Knife crime in Sydenham

[jamlau]

Have only posted a couple of times on here but am posting this as a warning or reminder to you all about the dangers on our local streets.
We have had a Japanese student from Kings College in Beckenham staying with us for 6 months. Sunday was his last day with us and he had to go out late on Saturday night to get some cash to pay for his cab which was picking him up at 6.30 on Sunday morning. We heard him come in around 11 o clock on Saturday night shouting for help as he had been mugged at knifepoint about ten metres from our front door. We live in Sydenham but close to Penge East station and he had been to Penge High st to withdraw some cash. On his walk back he was chased by 3 young guys who caught him and took his wallet and camera while holding a knife to his stomach.
This was obviously upsetting enough but while the police were at our house, another similar incident was reported on their radio on the corner of Wiverton Road and Tredown Road. The descriptions of the muggers were different so we now know there were 2 separate groups of knife wielding thugs in close vicinity on Saturday night.
And this area is very close to where that poor lad was kiled in Newlands Park earlier this year.
This incident has left us ashamed, angry and very wary. Be careful out there!

[Eagle]

What a terrible memory to take back to Japan. I do hope he was not harmed.
True there seems to have been a spate of incidents at this point.
What else can I say it has all be said before but nothing gets done.

[Lisa]

thats horrble!

perhps sydenhamyooffourm shold check to see if any of there disadvantaged charges were absent on teh night of the poor boys ordeel

[Savvy]

maybe they weren't 'missed' by anyone, ever, and maybe that's the point.

[Lisa]

maybe they weren't 'missed' by anyone, ever, and maybe that's the point.

[Savvy]

I know Lisa, it is sad. And hard to accept; but it is true all the same
BUT.. people ARE listening. The message is getting through... The Government are finally realising that Early Intervention is absoluely key and with funding and support from the Police - who are not just getting it but FUNDING support .......

sorry, why am I telling you this? Forget it. You'll never get it.

[Dorian]

maybe they weren't 'missed' by anyone, ever, and maybe that's the point.

Savvy, I know as you stated previously you " Dont Care " about others opinions but its interesting that your starting comment on this very sad subject seeks to defend the perpertrators of a violent crime, and you do not in any way comment or consider the victim.

Have you ever been mugged at knife point ? If you have been, did you have sympathy with your assailants ?

[Savvy]

Yes I have been the victim of a knife crime, he was about 14 and he put his hand around my neck with a knife - the friend I was with took his arm from my neck and said 'we haven't got any f.ing money' and he and his mate ran off. And yes, I did feel sorry for him. It was quite some years ago and he wasn't caught then but Lord knows what has happened to him since. I hope he managed to turn his life around. I have gone on to have a very nice life indeed. For all I know he might be dead, the victim of a knife crime himself as so often happens. I hope too that the young lad who was mugged in Sydenham is able to put this incident behind him and go on to have a sucessfull life too.

[Savvy]

The bit about 'we haven't got any f.ing money' wasn't actually true. I had just paid my friend my rent (as she was also my landlady). She had £360 in her pocket.

[coll]

I just heard that someone was robbed at knifepoint on Bishopsthorpe. I have very little information other than it was Tuesday night and around 11:30. After they took whatever they were looking for, they stabbed this person. Apparently the victim is ok.

Do things seem to be getting worse around here?

[Eagle]

If they have ben stabbed guess they are hardly OK but think I know what you mean.

This is getting out of hand.

The Government are at last getting tough with invaders in ones house and now the invader can be killed which is certainly good news.

We need a positive outlook on The Queen's Highway.

[140Interiors]

Any youth who does not get a job or move on to higher education, should be forced into national service. And knife criminals etc should go to the front line in Afganistan. Make a man or woman of them.

[marymck]

And teach them how to use a gun? And let them take it out on the poor Afghans? Torture a prisoner anyone?

[Eagle]

certainly all unemployed should be doing community service to earn their benefits.

I thought HMG said that simply having a knife on you would involve a custodial sentence.
Like many other statements bit of a joke.

We always seem to be concerned about the criminals and not the victims.

[marymck]

I think there's a lot to be said for a much, much tougher approach on sentencing and punishment.

National Service though can just create more victims by teaching criminals some gruesome tricks of the trade, as the attached link illustrates:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... thugs.html

(PS I'm not usually a Daily Mail reader, but following 104 Interiors posting, something was nagging at the back of my mind that the Krays had been made worse by National Service & a Google search led me to this.)

[Tim Lund]

Mary - what a splendid link to find on the Daily Mail web site!

I don't think the stress should be so much a tougher approach on sentencing and punishment. I'm sure I've read various times that what deters criminality most if the risk of getting caught, whatever the sentence might be, which would imply more efficient policing rather than harsher prisons. So maybe more CCTV cameras ... but that's another thread.

The other side of the equation is why people do engage in criminality - in the vast bulk of crimes because they want money, regardless if whether legally or not. So criminality rises when there is less chance to earn money legally, either because the economy is doing poorly (macro-economic factors), or because how much additional money you have as a result of legitimate work makes it hardly seem worth it - i.e. the micro-economics of the tax and benefit system. I think the most useful long run policies for dealing with these sorts of crime would be such reforms - which could of course include reducing benefits for anti-social and criminal behaviour, but only as part of it. I think our education system is also part of the problem ... but again, perhaps, another thread.

What I don't think will help are systems to force people into work without them having a real incentive to work.

[Annie]

What I don't think will help are systems to force people into work without them having a real incentive to work.

Not sure about that Tim,they would be too damn tired, like the majority of us to stay out late and take part in any criminal act!

On the point of national service and the krays,how many thousands of people had to do national service and how few used it to become accomplished criminals?
not many I bet.

[140Interiors]

Softly,softly does nothing. So how about hard labour? Like breaking granite all day with only hand tools. Or we could send all our prisoners to Saudi Arabia. Or send them to some Pacific island where they are hunted by cannibals.

[Rachael]

Be careful, 140interiors, I assume you still want to sell your lovely shabby chic wares to the pinko-liberals in Sydenham? Perhaps posting political points of view (serious or sarcastic) under your business name isn't such a good idea.

[Tim Lund]

Be careful, 140interiors, I assume you still want to sell your lovely shabby chic wares to the pinko-liberals in Sydenham? Perhaps posting political points of view (serious or sarcastic) under your business name isn't such a good idea.

Maybe, but good liberals should approve of free speech - and this hardly crosses any reasonable boundaries.