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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Gangs killing over 'trivial' rows | Gangs killing over 'trivial' rows |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Gang members are getting younger and are quicker to turn to violence or even to kill to settle "trivial" scores, a senior police officer has said. | Gang members are getting younger and are quicker to turn to violence or even to kill to settle "trivial" scores, a senior police officer has said. |
| Youths were fighting over "respect" issues and more work was needed to give them an alternative to crime, said Cdr Sue Akers. | |
| Cdr Akers, who heads the Association of Chief Police Officers on gang issues, was speaking to the Guardian. | Cdr Akers, who heads the Association of Chief Police Officers on gang issues, was speaking to the Guardian. |
| More than 70 teenagers have been violently killed in the UK this year. | More than 70 teenagers have been violently killed in the UK this year. |
| Thirty of them died in London. | Thirty of them died in London. |
| While not all of the deaths were gang-related, police are becoming increasingly concerned about how quickly young people are wiling to turn to violence. | While not all of the deaths were gang-related, police are becoming increasingly concerned about how quickly young people are wiling to turn to violence. |
| On Tuesday, 18-year-old Sean Mercer was convicted of shooting dead 11-year-old Rhys Jones in West Derby, Liverpool, in August 2007. In the past, they would use violence over something like enforcing debts but now it's over this 'respect' issue Cdr Sue Akers Mapping UK's teen murder toll | On Tuesday, 18-year-old Sean Mercer was convicted of shooting dead 11-year-old Rhys Jones in West Derby, Liverpool, in August 2007. In the past, they would use violence over something like enforcing debts but now it's over this 'respect' issue Cdr Sue Akers Mapping UK's teen murder toll |
| Mercer, 16 at the time of the shooting, had been aiming for a rival gang member who had strayed onto his "turf". | Mercer, 16 at the time of the shooting, had been aiming for a rival gang member who had strayed onto his "turf". |
| Cdr Akers, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "We're seeing young kids killing other young kids." | Cdr Akers, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "We're seeing young kids killing other young kids." |
| "We've seen 14 and 15-year-olds being killed over what seems the most trivial slights or just a glance. | "We've seen 14 and 15-year-olds being killed over what seems the most trivial slights or just a glance. |
| "In the past, they would use violence over something like enforcing debts but now it's over this 'respect' issue, the smallest insult." | "In the past, they would use violence over something like enforcing debts but now it's over this 'respect' issue, the smallest insult." |
| Gangs were no longer split along racial lines and membership was now based on territory, she said. | Gangs were no longer split along racial lines and membership was now based on territory, she said. |
| Officers had identified new trends such as the emergence of girl gangs and women being used to carry weapons for male gang members, she said. | Officers had identified new trends such as the emergence of girl gangs and women being used to carry weapons for male gang members, she said. |
| The government has launched several initiatives to tackle gang crime, including focusing search operations on knife crime hotspots and offering witnesses anonymity in court cases. | The government has launched several initiatives to tackle gang crime, including focusing search operations on knife crime hotspots and offering witnesses anonymity in court cases. |
| But Cdr Akers said the youths needed an incentive to turn away from crime and to avoid being caught in the cycle of going to jail and then returning to their gangs. | But Cdr Akers said the youths needed an incentive to turn away from crime and to avoid being caught in the cycle of going to jail and then returning to their gangs. |
| "You can carry on with a stick, but you need a carrot at the end of the day," she said. | "You can carry on with a stick, but you need a carrot at the end of the day," she said. |
| "It takes time and investment. We need to get really, really focused on the very young." | "It takes time and investment. We need to get really, really focused on the very young." |