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

[Netcurtainnelly]

What's going on in Middlesbrough anyone live there?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gmrz8d31mo

This house fire may be linked to criminal activities at the weekend, where the policemen were killed.

Just before the crash on Saturday somebody's house had been rammed with a vehicle doing extensive damage to the house? They set out in their car trying to find them and retaliate.

It said it's happened to other houses as well?

Is this all linked to drugs?

It's horrible. Where's it going to end? Why would you want to be mixed up in all that?
Is it worth your life?

I meant to quote this you.

I don't think it is. Family members have already posted on fb with RIP posts and they appear to be related to one of the 5 boys.

They also will have recovered their phones from the scene which probably have a wealth of information on them.

Did they? Go on the attack?

Their post was robust, which is understandable but definitely no more that that.

Ok, but there's no willingness to see how it looks.

Middlesbrough is a town of 2 halves, one half is high end, wealthy, beautiful houses, the other half is feral and almost lawless with a massive drig problem. The current problems involve organised crime groups, the police haven't ruled out a connection between the house fire and the crash, possibly rival gangs, maybe not, but they are keeping an open mind

Thank you for explaining, felt very naive and just couldn't understand the purpose.

just a day or so after the horrific crash… police had arrested more than half a dozen ‘criminals’ then arrested another 12 or so a day later. Today after the fire they’ve charged 2 more with murder. Seems the Cleveland police know who all these scrotes are so why the hell have they allowed this criminal activity to continue?

Give them some time.

I would imagine things are quite sore now.

I have seen a lot of ordinary houses and some pitifully bleak houses. I can't say I have every seen a "high end wealthy beautiful" house. And I spent a lot of time going all over the town for work

Mainly around Nunthorpe some beautiful homes. TS7/8 postcodes I think they will be.

However I believe there are drug issues around there also just not as obvious as the likes of Ormesby, Grangetown. Brambles Farm and Central TS1 postcodes.

I suspect the criticism of the police is largely unfair. 4 of those in the car that killed the officers had previous convictions.

The average police officer on the ground would like nothing better than to see criminals like this locked up.

It’s the wider judicial system that’s failing them.

The fact it’s national news and there have been deaths probably means it’ll have been easier for them to get warrants etc.

Even had it been an innocent family rather than police officers in the car the deaths will have given them more powers. As others have said there may have been evidence and devices from the crash that they’ve not had before.

Just because they know who and what these people are doesn’t always mean they have enough evidence of serious offences.

Simply blaming the police for not doing their jobs is unfair; there are much wider societal and political issues that allow a criminal underclass and gangs like this to operate as they do.

In response to OP
A lot of County Lines, Organised Crime, Poverty, Substance Misuse and Neglect.
A rise of gang related activity is impacting across the region not just Middlesbrough and a high proportion of young people are currently being linked to such activities.

I'm familiar with the area. I can't think of any houses I would put in the "beautiful" category. But tastes differ.

Outside in the countryside yes there are some beautiful houses (and the North York Moors are lovely)

I used to live in the town centre decades ago. Was an eye opening few years. My neighbours either side were well known burglars. One night a large gang of guys came to get one of them….he scarpered out the back door and down the alley leaving his wife and kid behind.

I ran out during a slight lull when people had left temporarily to get weapons, and rescued them into my house. We had no landline and it was before mobiles so we just had to sit upstairs with about 50 people milling around outside with an assortment of weapons. Police did come eventually.

I blame the judicial system and lack of custodial sentences. Why these lads were still milling around with their list of convictions is why they carry on with impunity. I get there’s no space in prisons…..well they need to build more don’t they!

Its always been the case that killing or injuring a police officer is treated as incredibly significant because they are keeping law and order, if society goes after the people charged with keeping us safe, its completely lawless.

Thank you , Garlic & Purple. It breaks my heart every time I see the town in the news for the wrong reasons. The spirit in the town, even though we’ve been trodden on for decades, is amazing. There are some lovely areas, like Nunthorpe, Marton & Brookfield. I wish people would talk about the whole Teesside area much more positively.

I don’t know what other locals think, but I’ve long wondered if Cleveland Police should be done away with. Areas to the north of the river would come under Durham Police and south go with North Yorkshire, the old county set up. I suppose my thinking came from the days when there was a lot of corruption in the constabulary. I’m sure locals will know who I mean!

Because you need evidence to arrest people. Seems like the dead lads’ phones are proving a goldmine.

Even that area though for young people growing up there there is fuck all to do. So they get in trouble.

i know quite a few families who move to that sort of area picturing some sort of rural idyl for their children to grow up in.

in reality it’s boring, no public transport so can’t go anywhere without parents driving, which restricts hobbies and after school clubs, if there even are any within a reasonable drive. Schools are huge and impersonal, it’s easy to not engage.

alcohol and drugs are a huge issue even in the “posh” parts.

Having 'fuck all to do' is not an excuse to get in trouble.

Well yeah, wherever you live you have to actively parent your children.
The people I know who have raised successful happy teens in that area all made sure they had absorbing hobbies and weren't roaming the streets - scouting, swimming, climbing ... None of these need to be expensive

Scouting in particular is very cheap and I know leaders in the area who always made sure costs were covered from those who were struggling

But it's the same issue across the country. We live in a very affluent area and drugs are a big issue if parents check out but give their teens access to lots of cash

Local media is saying another house was rammed overnight. I expect this will continue

Middlesbrough is really showing it's arse.

They don't care. Our local drug dealer has just done four years inside and is carrying on dealing as before, with his family. Some families are awful.

I'm pinging various reports to the police so they can hopefully get him back inside as he'll be on probation.