Police with machine guns for London's streets...

[max_tranmere]

London always prided itself on not being like America, where the Police are armed. As the years have gone on more armed Police units have been set-up, based in Police stations, ready to be deployed as and when needed. Well now, thanks to a huge rise in gun violence, three London boroughs are going to have armed Police patrolling the streets every day - with not only hand guns but machine guns! Great, isnt it! I've lived in this city all my life and I've seen it go to hell: we used to be the envy of urban America, people in the USA could not believe how low our crime levels were. Now you have three times greater chance of being mugged in London than in New York. And now we are going to have coppers with machine guns on the streets. Isnt it sad?

[stefano romantico]

Martial law is coming soon .

[David Johnson]

Hi Max,

I'd be interested in knowing from which esteemed publication you got your statistics from.

The following is from the China Post which presumably doesnt have any axe to grind about crime levels in the US v. UK.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/internation ... w-York.htm

"New York had about six murders on average per 100,000 people last year, a rate among the lowest in the U.S., according to FBI crime statistics. In 2008, New Orleans had 64, St. Louis 47 and Los Angeles 10 per 100,000 people, according to the FBI.

There is still room for New York's rate to decline, compared to London, where there are two murders per 100,000 people and Tokyo where there's one"

So even with a murder rate among the lowest in the US, New York is still a more dangerous place than London.

Wouldn't pack your bags just yet, Max!

Cheers
D

[max_tranmere]

Hi David, I heard this said several times on TV news programmes and on the odd documentary. I trust facts like that, I wouldn't trust it necessarily if I just read it in a red-top newspaper. I was referring to muggings when I mentioned that London has overtaken New York, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had a real 'take no prisoners' attitude when he cleaned up New York and we need the same kick-arse approach in London. The media and the Left would have gone potty over what Giuliani was doing but he stuck with it and we need someone with the guts and determination of him in London.

I would like to see zero-tolerance policing here but I cant see it happening. A former very senior Police officer in Middlesborough, Ray Mallon, introduced the same kind of thing in that town and it had big results, but that is the only place in the UK that I have heard it happen. Ray Mallon was subsequently bundled out of office in a political coup and he then stood for Mayor of Middlesborough and won. People who rock the boat and do things like that are generally disliked by the Establishment - the man blamed for getting rid of Mallon from the Police there was apparently moved to a position abroad once everyone realised how popular Mallon's policies were and that he was likely to become Mayor.

[David Johnson]

Hiya

"we used to be the envy of urban America, people in the USA could not believe how low our crime levels were"

I know you referenced muggings, but I think it is worth pointing out that Giuliani's zero tolerance approach has still resulted in a New York murder rate 3 times as high as London's and in the case of New Orleans, over 30 times the London rate.

In terms of murder rates your sentence above, is still the case. If I am going to be a crime victim I would choose mugging over murder any time!

That isnt to say that there shouldnt be a crackdown on UK street muggings.

Cheers
David

[David Johnson]

Why the ? I would thought my post and Max's were perfectly clear. Feel up to clarifying?