New breed of criminal in London: kids

By NICK HOPKINS
The Guardian
December 03, 2000

LONDON - A new breed of young criminals, many as young as 10, are committing street robberies in London because they believe it will give them credibility and status, London's police chief says.

Sir John Stevens, commissioner of the Metropolitan (London) police, said a recent rise in robberies around London reflected "a new phenomenon" - playground bullies taking their intimidation and menace outside school.

Many of the offenders targeted pupils they knew and put pressure on the victims not to come forward for fear of reprisals.

Although the Metropolitan force (the Met) recognizes that little research has been done in this field, it believes there is enough anecdotal evidence from officers on the beat, as well as worrying statistics from selected London boroughs, to conclude a trend is emerging.

Sir John's remarks had particular resonance because the killers of Damilola Taylor, a 10-year-old who bled to death in a stairwell at a south London public housing estate on Monday, are thought to be from his age group.

Describing Damilola's death as "shocking and tragic", the commissioner said 40 officers were now working on the case full time and every back-up support was being offered.

Referring to recent figures from the west London borough of Hounslow, Sir John said 70 percent of street robberies were committed by youths under the age of 17. He said 72 percent of the victims were also under 17, and 40 percent of the offenders had never been in trouble with the police before, and were surprised they had been arrested.

Police Cmdr. Tim Godwin said some of the teenagers spoke of earning $420 a week from street crime. They stole pocket money, mobile phones, credit cards and Pokemon cards, he said. In one case a boy told police he stole money to give to his parents.

But cash was not the sole or most important motivation of those involved. Street crimes were often committed as a rites of passage by youths who were under pressure from their peers, said Godwin.

"What we are witnessing is a new breed of criminal," he said. "What started off in the playground is now moving on into the streets."