Gangs (51 page)

New laws that make carrying a firearm an offence with a mandatory five-year sentence have won little favour with officers on the street. ‘It changes nothing,’ said one Drugs Squad detective, who asked to remain anonymous. ‘Most of the kids carry guns in order to protect themselves when they are dealing. They are going around with enough crack or heroin to ensure that they go away for ten years if they get caught. Because of that, they feel they have nothing to lose and everything to gain by carrying a gun. They carry them just for the hell of it.’

Guns, it seems, are here to stay. And, with growing teen gang membership providing a ready supply of new recruits to the upper echelons of organised crime, the gang problem is here to stay too.

About the Author

Tony Thompson is the crime correspondent of the
Observer.
He is also the author of
Gangland Britain,
published by Hodder.