Thread by @TheSolarShed

8 PM Street meetings.

Thread.

Sometime in 2001-2002 i was the beat officer for an area in South London called Upper Norwood. There was a particular problem of an evening with a group of youths, a gang had claimed a corner and a telephone box. They were dealing from there

It started with a few cars turning up, 30 seconds later, they were gone. Then the scagheads of the locality started to get their crack from the gang. Anyway, shit happened. A couple of burglaries and a theft from cars.

None the neighbours were talking to each other about

the issues, but they all had the same concerns, as news filtered through to the Police.

So, as well as targeting the gang, picking them off, and gaining lots of evidence, it was a persistent problem. So, we teamed up with the residents. The solution was the simplest ever

I wrote a newsletter, to each and every resident in the street. Told them what we had done, told them the results and told them the problem. Then asked them all to do something for me.

I asked them all to go outside the front door and stand in the gardens at exactly 8pm

Nothing more, nothing less. Just all, in unison step outside to reclaim their street.

88 households. Bang on 8pm. and boy did they reclaim their street.

The remains of the gang looked like rabbits in headlights, nervous residents became stronger, together.

The problems stopped immediately. Within two days, there was no broken glass, no graffiti, no drug paraphernalia, no comatosed scagheads. The street lights were fixed and the newly formed neighbourhood watch found they had nothing to do, so they all planted flowers

In May, they closed both ends of the street, had an 'In-Bloom' day and everyone lived happily ever after.

Actually, I'm not 100% sure of that last bit, as i was shifted 'up-town' to another job. But i bet you most of them lived very happily for a long time.

Bringing this in to modern day living, the #ClapforCarers thing on Thursdays is all well and good, but when this over, do we just go back in front rooms and never talk to each other again, or shall we use this opportunity to create a real change

The Thursday night at 8pm thing should be replicated across the Country EVERY DAY. On every housing estate, in every inner city, in every town and village. I guarantee street crime will all but disappear over night.

The best communities police themselves....

There's loads more stories like this in this book here

Buy it. It helps me pay the bills whilst not allowed to work

Ta
amazon.co.uk/Pig-Sh-Europes…