wanna be in my gang? - well you can't!

[ladymuck]

Membership in a gang should be criminal offence in the first place

How do you prove membership, do you have to be a card-carrying member?

[edison]

Looked this seems to be the original article, this seems fascinating, the Capone approach seems to be the way to target the leaders then work down from them. I wonder why we don't do that?

Why Drug Dealers Live With Their Moms - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)



this is sad not surprising :

Yes, that's the article. I love the comparison between major drug gangs' org chart and McDonalds!

The point I was trying to make earlier (maybe not explicit enough), is that the people at the very top are very well protected, often behind front businesses, shady lawyers etc. If it was that easy, then the police would be focusing much more on that knowing if you take out the top structure, the pyramid below is likely to be disproportionately hit. I know a couple of people who work in tacking serious organised crime and from the very little they've told me, it can take years to build up a case against the people at the top of organised gangs.

[vetran]

Yes, that's the article. I love the comparison between major drug gangs' org chart and McDonalds!

The point I was trying to make earlier (maybe not explicit enough), is that the people at the very top are very well protected, often behind front businesses, shady lawyers etc. If it was that easy, then the police would be focusing much more on that knowing if you take out the top structure, the pyramid below is likely to be disproportionately hit. I know a couple of people who work in tacking serious organised crime and from the very little they've told me, it can take years to build up a case against the people at the top of organised gangs.

I am sure its hard but we do really need to change tack because what we are doing is not working. I think unexplained wealth orders are the way to go. Even if we cant lock them up we can take the money!

Also sharing this detail with potential recruits via people they respect and stopping rap/drill's drug dealing references would be a good start

[Whorty]

Aha now I see why the Daily Mail outraged.



Who needs evidence, gets in the way of entertaining court hearings.

Exactly, seems reasonable to me. If some scum-bag with Italian background was in the dock we wouldn't suggest they're in the mafia without evidence. But hey, anything to trigger the xenophobes

[SueEllen]

Also sharing this detail with potential recruits via people they respect and stopping rap/drill's drug dealing references would be a good start

There is a drill artist who has an order that means his lyrics have to be approved by the Police. So when he writes a new rap he has to explain it to his lawyer before it gets checked by the police before it is released.

Edited - actually I was wrong there is a few of them - Drill rap gang banned from making music without police permission in legal first | The Independent | The Independent I just read up about one of them in The Guardian.

[AtW]

How do you prove membership, do you have to be a card-carrying member?

Anonymous witness statements by card carrying police gang leaders?

[Old Greg]

Oh dear

Courts urged to avoid using the word with reference to criminals because of 'negative connotations' | Daily Mail Online




Here's an idea why not just lock a few more of the ring leaders up and the "gangs" stop existing.

Even hardened criminals shouldn't be tarnished with a word associated with the founders of the SDP.