Thursday 16 February 2012

You Can’t Shoot The Elephant…

…if you refuse to even admit it’s in the room:
Gang members will have nowhere to hide as Croydon's new taskforce unveiled a series of tactics to make the streets safer.
Bold words!
Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe launched the new Trident Gang Crime Command unit last Wednesday (February 8).

In the three days that followed, Croydon saw 17 search warrants and 28 arrests and Detective Superintendent Simon Messinger, who is heading up the local gang team, said more was to follow.
Backed up with action! This is looking better and bett…

Oh. Hang on:
Previously in charge of public protection at Greenwich, Det Supt Messinger insisted there was only a “small handful” of gangs in Croydon and that it was not an endemic issue.

He said the community could play its part, as it can provide the intelligence to help identify possible gang members.

And it was not just black young men involved, but something that affected everybody.
Oh, really? Funny. Seems to me there’s only ever one demographic here.

But maybe I’m wrong, and in addition, I should fear Russian mafia or Japanese yakuza when I’m in Croydon. Which, thankfully, is rarely.

14 comments:

Dr Evil said...

Trident is exclusive to black on black gang killings and gang warfare. We're all in this togefor though, innit?

Drop Captcha said...

Trident operations are 'black on black' as far as I know, though surely even that sends entirely the wrong signal.

Shouldn't it be 'MONA on MONA' to keep the Guardianistas happy?

Ian B said...

Maybe there's some "asians" as well?

jaded said...

Come on Julia,you know that Supernintendos don't become Chief Supernintendos by telling the truth about anything racial.

Anonymous said...

Is it me or does he look a bit young to be a superintendant?

Bunny

Captain Haddock said...

"Gang members will have nowhere to hide" ..

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah ..

We've heard it all before, it was complete crap then & its complete crap now ..

People like Hogan-Howe & his acolytes must think we all have very short memories, which I find quite insulting ..

James Higham said...

Careful - you'll be targetted.

On another note, glad I can comment here again after Google got itself sorted out.

Frankie said...

Bernard Hogan-Howe was our Chief Constable and I can assure you that he is neither a fool, nor anyone's political pet policeman. If Boris Johnson thought he would get someone he could control and unduly influence, he picked the wrong bloke... On the subject of the article, no senior officer would destroy his career by telling the absolute truth about the ethnic identity of the vast majority of the Croydon gangs... That would be tantamount to committing professional suicide. Don't shoot the messenger, by the way,it is, unfortunately, the way the police have to operate these days, with so many 'interest groups' lined up ready to give the police a good verbal kicking. The police know they can never win everyone round. It is a survival strategy.

Frankie

Anonymous said...

Spot on there Jules!

blueknight said...

Black on black. Everyone knows it but officially it cannot be admitted.
The get out is the slight possibility of a bullet missing the target and hitting someone white.

Anonymous said...

Dear Old Smiley, cheering us all up from beyond the grave.

Meanwhile, from the department of utterly fictitious surveys :

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/9530606.Croydon_second_best_place_in_London_to_live

Just pipped at the post by Highgate cemetery ?

Anonymous said...

The sole comment on that story rather gives the game away though :

"was the survey carried outside lunar house?"

JuliaM said...

"Maybe there's some "asians" as well?"

It's possible, but the 400lb gorilla in the Croydon jungle is... well, you can guess.

"Is it me or does he look a bit young to be a superintendant?"

It's not just you! ;)

"If Boris Johnson thought he would get someone he could control and unduly influence, he picked the wrong bloke..."

We'll see. Jury's still out.

Anonymous said...

Dats wut I wuz sayin. It's we whitey folk who is doin dem tings.