Reluctant Gangsters:Youth Gangs in Waltham Forest

John PittsVauxhall Professor of Socio-legal Studies, University of Bedfordshire

Methodology

Review of relevant central/local government/police data and research

54 Interviews with key informants YOT Caseload survey Gang seriousness inventory Literature/research review Attendance at meetings Mooching about and chatting

Why here? Why now?

In the UK in the 1980-1990s Income polarisation (greatest in Europe) De-industrialisation (20+% of industrial base

lost) The secession of the successful (via right to buy) The concentration of disadvantage The racialisation of disadvantage (London: up to

70% pop. on poorest estate BME: JRF) By 1997 25% of UK C&YP live in these

neighbourhoods: JRF) The concentration of criminal victimisation in

areas of acute social deprivation

In these neighbourhoods crime is:

Youthful: Young people are victims and perpetrators

Implosive: Perpetrated by and against local residents

Repetitive: The same people are victimised again and again

Symmetrical: Victims and offenders are similar in terms of age, ethnicity and class

Violent Under-reported: Threat of reprisal Embedded: YP don’t ‘grow out of crime’ Drug-driven: ‘street youth’ become ‘players’ in

local drugs markets  

From a ‘blag’ to a business

Traditional East End organised crime was based on a series of one-off ‘blags’ followed by long, and sometimes luxurious, vacations.

By the late 1980s bank/post office robbery, lorry hi-jacking etc. was becoming more hazardous

By the 1990s highly lucrative illicit drugs were flooding into the capital and most upper-echelon gangsters moved into the drugs business

But the drugs business requires constant maintenance a large and expanding workforce to manufacture, package, distributes and sell drugs, protect the supply chain and ensures ‘contract compliance’.

 

The Changing Face of London’s Gangland 

1950/1970s

Organised Crime: N. London - The Adams FamilyE. London - The Kray BrothersS. London - The Richardsons

Youth Movements:Teddy Boys. Mods Rockers Skinheads Neighbourhood-based/

Style-based fighting: 1980s

Organised Crime:From the Blag: Bank & Post Office robbery, Hijacking, Protection, Long Firms etc. To the Business: Drugs

Youth Movements: Rude Boys/The Posse: Street CrimeWhite Youth: Football ViolenceAsian Youth: Anti-Racist fight- Back/inter-group violence Neighbourhood-based/ Team-based/Race-based fighting:

1990s

Organised Crime and Youth Movements Merge‘Street corner’ youth become the street level workforce

of the international drugs businessEarly 2000s

Early 2000s

 Recognisable gangs with names, territories and division

of labour. (Faces, Elders, Youngers/ Soldiers/ Sabbos/Shotters) gang territories become synonymous

with drug markets  

 

Mid-2000sRespect shootings and violent street crime by Elders &

Youngers/Soldiers/Sabbos escalate: mainly directed against identified rivals/competitors/enemies

 

2006/2007

 Conflict broadens; affiliation with ‘Endz’ (post

codes/boroughs), Violence escalates but now more random,

directed against unidentified rivals. 

Meanwhile, back on the Beaumont Estate

Early 1990s: Beaumont Gang small group of professional criminals

By the late 1990s: Beaumont Gang (with Tottenham, Harlesden and Hackney) battle for drug/crack cocaine markets in N. & E. London and win

Beaumont does deals with the 4 Waltham Forest crime families to divi-up local drugs markets

As the market expands the workforce expands and drug dealing territories become gang territories:

The Articulated Gang

Upper Eschelon Drug Wholsalers

The Face

Elders

Elders

Elders

Younger

Younger

Younger

Younger

Younger

Younger

Younger

YoungerYounger

W.be

W.be

W.be

W.beW.be

W.be

W.beW.be

Girl Friend

Girl Friend

Girl Friendd

Girl Friend

Shotter Shotter Shotter Shotter

RGRG

RGRG

The role of the Youngers

To ensure drugs get to the Shotters To protect drug markets from other

gangs To ‘hang out’ to give early warning of

police raids To patrol territorial boundaries and

defend gang territory from other gangs with a ‘beef’.

To enforce contracts for Faces or Elders To collect debts for Faces or Elders

The role of the Youngers

To take revenge/make ‘hits’ on those who disrespect or cheat them or the Faces or Elders

To harass and burgle rival dealers To undertake street crime to ‘Make their Ps’ To engage in ‘anti-social behaviour’/

intimidation of local residents To carry drugs/weapons for Elders To take the rap for elders (incl. ‘doing time’)

Joined-up Youth Crime

Manuel Castells (2000) says that, with globalisation, the

street gang becomes the shop floor

of the international drugs business

Gang Definitions: Hallsworth & Young Peer Group A small, unorganised, transient

grouping occupying the same space with a common history. Crime is not integral to their self definition

Gang: A relatively durable, predominantly street-based group of young people who see themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group for whom crime and violence is integral to the group’s identity

Organised Criminal Group: Members are professionally involved in crime for personal gain operating almost exclusively in the ‘grey’ or illegal marketplace.

