WTF is happening in London?!

[AngeloMysterioso]

In the last few days alone, there’s been a stabbing outside Liverpool St station, two moped muggers punched a women to the ground for her handbag and phone, and Michael McIntyre was forced out of his car and had his watch taken off him by another pair who smashed his window in whilst his child was in the back!

Even where I live in a pretty boring zone 4 suburb two teenage boys were stabbed a few streets away last week.

I know it’s never been the safest of cities but it feels like it’s got so much worse in the last year or so. What the hell is happening?

@welshmist
I see it is quite a time before you vote for a new mayor, however, is it really his job, how much power does a London Mayor have? Ours are ceremonial, cutting ribbons, attending fetes etc.

If that's the case (though I'm sure they do more) shouldn't we be asking "Why do we need Mayors on £100k+ a year"?

The london mayor is accountable for
Travel
Policing
Housing strategy and final say on development

Said to be the second most powerful job in britain.

coolwalking upthread nailed it for me.

This isn’t just a police problem. Society it’s self is.

The mayor doesn't seem to be achieving very much so far

The police are too focused on social media and communications.

More time spent on actual police work rather than posting on twitter/next door etc would be good
Getting through to the non emergency line can take over 30 mins.

Kids are more concerned about being attacked by their peers when unarmed than the likelihood of being stopped and caught carrying a weapon by police

I know people say I shouldn't let it put me off and I know people have to live there but for me London is a no go place now. We live up north and have had lovely trips to London in the past but just the idea of going there makes me anxious.

I love the way everyone blames "gentrification" and the middle classes. Most middle class families I know are paying extortionate rents in private housing because they are not entitled to social housing but want to live in nice areas with good schools. Most of them would love to live in low cost social housing and not have to spend all their income on private rents. Funnily enough, none of their kids go out mugging or stabbing even though they live in insecure and tiny homes, know that they can be booted out at any time and don't have much money (because they are all in full time work but it goes on rent and living costs or paying for childcare for their kids while they work!).

Not all crime has to do with deprivation, a lot of it is just thug culture and bad parenting - those who are in social housing are extremely lucky to be able to live in one of the best cities on earth paying such low rents and knowing they have security of tenure and a lot of the time those wanting a nicer, safer area (ie. gentrification) are paying huge amounts in taxes and private rent for that privilege!

The people who are disenfranchised are those who are unable to walk the streets feeling reasonably safe.......women, the elderly, children, the disabled for instance.

You can’t blame all this on poverty. People have lived in poverty since humans first trod the earth. This is down to an aggressive, entitled, hostile mindset amongst a significant proportion of the population - from the top to the bottom. People’s attitudes are getting worse. Tolerance, kindness and empathy is in short supply. Look at the increase in attacks on disabled people. Hate crimes, not robbery.

"Most middle class families I know are paying extortionate rents in private housing because they are not entitled to social housing but want to live in nice areas with good schools.."

Yes, all those poor people who are just desperate to live in terrible areas, with bad schools, eh?

And kids throwing rocks at cars, at night, who are driving through perfectly reasonable areas have shitty parents.

Mother surely everyone knows gentrification is not the fault of the middle classes! True gentrification means the clearing of areas which are almost immediately rendered impossible for everyone but the super rich.

As for social housing and security of tenure...that's becoming less and less common. Many Housing Associations are now only offering 3 year contracts...or less. Unless the resident has been in the property prior to a certain date.

Soon, council housing won't exist at all. A "nicer, safer area" is nothing to do with gentrification.

"Mother surely everyone knows gentrification is not the fault of the middle classes! True gentrification means the clearing of areas which are almost immediately rendered impossible for everyone but the super rich."

Say what?

It's inequality as much as poverty. Both of which have been with us since humans first trod the earth, but that's one of the ways we know that rising inequality and more behaviour like this tend to correlate. It's just what's more likely to happen.

There does seem to be a cheapening of life amongst certain young males. They don’t care if they stab each other, or a complete stranger.

I lived in NY when the “Broken Windows” policy began, ie every crime was punished, on the basis that if you ignore small crimes, such as broken windows, then gradually ever larger crimes become commonplace. This policy - not popular with everyone, mind! - worked and NY went from being one of the most dangerous cities to the safest.

There are arguments that crime decreased because of a falling birthrate to inner city teenage mothers in the 1980s, so statistically fewer young males “on the streets” from the mid-90s.

I'm late to the thread but can I point out that BTP is funded by the train operating companies, not the Government. If they've had budget reductions then it's down to the companies that are not willing to fund them to the level they previously did.

LiteraryDevil1

Unless you buy drugs are a drug dealer or in a gang I wouldn’t worry really

If you listen to the news it’s targeted not many middle age middle class white woman being stabbed

DepressedAspie

The people who are disenfranchised are those who are unable to walk the streets feeling reasonably safe.......women, the elderly, children, the disabled for instance.

You can’t blame all this on poverty. People have lived in poverty since humans first trod the earth. This is down to an aggressive, entitled, hostile mindset amongst a significant proportion of the population - from the top to the bottom. People’s attitudes are getting worse. Tolerance, kindness and empathy is in short supply. Look at the increase in attacks on disabled people. Hate crimes, not robbery.
this the liberals pet and tell these people you don’t have to work you don’t have to look after your kids properly he’ll you not even supposed to tell them off your the victim I remember the riots how the liberals were tripping over to give exuse sand when the fuckers were caught actually telling people they were wrong for punishing this arse holes for trashing the uk I am black and working class and these white middle class liberal apologist don’t speak for me most decent black people want stop and search

Children playing big and being manipulated by gangs.

If it helps there haven't been many near me in Z2 SW x

And it has got worse. For the first time in history our murder rate is higher than NEw York. I don't blame police cuts, I think general austerity and lack of social work is pushing children into gangs.

I wish we could have a broken windows policy here

What does "children playing big" mean please?

It means kids playing at being adults

This has roundly become trend with largely working class kids black kidslike being trans has for middle class white kids

I moved back here 3 years ago after living away for 17 years and within a few weeks DH and I drove into central London to go to a warehouse. We drove through areas we used to live in and we were so sad at the state of the place. It was unrecognisable. We didn't feel safe driving through even in daylight. I am now glad I live an hours commute out of London. We do still go in but we only ever go into the very centre and do touristy things. When my DC are older and doing their own thing I will move back up north.

Thanks Metoo

Sakura, I've been here and I cannot imagine the shock if you had a gap and then returned! We too will head away as soon as family circumstances allow.

*been here all my life