Offender Management Community Scoping of London Gang ...

Aside from intra-gang conflict the most cited reason for gangs breaking up into
cliques was because of territoriality and sense of ownership where a faction of
the gang is located. Territoriality has become one of the most important aspects
for the younger generation. Many young people lack anything to call their own.
They become attached to their estate, their blocks or their endz.
“In the past you repped your town or your borough, then you repped your
postcode then your endz. I was reppin for Brent, Harlesden, NW10,
Church End – a lot of us south Brent boys stuck together. Today, the
youths deem flipped it so now you rep your ends first, then your postcode,
then your town or borough so some places you go there ain‟t that unity at
a larger area „cos crews from the same towns and postcodes are beefing
each other. Today some of these youngers can‟t see past their estate
and don‟t care about anything beyond that and that‟s where the new
beefs kick off” 17
Furthermore, “being older means walking more freely, definitely. Young peeps
are always saying how they can‟t move around the borough easily whether you
on it or not. Now it comes to the point that there are entire postcodes, estates,
streets and even buses that these youths will avoid unless they travelling with
numbers, back up” 18 . This also applies to older non-gang involved residents
although this would be dependent on individual circumstances. An older gang
member could potentially walk through other gang areas un-challenged, unless
he was actively being sought for a reprisal.
This increasing territoriality has led to the spread of gangs through the
confinement of groups of young people to their estate because of the perceived
threat of other areas where they know other gangs reside 19 . This can help to
explain the increasing number of smaller gangs covering smaller areas, which
in the past had been associated with one or two gangs. In some cases these
estate-based groups are allies with the gangs closest to and surrounding them
(e.g. Tottenham) whilst in others they are very disjointed, with frequent conflicts
with neighboring groups (e.g. Hackney).
3.3.4 Economic changes and urban development
a criminal entity as there are certain groups of individuals within the gang who offend more often
and more seriously than others. Although, their influence over other gang members could lead
peripheral and less serious members to become more serious offenders.
17 Church End gang member conversation at Movements takeaway, Willesden 2008. Every
gang member spoken to talked about the shift to smaller territory although olders also spoke of
the reasoning as to why, whereas youngers were less informed and seemed to suggest it was
more learned behaviour from the olders.
18 East London youth worker. Also described by all young people both gang and non-gang
involved living in affected neighbourhoods but rarely by those who were not living in affected
neighbourhoods.
19 The idea of containment due to fear was described by all young gang members in particular
locations with a high frequency of gangs within a small area (i.e. Hackney, Lambeth and Tower
Hamlets). This was not seen as a problem in boroughs with fewer gangs, mainly outer
boroughs, although was an emerging issue in certain postcodes such as CR0/CR7 in Croydon,
N9/N18 in Enfield.
21