Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Croydon

Gang 'bans' rivals from town centre

Feb 9 2007

CROYDON'S biggest gang has banned its rivals from the town centre, it has emerged this week. Don't Say Nothing (DSN) has proclaimed Croydon its "turf" and the recent escalation in gang warfare locally is understood to be linked to this ban. Other gangs are said to have defied the warning and that is said to have caused town centre fights and even a recent stabbing at East Croydon station. North End has become a particular flash-point as DSN sees this as the heart of its turf.

News of the "ban" came at a Croydon Youth Court case last Friday where a 15-year-old boy appeared charged with affray over a town centre battle caught on CCTV. He was captured on film fighting with a broom from a streetsweeper's trolley as groups affiliated to DSN and Thornton Heath gang Straight Merking (killing) Niggas,also known as SMN,clashed. His opponent, who was knocked to the floor in the brief fight at 6.30pm on January 5, wielded a shovel also taken from the roadside. Olivia Kong,prosecuting, said that in a police interview the youth - who cannot be named for legal reasons - said there was an ongoing dispute between DSN and other gangs.
She told the court: "He said DSN proclaimed Croydon as their turf and other gangs should not enter Croydon. This has caused problems as a number of other gangs have challenged this belief."

A series of confrontations in and around North End and the Whitgift Shopping Centre have erupted with no obvious explanation. The Advertiser understands most are part of the ongoing war involving members of the DSN gang. DSN began in the South Croydon and Waddon area. The gang has fought rivals such as SMN and this has caused trouble in the town centre shopping parade at North End and in the Whitgift, which has since stepped up security.

One teenage girl who grew up with some of DSN's 20-strong hardcore members described how the rivalry has fuelled the gang problem. She said: "There are a lot of African kids in DSN and I got to know them because I had the same background. "Hundreds of people belong to it - there are so many now that some have never even met each other. The youngest is 12 and the oldest is 31. But there are even more when you count the fact that DSN has alliances with at least four other gangs, as does SMN. The networks stretch across South London."

On December 8 a good Samaritan had his ear partially severed in North End after trying to stop a teenager being beaten by youths in an apparent gang initiation ceremony. Our source - who does not want to be named - believes it was nothing more than a ritual to impress the "elders". She said: "To get into a gang you have to shank [stab] or rob someone, take a beating or prove your badness in some way. Once you're in you can rise to the rank of general and recruit other people. But if you mess up, like a robbery where the police get involved, you get de-recruited. It is SMN that has the most younger members because there are more schools and estates where they live."

In last week's court case the boy - who denied being a member of either gang and is of previous good character - was given a three-month referral order and ordered to pay £20 costs. A few days after that brawl, on January 19, DSN reportedly clashed with another gang outside Croydon College. The fight led to a stabbing at East Croydon station which left a 16-year-old in intensive care. Hours after it had happened, a post on the gang's website claimed it had been a battle with the Gipset gang from Gipsy Hill. But the most graphic insight into DSN's world can be seen in a video posted on the MySpace social networking website. It shows a youth from another gang - with blood oozing from the side of his mouth and a look of terror in his eyes - being forced to strip naked by DSN members. He is then slapped and told to identify himself, show his gold teeth and repeat the name "DSN" and the name of one of its allied gangs several times. Elsewhere on another Internet site a member of DSN poses with a gun.

Police do not comment on individual gangs but admit that collectively they represent an "emerging" problem in Croydon. The borough force will launch a dedicated unit next month - which is also backed by Croydon Council - to tackle the issue.



The locals don't seem too happy about all this, although a grateful populace returned a Labour councillor with an increased percentage at a recent by-election.

It wasn't always like that. Betjeman's poem comes from another age. That Croydon is vanished 'once for all'.

Croydon

In a house like that
Your Uncle Dick was born;
Satchel on back he walked to Whitgift
Every weekday morn.

Boys together in Coulsdon woodlands,
Bramble-berried and steep,
He and his pals would look for spadgers,
Buried deep.

