Clapham Crime

[caddyman]

I must admit that when I saw this story:Teenager shot dead at Clapham North on the BBC news website, my first thought instead of being along the lines of 'How terrible' or similar, was closer to complete relief that I no longer live there.

As most of you will know, up until February 2005, I lived in a tiny garret in north Clapham, just 5 minutes walk from Clapham North tube station. Since I left, there have been gun-related murders amongst youths in Streatham, Peckham and now north Clapham, all within three or four miles of each other and far too close to where I used to live for comfort. Add to that the Metropolitan Police erroneous shooting of the Brazilian student at Stockwell (about 8 minutes walk from my old address) and you begin to feel that it is no longer the safest series of neighbourhoods in the city. I certainly feel a great deal safer up here in Whetstone, although being a fully paid up member of the cut and run brigade, I learnt long ago that my size and a sour expression would discourage most would-be idiots from trying anything untoward as far as I am concerned.

That said, is south London any worse now than 10 years ago? After all someone tried to mug me at gun point in May 1995 (he didn't get away with it, oh no) halfway between Stockwell and Clapham North, and a week or so later there was a shooting in the same area and sometime later a policeman was murdered just off the High Street in Cato Road. So maybe nothing has changed; it's no worse or no better.

But unlike 12 years ago, I'm happy not to be living there any more.

Comments

[drjohnsilence.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you remember when we used to visit the Asha restaurant quite regularly. Then (for the benefit of those who know little of those days) an illegal African immigrant with a shotgun attempted to rob it and severely injured some of the staff, but was found dead with a meat cleaver in his chest just outside the tube station. I always think meanly of myself that I was put out that an affordable source of good curry, conveniently placed, was removed from our grasp, rather than feeling distress at the human tragedy involved.

Nevertheless, things like that, your experience and my own mugging mean I feel far safer here in Virginia than in Cla'am.

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

Now's probably not the time to mention that I witnessed an armed robbery on Whetstone High Street, is it?

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Right. That's matching flak jackets for Furtle & me this weekend then...

[keith-london.livejournal.com]

Some parts of Clapham are so "genteel". It has been "up and coming" for quite a while! Wasn't it promoted as some sort of new "Notting Hill"? (when Notting Hill had a little more class and cache).

I'm sorry you experienced the attempted mugging. In terms of image, Clapham, until now, never really registered in my mind as a crime hot spot. I only knew that Clapham common is a magnet for unsavoury types.

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

I see the police have reacted to the latest spate of shootings (which occurred in two homes, and an ice rink - all private properties).

They're setting up another task force - to work alongside the existing Operation Trident - and putting armed policemen on the streets (or at least, in vehicles, 'patrolling' known hotspots).

Somehow, I think they've decided that there's nothing they can do to prevent people who know each other well enough to be allowed into houses without force, from shooting each other in the privacy of their homes, and have decided that the only option is to go for token efforts that will read well in the press.