Story here

I was listening to Radio London today..where I heard a number of Black voices calling for the return of stop and search of all young black males in crime hotspots...

Given that the latest murders and muggings carried out last week was allegedly by people from our own culture.. The question is being asked whether there should be a more direct approach to policing our young people...Do you agree..

If you're against the return of the Sus-laws(or stop and search) what would you avocate should be done instead to attack the small but significant treand of some young black males to become involved violent street crimes..?

Hire more black cops, who know what's going on these areas.....problem solved....

Stop and search would never work, even they knew this in the 1700's.......It will be abused PERIOD. Blacks will be those abused.

IM A YOUTH WORKER IN MANCHESTER. I DEAL EXCLUSIVELY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE COMMITTING OR LIKELY TO COMMIT ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR. I UNDERSTAND THAT AT ONE POINT BLACK YOUTH WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF GUN-CRIME ON MANCHESTERS STREETS, BUT NOW ITS ACTUALLY SWITCHEDTO WHITE YOUTH. (IVE WORKED IN SOUTH, CENTRAL AND NORTH MANCHETSER, WYTHENSHAWE, MOSSIDE AND BLACKLEY.) THIS TO MESHOWS THAT THE PROBLEM OF YOUTH CRIME IS NOTEXCLUSIVELY A BLACK OR WHITE PROBLEM, ITS JUST A YOUTH PROBLEM.

TODAYS YOUTH ARELOST, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. THE WAYI AND MY ORGANISATION DEALS WITHTHESE YOUNG PEOPLE IS TO REVERSE THEIR SENSE OFFEELING LOST. GIVE THEM A PURPOSE AND A DIRECTION BY DEALING WITH EACHYOUNG PERSONHOLISTICALLY. ALLOWING THEM TO BE YOUNG PEOPLE, THE OPERATIVE WORD BEING YOUNG, LET THEM BE DAFT, MAKE MISTAKES, LAUGH OUT LOUD, BE IMPULSIVE, AND FIND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, BUT IN A POSITIVE SAFEENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL THEIR VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES ARE VALUED AND LISTENED TO.WE CHALLENGE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOURBY ALLOWING THEYOUNG PEOPLE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FORTHEIR ACTIONS, WHILST AT THE SAME TIME KNOWING THEY ARE STILL ACCEPTED.

MOST OF THE YOUNG PEOPLEI SPEAK TO ON A ONE-TO-ONEBASIS OR IN A GROUP SETTING, ALLECHO THE SAME SENTIMENTS. THEY ARE IGNORED, MARGINALISED,AND EXCLUDED FROM THEIR COMMUNITY, AND INDEED SOCIETY. BECAUSE THEY DONT FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG, BECAUSE NOBODY GIVES THEM POSITIVE ATTENTION, THEY CREATE WITHIN THEMSELVES AND THEIR PEERS AN IMAGINED WORLD WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN. THEY THEN LIVE OUT THIS FANTASY, WITH LACK OF REGARD FOR THE WIDER COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO ENFORCE THE LAWS, BECAUSE AS FAR AS THEY ARE CONCERNED, THEY DONT CARE ANYWAY.ON TOP OF THAT, THEY HAVE SO MUCH STIMULATION, TV, COMPUTERS, ETC, THAT THEY FELL COMPELLED TO LIVE OUT AN EXPERIENCE WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF STIMULATION JUST TO FEEL LIKE THEY ARE ENJOYING THEMSELVES. THIS IS A REAL ECHO OFMOST OF THEGROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLE I WORK WITH, ITS NOT MADE UP.OTHERS ARE LIKELY TO COMMIT CRIMES, MOSTLY DUE TO PSYCHOLOGICAL OREMOTIONAL TRAUMA, HORMONAL OR CHEMICAL IMBALANCES ,ETC. OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE JUST ENJOY EMBRACING THEIR DESTRUCTIVE SIDES, JUST LIKE YOU WILL GET A COUPLE BAD PEAS IN A POD. ITS A BALANCE THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE AND HAS TO BE.

