You see, in my experience, I don’t think there is much of a problem. I, living and working in the capital, I can say that we feel safer in east London than any other part of London. I am also an ex-policeman and I can also see that the crime figures in west London do not compare well with those in east.
However, I will always believe that crime in London will reduce as the city becomes more integrated. Greater Manchester has this down to the back of its hand but it seems to be working just fine. The same can be said of Hackney and Camden Town. If you look at where the High Speed rail will one day head, those areas are not far away and if you travel from there, you will get very little traffic. So, those are two reasons why I think London will remain safe as ever.
But what about the people living in the east? It has been suggested that they are targets for criminals and that there is a higher crime rate in that region. This can certainly be blamed on the fact that there are many drug addicts in that area. There have also been some suggestions that the youth have turned to crime as a way of coping with social problems.
But, why is east London so dangerous? This is a question that people living in that area have been asking me for some time now. To be honest, I don’t have the answer to this yet. I can say that the situation is not getting any better by any means.
One thing is for sure though. Whilst it is true that there are some areas where the crime levels are extremely high, it is also true that there are some exceptionally good areas where crime does not exist. East Looe and Beckenham are both areas where the police and the local residents live in harmony. They live in peace and there are no high crime rates because those people do not wish to be bothered by people who have a criminal mind.
There is another reason that is often overlooked. That reason is the fact that London is full of tourists and foreigners. When they come here, they want to experience a different culture. And although some people may not like the fact, it is a fact that London has a large number of foreign people.
This is why the explosion in petty crimes is so worrying. There is a shortage of staff in some parts of London. These people do not report crimes to the correct authorities, because they feel that they will be looked down upon if they do. They therefore feel free to commit crimes in these areas and they get off with little more than a slap on the wrist. The lack of manpower means that there is a lack of efficiency in some aspects of the service delivery. This then leads to crime increasing in these areas.
Although the answer to the question ‘Why is east London so dangerous?’ is not easy to provide, it is something that all people living in London should think about. The peace and quiet that comes with living in a nice part of town should be enjoyed by everyone, but if people do not feel safe then the benefits that such an existence can bring are also lost.