The laurels are speckled in Marchmont Avenue
Just as they were before,
But the steps are dusty that still lead up to
Your Uncle Dick's front door.

Pear and apple in Croydon gardens
Bud and blossom and fall,
But your Uncle Dick has left his Croydon
Once for all.


29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why does the press honour these gangs by publicizing their daft names?

Luke Akehurst said...

You have misread the by-election result. The Council is Tory, so an increased Labour majority in a council by-election indicates public unhappiness with the council.

Anonymous said...

Remember to keep telling yourselves these people have just as much right to be here as us, after all they were born here.

Anonymous said...

HMMM..... stripey pyjamas and barbred wire fences come to mind as a solution

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 3:04. That would be the humanitarian solution. Personally, I might vote for something harsher.

If the death penalty is too much to ask, drop them off on a small, empty island surrounded by bitterly cold sea, and have a plane fly over once a week to drop supplies. Let the strong govern the weak. I think after six months, a census would demonstrate a population much reduced.

Don't let them have any materials they could use to fashion even a primitive means of escape.

Anonymous said...

I think The Croydonian should arrange hustings for these gangs so whichever group establishes effective control can discuss its taxation policies for local shopkeepers who want to keep insurance premia low

Anonymous said...

"...arrange hustings for these gangs so whichever group establishes effective control can discuss its taxation policies..."

Hmm, a policy fraught with a little danger, no?

After all, a gang of marauding crackhead ASBO kids might show up the real elected councillors of Croydon with their better grasp of the realities of life & less reliance on policy-speak.... ;)

Anonymous said...

You know, sometimes this blog reminds me of a modern version of George Orwell's "Coming Up For Air".

Anonymous said...

"The borough force will launch a dedicated unit next month"

Which would not be neccessary if the useless bastards did their job properly in the first place (instead of harassing home owners and motorists) - and before the activities of this criminal scum got media attention.

Anonymous said...

"drop them off on a small, empty island surrounded by bitterly cold sea,"

They're already on an overcrowded, small, island surrounded by bitterly cold sea, how much worse could it be?

Anonymous said...

No, Stuart, they are on a small over-crowded, over-governed island - much of the overcrowding due to their irresponsible breeding habits.

I have in mind something much smaller and with colder surrounding sea. An empty north of Scotland island, for example. It might be overcrowded at first, but, well, you know, natural attrition due to the edgy nature of the other islanders ... Even if they could come by an inner tube, a la the Cuban refugees, offshore north of Scotland is not the Caribbean and they would perish if they tried. Ah, happy thoughts! In fact, perhaps free inner tubes included in the airdrop might not be a bad idea.

BTW, as a libertarian, I would not dream of forbidding weapons.

Anonymous said...

I would suggest that we simply separate them out from the rest of society at the earliest opportunity at leave them in an institution. They are breaking the law. They know what the law is. The law offers them every opportunity to demonstrate their innocence. If they are found guilty of breaking the law then society is free to do what it will with them.

Institutionalising these young men would keep them well away from young women, and therefore they are less likely to become fathers, less likely to influence the next generation. The instituion doesn't have to be particularly harsh. The prime objective should be to remove those that refuse to obey the rules of society so they can do no harm either to the current generation or to the next.

The problem we have in the UK is the liberal-left can't quite bring themselves to believe that someone could actually be "guilty". Even when someone has been found guilty they can't bear to see someone punished - they are always looking for reasons to excuse their behaviour. But it should be quite simple - deliberately break an important law (by stabbing someone for instance) and spend the rest of your life in an institution. If you know the rules and the punishment and you are treated fairly by the criminal justice system your "excuses" for your behaviour don't matter.

Anonymous said...

A staggering example of what I mean by the liberal-left's attitude to those that commit serious crime.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6354269.stm

Barely a mention of the huge loss to the families as a result of the murder of these innocent women. He got 30 years - so he will be let out in 15 if he can manage to behave himself that long. Why?