I BELIEVE TODAYS YOUTH PROBLEM WILL NOT BE CHANGED OVERNIGHT, ALL THE ASBOS IN THE WORLD WILL NOT CHANGEBAD BEHAVIOUR. THE PROBLEM IS HIGHLY COMPLEX AND THERE IS NOT ONE ANSWER TO IT. A FEW OF THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS I BELIEVE MAY WORK IS, IN ORDER FOR A PERSON TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOUR THEY HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR THOUGHTS. TODAYS YOUTH NEED A CHANGE OF CONSCIOUSNESS. THIS HAS TO START IN THE HOME, SCHOOLS, MEDIA, ETC. IN THE AREA OF MANCHESTER IM RESPONSIBLE FOR, I EMPLOY TECHNIQUES OF PERSON-CENTERED COUNSELLING, UNCONDITIONAL POSITVE REGARD, CONGRUENCY, EMPTHATHY AND JUST BLOODY LISTENING!, AND I MOST SAY THAT SINCE I CAME IN POST TWO YEARS AGO, YOUTH CRIME AND NUISANCE HAS DECREASED BY 23%. I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT AND I PRAY THAT GOD GIVES ME THE STRENGTH TO CONTINUE.

ULTIMATLEY, WE NEED MORE LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR OUR YOUTH. IF EVERY PERSON WHO READS THIS, GOES OUT TOMORROW AND TAKES THE TIME TO JUST SMILE AT A YOUNG PERSON OR CONGRATULATE/PRAISE THEIR EFFORTS, I GUARENTEE, YOU MIGHT GET A FEW FUNNY STARES, BUT YOU WILL ALSO GET A SMILE BACK. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LIKE FLOWERS, THEY NEED TO BE SHONE ON TO GROW, IF THEY ARE ALWAYS RAINED ON , THEY WILL TURN BAD, THEN SHRIVEL AND DIE.

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They don't have enough competition. Kids, boys especially need structured competition.

The schools here have done away with academic competition, sold off sports fields and so on. There should be more spelling competitions, debate clubs, inter school and intra school. Neighbourhood rivalry could be challenged better that way too.More sport to channel that energy that so far finds it's only expression on road in the misguided forms of street music and worse, crime. The competition to be the baddest MC or hardest yute on road is a massive waste of resources.

I would point to the american model where they seem to compete on everything but go farther than them even.

The everybody is a winner and taking part is all that counts mantra is destroying the youth who won't be satisfied with such glib namby pambyness. Competition, especially for young teens is the be all and end all. It's a time of self discovery and it needs and outlet. Yes it's sad that there must be losers for there to be winners but that was and is always thus.

It's not a be all and end all solution, obviously it hasn't cut crime in America but it's a vital step. You need to offer the kids something first before condeming what they have left at the moment.

I dont what you could do

Stop and Search has to be considered though as it probably would cut down on stabbings, but maybe not so much on muggings

Although there are plenty of people who dont use/need weapons to mug, or who can find makeshift weapons lying about. Sticks, bricks, etc

gun ho measures (i.e.bringing back hanging) do not solve the problem of youth crimeat all.

In many casesthese kids havereached a stage where theydon't care about their lives or anyone elses and such measures dont meana thing to them.

@angel You have given a brilliant insight into how complex the actual problem of youth crimeis and where we need to start....on a personal level.

I have tried to raise points similar to yours in such debates but often people are overwhelmed at the problem and look at it in very simplistically as its easier that way.

I agree that there should be some means of chanelling energy. More so kids upbringing needs to be structured. Families, communities, neighbourhoods need to be structured. As soon as a baby comes out of the womb it has too much power and has too much to deal with in the world.

Thanks for your positive approval CA.......Im glad you agree with my view that the problem of Youth Crime is indeed very complex and it has to be addressed and dealt with face on, no matter how uncomfortable it is. As an adult society, we owe it to the young people to help themdeal with whatever demons they face...and believe me, there are alot. As Ive mentioned inmy previous post,if we as adults took the time to smile at, encourage and tell a young person you believe in them, change may infact start to happen, ableit slowy, but its still change.

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