'Gang culture could undermine the very fabric of our community' say experts at Wood Green event (From Haringey Independent)

'Gang culture could undermine the very fabric of our community' say experts at Wood Green event

3:47pm Sunday 5th July 2009

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A GANG culture expert has claimed a national strategy is needed to tackle the behaviour of rogue groups who cause trouble in society.

The comments came at a conference held yesterday in Wood Green looking into the impact of gang culture and how it can be dealt with.

Intellectuals on the subject, along with community leaders, youth workers and residents, discussed the scourge of crime by misguided social groups at the Bite the Bullet event held in Westbury Baptist Church, Westbury Avenue.

Scores of people turned up to listen to lectures on the topic and took part in workshops with pastors, parents and social workers to look at the role society and religion have in combating the deviant behaviour.

The message of the day was that unity is strength, and through working as a community, ignoring denomination, people could learn to talk about violent crime without demonising those who need the help.

Criminologist professor John Pitts, who is director of the Vauxhall Centre for the study of crime, spoke at the event and said gangs comprising mainly of boys try to control an area through the use of violence and conflict.

He said: “This is not organised crime in the usual way. There is a real difficulty with authorities and police gaining the recognition of the gangs, although community policing is having an impact.

“From what I have heard, gang culture in Haringey is very prevalent.

“What we don't have is a national policy. Everyone is trying to do the best they can because there is no lead on the nature of the problem and how they should be working to tackle that problem.

“There needs to be a gang strategy with all groups doing everything the same.”

The professor, who has written books on youth gangs and the changing face of the culture, said the faith community can help combat the problems.

“The normal pattern of this is some children are in gangs for a little bit then grow out of it by about 17,” he said.

“What has been noted now is that these children are not growing out of it. The crime they are getting involved in as they get older is more serious.

“In the first instance, the church can play a role, mediating the police and the groups themselves.”

The day-long conference featured panel discussions involving police officers, former gang members and those working with the borough's youth.

There was also a worship session and a live music concert that went on into the evening.

Reverend Les Isaac, founder of the Street Pastors and joint organiser of the event, said the overt gang culture affects everybody, and needs a joint effort to beat it.

He said: “We want to reconnect with our grass roots communities and be part of the solution, not the problem. We need to be concerned because this has the potential to grow like a cancer.

“Gang culture could undermine the very fabric of our community.”

He also alluded to the problems that are ongoing in the borough, and urged those with the potential to make a difference not to turn a blind eye to it.

“There may well have been people who were petrified about coming to Haringey for this event for fear of being robbed, jacked or knifed, and it is an issue we and the church cannot afford to ignore,” added Rvd Isaac.

“But people are still concerned about the feelings and atmosphere rather than the facts and the empirical evidence from authorities and the police.

“It is about finding out what each person needs, whether it's education or training, and learning to scratch them where they itch.”

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