't believe it's that risky in London. My parents had bombs dropping on them. In my childhood there was the IRA particularly active in London (although they did tend to give warnings and target political targets not children or people having a good time). We also had nuclear threat and leaflets sent out - Protect and Survive.

It certainly feels very safe compared to them and then go back a bit further and my grandfather died at work, my great grandfather died of war wounds etc etc. I feel very very safe compared to most past ages actually.

Do we have to compare to actual war time to make a point about relative safety? That's a bit extreme.

I grew up in the 70s. I remember the IRA bombing a Wimpy Bar - not exactly political. And the plaque in the Tower of London where a 12 year old Australian boy was killed.

At least these terrorists aren't being given/sold real weapons.

It does make me feel better to have all my "chicks" at home and safe. But life goes on.

Terror is global now, IRA more localised, I think the world feels a dangerous place whichever way you look at it

Charlie, no one said it is acceptable.

And as for NationCreation proposing an upside of people being murdered, ('I say good' ) words fail me.

TestTubeTeen don't be like that the "good" wasn't about the people who SADLY have died but the people who might decide that this means London is an unsafe place. Sorry maybe it came out wrong. Probably did. I've lived in London my whole life and love this place and the people dearly. Thinking about the many times I've spent Saturday nights in that area and the people who not only died but were also traumatised last night makes me deeply upset if I think about it. I am sorry, I'm not always as sensitive as I should be during these times and should have thought more about what I was saying.

I'm on my way to work - near London Bridge - now. It doesn't feel any less safe on such a beautiful morning but it undoubtedly is. I just feel very very sad.

To the person who made the comment that maybe it will stop the south east/London bias, I think that's a pretty cheap shot at a time like this.

Its understandable that people feel London is unsafe straight after another attack.
But I don't think adding those attacks in with gang violence and random muggings is helpful.

London is most dangerous for my eldest son. He is young, non white and male. He is out an about in the sort of place targeted by the terrorist wankers and he is also at risk from over zealous police officers and anyone wanting to get revenge on brown people.

I will take common sense measures as I always have.

I just wish it would all stop. I love my city so much. I hate what is happening.

ChristopherWren I just said sorry. I take it back if I may... my only justification (although a poor one) is that before last night I had been thinking about overcrowdedness in London.

Anyone who thinks it feels particularly dangerous is not a Londoner.

I grew up here and there were regular, large and small-scale IRA attacks all through my childhood and early adulthood. Far more frequent than Islamic extremist attacks have been recently. And more devastating. I don't remember anyone suggesting that the world was coming to an end then and it isn't now.

Stats show crime rates actually much lower than in the past.

The terrorists want you to cower in fear. Don't fall for their game.

If you want to be scared of anything, worry about climate change - a much, much dangerous threat to the human race. And one we can do something about.

Christopher I agree with you. What the hell sort of comment is that to make?
Oh good, a few more people slaughtered and those London Elites will get whats coming to them

I was there all day yesterday and felt perfectly safe. Clearly so did the thousands and thousands of other people who were there chatting to policemen, watching entertainers, watching the practice trooping of the colour etc

TheFirstMrsDV haha... I am from arguably the dregs of London so don't even go there. I made an insensitive remark, I apologised, get over it.

NationCreation, OK, I appreciate you are upset, you have said you don't mean it, but actually you are right, really are not putting it well. Even in your latest post.

There is no way that making an argument for terrorism as a solution to over crowding can sound anything than insensitive. Best leave it for now?

No need to apologise Nation; it's an understandable reaction in some ways. In some ways I am fortunate to live in a vibrant capital city with jobs, things to do etc. Yet it's a city where the young people among my family and friends have no hope of buying a home near their families; it's unaffordable for ordinary people. So I agree something needs to change.

It just doesn't feel all that important today.....

Thank you hesterton (unless you're being in some way sarcastic!! so hard to tell, one of the many downfalls of the internet)

thinking knife crime and police stop and searches

It is ironic that you are considering leaving London to protect your son from both knife crime and police stop and searches because there is a real link between a 41% drop in stop and searches in London and the rise in knife and gang crime. The Guardian recently reported "gun and knife crime rose 42% and 24% respectively" and "the biggest concern is the rise in violent crime. There was an increase in young people carrying knives".

Last year Simon Marcus of the Riots Victim and Communities Panel said "There is also a fear among the police of being branded racist which hasn't helped cut crime, but has lowered morale."
He added: "We all know there are problems and the fight against racism must never stop but in any community you need a deterrent and stop and search is a deterrent."

The IRA bombed shoppers in Warrington the day before Mothering Sunday 1993. That was targeting children, two of whom died. 56 injured. The Birmingham pub bombs were planted in pubs crammed with young people in 1974 killing 21 and injuring hundreds. Sometimes they warned, sometimes warnings failed. The sense of unease was similar for many years.

Statistically you do have to be unlucky to be involved and the knife crime is mainly targeted.

Didn't someone post on MN that even if you were at the Manchester stadium your chance of being injured was 0.2% or something as there were over 20,000 inside plus those waiting.

On a daily basis I still feel relatively safe in London. Horrific though terrorism is, the scourge of our era.

I apologised, get over it