Gang Definitions: Gangs/Groups in Waltham Forest

The Articulated Gang

The Street Gang

The Compressed Street Gang

The Wannabee Gangsters

The Criminal Youth Group

The Middle Level International Criminal Business Organisation

Key

Antagonistic relationships between gangs

Alliances Between Gangs

Out of Borough Gangs

Gang Affiliations in Waltham Forest

PiffCity

BeaumontPrioryCourt

Harlesden Crew

Hackney:Love of Money

Crew,Holly St. Boys

& Mothers Square

Boundary/Monserrat

Boys

Drive

Atlee Terrace, Wood St. Marlow. Coppermill

ChingfordHallCathallLangthorneOliver Cl.

Canhall

TottenhamMan Dem

Crew

RussianGang

Highams Park Gang

Hackney Overground Commuters

New World Order

Stratford/Forest Gate

Gangs

Asian Auto Theft to Order Gang @

Boundary

HackneyNorth Star

Brookscroft/Barrier Boys

Lithuanian Gang

PolishGang

Hackney E9 Bang

Bang

Red African Devils

The Gangs of Waltham Forest The Met. Harm Assessment Scale

Crime Type Score/SentencePossess/Use Drug 7Supply Drug 25Disorder (Affray) 3Low Level Assault (ABH) 5Serious Assault (GBH) 25Kidnap 25Murder/Manslaughter 25Possession/Use Knife 4Possession/Use Firearms 25Vehicle Crime (TWOC) 5Burglary/Theft (no violence) 14Robbery/Street Crime 25Fraud/incl. Money Laundering 14

The Gangs of Waltham Forest The Met. Harm Assessment Scale

Beaumont (30-40) 198 (max. score)

Piff City (100) 198 (max. score) Priory Court (20-30) 169 Red African Devils (6-10) 150 (est.) Drive (30-40) 145.25 Boundary/Monserrat ( 20-30) 120 Canhall (30) 100 Barrier/Brookscroft (10-20) 41.5 Highams Park (5-10) 35 Hackney Overground Communters 35 New World Order (6-10) 28 Asian Auto Theft (10) 25+ (est.) Russian/Lithuanian/Polish Gangs (20) Unknown

Reluctant Gangsters: YOT Caseload Survey (N=59)

42% of caseload is gang involved

Core Member 3 12%Regular Member 12 48%Ambivalent Member 6 24%Reluctant Member 4 16%TOTAL 25

40% of them are Reluctant Gangsters

Reluctant Gangsters

They have no previous record, are good school attendees and have a good attitude. But they are coming into the YOT for ‘joint enterprise’ because they were present at the scene.

Some kids say they were made to do things by Elders. Many of them don’t necessarily approve of what they are doing. Most kids would rather be doing something else. But gang culture prevents participation. They are frightened to be seen as a ‘pussy’ or to become a target of violence.

Reluctant Gangsters

There were a brother and a sister; he was 15 and she was 14. Never been in trouble. They told them to do a robbery. But they said no. So they beat him up and raped her.

So he tells ‘em ‘fuck off’. Anyway, the next thing he knows, someone’s shot-up his mother’s flat. There’s lots of families round here can’t use their front rooms because of this sort of thing.”

Reluctant Gangsters

1. Affiliation because of the risks to oneself and one’s family from non-affiliation

2. Affiliation for protection from other gangs/crews

3. Affiliation to gain access to educational/recreational resources in gang territory

4. Affiliation because of lack of access to legitimate opportunity

5. Continued affiliation because of dangers inherent in leaving the gang

Reluctant Gangsters

Telling these families to take responsibility for their kids behaviour is like telling them to take their kids into the jungle and take responsibility for them not getting eaten by lions and tigers.

The Impact of Gangs: Neighbourhoods

For five or six years a group of 16 to 18 years olds was terrorising John Walsh and Fredwig Towers. They would wait at the bottom of the lift and take money, mobile phones, clothes that they fancied, even a dog, from the residents. A younger sister also had these terrible parties in the foyer but nobody complained. The Police had been trying to prosecute for years but because of witness intimidation, residents stayed quiet. These kids came to believe they were untouchable.

The Impact of Gangs: Neighbourhoods

As far as they are concerned we don’t exist, and even if we do, we are just some kind of problem that won’t go away. I sometimes think the best thing we could do would be to go out and vote and demand that our politicians listen to what’s happening to us.

The Impact of Gangs: Schools and Colleges

If they think I did that (told the police) we (my family) will have to leave the country) we have already moved once because of threats from gangs.