Anonymous said...

I think the DSN boys are just shy. However there is nothing coy about the Peel Dem Crew from Brixton.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jloexPwzH0

Anonymous said...

Britain has gone from being the safest, kindest country in the world to one of most violent and dangerous in just 40 years.

There is one reason for this: immigration from the third world. Given that Britain is now about 7% ethnics, they are responsible for around 96% of violent crime. Meanwhile, the dispossessed British working class flounder to find an identity that has been secure for hundreds of years.

Anonymous said...

"He got 30 years - so he will be let out in 15 if he can manage to behave himself that long."

Quite - and when out, why should he not be deported, as the judge has urged?

They've changed the subheading now, but earlier the BBC were running a life history of this little thug under the link title 'Dickensian Life of...' (referring presumably to the judges' summing up in which he mentioned:'incidents of Dickensian horror'

Trouble is, the picture this conjured up of an Oliver Twist moppet was somewhat betrayed by actually reading the story.

Less Oliver Twist, more young Bill Sykes!

Anonymous said...

And just to prove that there are always idiots around to excuse the actions of these murderous thugs:

"Sir John said his client was full of remorse and he read a letter from Reverend Paul Fitzpatrick, a former soldier and visiting chaplain at the secure unit where Malasi was held on remand.

In it Mr Fitzpatrick said: "Roberto feels a massive sense of guilt and appropriate responsibility for the crime he has committed and the life he has led."....Mr Fitzpatrick said one of Roberto's ambitions was to work for the United Nations, although this was unlikely ever to be realised because of his crimes."


Oh, I don't know. Sounds like the vicious little animal would fit right in to one of the UN's 'Peacekeeping' forces....

Oh, and Mr Fitzpatrick...? It's 'crimes'...not 'crime'. Wise up!

Anonymous said...

ahhh , isnt "cultural diversity" just great. Croydonian gang warfare, Hackney shootings, jumped up Islamist crazies... the list is endless.

this reader last visited London a year ago and I have no intention of going back

Anonymous said...

Policeman kicks a thug - and gets charged with assault.

so now its not only the general public who arent allowed to defend themselves - now its the cops.

Anonymous said...

There is one reason for this: immigration from the third world.

Only one reason Verity? So what, are us ethnics using our magic mind rays to stop the indigenes from taking the elementary step of locking up violent thugs? I'd imagine the blame could be spread just a little wider.

Anonymous said...

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Croydon. It isn't fit for humans now...

Anonymous said...

Apparently Croydon has just been subjected to a dozen 1000 lb bombs falling in the town centre.....The bombs have caused £2,000,000 worth of improvements.

Anonymous said...

DSN DSN DSN DSN DSN DSN DSN DSN DSN BIRDGANG IF I MURDER U DONT SAY NUFIN

Anonymous said...

why dnt u jus send dese shits 2 war n den c if dey wana b playin wiv guns n knives!!!

Anonymous said...

DSN need 2 learn sum respect n der own boiz n gyalies stab dem in da bk coz whichof der friends r guna b wiv dem wen der in a cell hus guna visit aint no1 got der bk 4 lyf

Anonymous said...

3 all the dsnn nigerrssssssssssssssssss 3.fiber

Anonymous said...

Most of the DSN street gang are latent homosexuals but they are too afraid to come out as they fear what their 'homies' will do to them. That's a Freudian slip (homies).
Anyway, if any of them fancy a sort out (mano a' mano) then I'm your man.

Anonymous said...

Verity you a fucking retard
you sound like you were raised by a bunch of nazis during the 40's and yeh stuart sounds like he has got it right this country is a bit of a shithole and its getting harder and harder to live in the concrete jungle. The simple answer would be for the police to do their proper jobs and police the streets and that if you take a life your entire life should be spent behind bars, not your entire life meaning 30 years but verity for the sake of us all. shut the fuck up.

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