ASB, crime and stupidity

https://flic.kr/p/PLCJf4

Given the many tweets over the past few days regarding the scooter riding phone thieves in SE16, it's about time to out those hinted at in an earlier post, those with nothing better to do, as not representative of even many of the poorest around here. Seeing their cars, tattoos and of course phones and bikes, they are doing better than many others. They are also not rebels against the system, but actually help developers and those wishing to demonize and stereotype get their way. The problem is, as many know, the council aren't upholding their side of the deal and making sure people behave. They need to realise how lucky they are to live here and, if, as most of us do, they don't appreciate it, do us all a favour and be made to clear off. The council always uses crime (exaggerating figures too) as one of the excuses to regenerate, but if they do nothing about it to help the apparently stretched local police and keep homes safe and decent, then it's hard to square the circle. Those suffering because of this behaviour will then be made to suffer losing the homes they've seen allowed to deteriorate despite many reports. The criminals are cowards,  often recruiting young children who knows no better and see adventure and a way to please to run errands. Services are stretched because these people also prey on the most vulnerable, and are allowed to. The criminals begin to believe they, rather than local authorities, run the area, and have no respect for it or the majority good people in it, who they bully and harass. It is not the area making these people bad - even the Queen needs guards outside her place - but the usual dismissive attitude allowing criminals to ruin areas, of every demographic. If crime is allowed anywhere the result is inevitable, whether estate, luxury apartment or palace.  And maybe valuing, strengthening and building up communities would help, rather than destroying them, which seems to be in vogue. Greenland Dock is beautiful, and rebuilt, but if someone is still allowed to just see it as an escape route as they apparently do then the answer must be something should be done to stop them. Likewise anywhere else. Its no good pretending the problem doesn't exist and it's all restaurants and bars and cool, but it exists because it does everywhere and has o be dealt with everywhere. Thankfully at least one arrest was made yesterday, seen from a bus near the Old Kent Road, connected to what I don't know, but if the council just say there's no action again and again, is it a surprise things don't change? And a newly built home for criminals will only enforce their 'I can do what I want' mentality. Councils need to put the majority of good people first, rather than contemptuously dismiss them until they can regenerate or a disaster happens. Police need to treat even so-called low level crime seriously, before it gets worse and because of the distress it causes. They must deal with those pathetic bullying criminals with too much power and time on their hands. The minority idiots should not be allowed to ruin the the area.