One of my year 10 students was recently gang-raped. I talked to her and her mother. They are obviously very frightened and the mother insists that it was consensual. The girl won’t come to counselling because she is afraid of being seen to talk to anyone in authority about it.

The Impact of Gangs: Schools and Colleges

In September 2006, students at XXX College reported they were being told not to use the college by members of the CH gang.

FE colleges ‘belong’ to particular gangs. GM is CH’s and B’s, WF College is PC’s, B’s and B1’s

In WF College, in 2006, two members of OC were stabbed by members of D.

The Impact of Gangs: The Youth Service

Young people and workers are subject to threats and intimidation if we work with non-gang-involved young people in certain areas. I think the danger is that social strategies could be paralysed by territorialism. This is happening in schools and colleges and if it continues we could see the gangs effectively paralysing public services.

The Impact of Gangs: The Criminal Justice System

We have to bus youngsters in to group work programmes; otherwise it’s just too dangerous

They scheduled a B trial and an OC trial on the same day in the same court. Luckily a couple of my officers spotted the guys with the guns and stopped them getting into court, otherwise …

How many people are affected by gangs?

Core 40 

Soldiers 160

Wannabees 250

 Reluctant gangsters 250 

C&YP directly affected 700

C&YP indirectly affected 1,400

Family members affected 6000

Responding to Gangs (OJJDP)

1. Organizational change: Multi-agency working/development

2. Community/professional Leadership 3. Community mobilization: Local citizens and

organizations are involved in a common enterprise.

4. Suppression: Arrest and prosecution5. Social intervention: Reaching YP

unconnected with social institutions. 6. Social opportunity: Age appropriate

opportunity via multi-agency teams

Responding to Gangs Operation Ceasefire (Boston) I

1. Coordinated leverage on gangs through highly publicised multi-agency crackdowns precipitated by certain specified behaviours i.e. possession or use of knives and firearms, harassment and serious assaults.

2. Enhancing community relations to get local support for targeted crackdowns and stimulate community ‘collective efficacy’ in informal social control and the reduction of incivilities

Responding to Gangs Operation Ceasefire II

3. Engagement with gang members To elicit information, to transmit consistent messages about targeted crackdowns and provide diversionary social, educational, recreational, training and vocational services for members and those on the fringes of the gangs.

A Seven Point Gang Strategy for Waltham Forest

Coordinated leverage Enhancing community relations Engaging with gang members Mediation Targeted Protection Sensitisation of agencies (Sect. 17

C&DA) School-based anti-gang-initiatives

5 A Four level Gang Intervention Model 

The Intervention The TargetGroup

Level 1. PPO/Police/Trident/ISSPThis level of work is undertaken by MMAGS and X-it

Targeted intervention with core gang members: Elders/Youngers, enforcement, intensive problem-solving, mediation and the development of alternative futures via education, training and employment

Level 2. YIP/ Extended School/FE Colleges and Specialist Voluntary Youth Serving Agencies. This level of work is undertaken by MMAGS, X-it and the Anderlecht Initiative

Targeted intervention with Youngers and those seriously ‘at risk’ of serious gang involvement like some overly enthusiastic Wannabees. Intensive problem-solving and the development of alternative futures via education, training and employment

Level 3. LA Outreach Team supported by the Police. This level of work is undertaken by the Anderlecht Initiative

Targeted intervention with moderately ‘at risk’ and gang-affected groups: lower level; Wannabees and Reluctant Gangsters: problem-oriented and social-educational interventions

Level 4. Housing Associations, Schools/LA Outreach Team/Voluntary Youth Serving Agencies/NGOs/Sports Clubs, supported by the Police. This level of work is currently undertaken by the LA Outreach Team and Housing Assns.

Area-based (universal) social- educational/ recreational youth and community interventions

 

A Proposed Structure of a Comprehensive Gang Strategy for Waltham Forest

Elders

Younger

Wannabees

Reluctant Gangsters

Elders

Younger

Wannabees

Reluctant

Gangsters

Elders

Younger

Wannabees

Reluctant Gangsters

Safer Neighbourhoo

ds Team

POLICE

Targeted Protection

School Operational

Team

Safer Neighbourhoo

ds Team

POLICE intelligence-led Policing

School Operational

Team

Waltham Forest Multi-Agency Gang Strategy Team Enforcement

Police, Probation, YOT

Intelligence and Information

Police

Social InterventionSocial Services, Youth Service, housing

Education, Training, WorkEducation, FE, connexions

MediationParents Against Violence, Mediators

ParticipationSocial Cohesion Worker

Waltham Forest Gang Forum

Young People

Parents/Adults

Senior Managers

Professionals

FOUR LEVEL INTERVENTION

Project Coordinator