Mobs of London!

<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Watching the chaos and destruction that is gripping Britain shows just how fragile the world has become in this era of economic certainty. If this can happen in London and it's suburbs, could it happen here in the United States. One can only wonder, could it?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KlvRrkcCsvnccU08mhwIfNtGFU58xWRHA5pPdfi9h6-oDYbyZM0cIpqhL0dHDMNtk5fRMcozh9HxfEXR2Gkzf5C3tkSC4PFf3wgxmaB98cOtaKVq5xP92uFgHzEcHLNBmvEYpVSk272P/s1600/london+riots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KlvRrkcCsvnccU08mhwIfNtGFU58xWRHA5pPdfi9h6-oDYbyZM0cIpqhL0dHDMNtk5fRMcozh9HxfEXR2Gkzf5C3tkSC4PFf3wgxmaB98cOtaKVq5xP92uFgHzEcHLNBmvEYpVSk272P/s200/london+riots.jpg" width="200" /></a>Since August 6, the Riots have acted like a virus, erupting from one area of the city to another, moving to other areas that have never seen such violence. One reporter on the ABC news called it the "worst rioting in a generation." The rioters using social media sites such as Twitter and <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2023924/London-riots-2011-BlackBerry-Messenger-shut-unbelievable.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">Blackberry Messenger</a>, have planned which areas they were going to target and what acts they were going to do. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagzVJvD-2wW8F5HD7yQHmUozJAcVoLDis47gg5qfEXgymHiJKsNXbv7uelAbg1_-_2DXvhYgUtfQkdpiJHBwnGHS_Vms2xiGmCe3_u1Vntww2X2LR8aDY4NFYIHHgSj0H6rjNMSfyONGP/s1600/london+riots6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagzVJvD-2wW8F5HD7yQHmUozJAcVoLDis47gg5qfEXgymHiJKsNXbv7uelAbg1_-_2DXvhYgUtfQkdpiJHBwnGHS_Vms2xiGmCe3_u1Vntww2X2LR8aDY4NFYIHHgSj0H6rjNMSfyONGP/s200/london+riots6.jpg" width="200" /></a>A wheelchair bound "activist" named Jody McIntyre sent out a Twitter message to his 9000 followers to spread lawlessness across London. His twitter feed "Be inspired by the scenes in Tottenham, and rise up in your neighbourhood. 100 people in every area = the way we can beat the feds."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9YpsgfZOIYIneYmOoR8Oo2GnawlCjDVXxw60WMztvgewzOaBLVU5s961f7hbP6xUmR54iUc0cSgLgrlSelJQ6roucls1yAYJRqK7y7C0n-MUswlpdtNQCcE19sAGiVF0eZnCAdJmAsxJ/s1600/London-riots-Twitter-visits.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9YpsgfZOIYIneYmOoR8Oo2GnawlCjDVXxw60WMztvgewzOaBLVU5s961f7hbP6xUmR54iUc0cSgLgrlSelJQ6roucls1yAYJRqK7y7C0n-MUswlpdtNQCcE19sAGiVF0eZnCAdJmAsxJ/s200/London-riots-Twitter-visits.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You can follow the London Riots own twitter feed via Facebook by clicking on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-Riots-Live-Twitter-Feed/202820893082778">link</a>. The <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/08/09/london-riots-twitter/">pace </a>on Twitter revealed that over 3.4 million people visited Twitters homepage, which equals about 1 in every 170 UK Internet site visits on August 8th. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So we now know how the riots grew and spread so rapidly, something that law enforcement here in the United States need to clearly understand, monitor and adapt to before this type of crime spree hits here. What were the causes that brought the level of crime to such epic proportions. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>The Precipice</u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On August 5, Mark Duggan, 29, was shot and killed during a early evening police stop, "by Officer's from Operation Trident, a Metropolitan Police unit that deals with gun crime in London's black communities, with officers from the Special Firearms Command (CO19)" according to Sandra Laville, corespondent with the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/05/man-shot-police-london-arrest">Guardian</a> Newspaper. The reporter goes on to say that the Independent Police Complaints Commission has taken over the investigation and attempting to clarify the facts and quickly allay fears. However, according to the report, Duggan was a "local boy who was loved by the community."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em>So what factors contributed to the riots?</em></strong> Shootings by police officers in Britain are rare, even more rare a fatal shootings. According to the <a href="http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1011/hosb1011snr?view=Binary">Home Office</a>, there has been an increase in increase in fatal shootings at 55 (non-police involved) in 2010/11, compared to 40 in the previous year. Serious injuries were down from 337 to 298 and slight injuries up from 1,537 to 1,593.  Although these numbers are not showing increases which are statistically extreme there are some increase. So crime does not appear to be a contributing factor to violence either going up or down, so what other factors could be contributors.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Law Enforcement Response</u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFN8Z947NFYG8rflPymvq0fVrjIZJVrykivM-ILxTzuGRM1HFLHxveJYsD-w4rwuVWv7Vz17Oz423Fcv-qTjrCzvzg5Kwc1rSAl6-e52dlTAS3R_vDpTHJh00urbUZt8VUP7WrXb0ivxOP/s1600/imagesCABL9EZP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFN8Z947NFYG8rflPymvq0fVrjIZJVrykivM-ILxTzuGRM1HFLHxveJYsD-w4rwuVWv7Vz17Oz423Fcv-qTjrCzvzg5Kwc1rSAl6-e52dlTAS3R_vDpTHJh00urbUZt8VUP7WrXb0ivxOP/s200/imagesCABL9EZP.jpg" width="200" /></a>Post 9/11, the British Police have changed their policy involving firearms and "shoot to kill". The British police have modeled their "stop the threat" training after the Israeli and Sri Lanka Law Enforcement authorities who have dealt with numerous "suicide bombers."  Post 9/11 British Officers have concerned over terrorism and the risk of suicide bombers have engaged this policy to minimize the risk of mass death incidents. Still the vast majority of British Law Enforcement Officers do not carry firearms.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Racial profiling in the urban communities in Britain is considered very prevalent. The young black people feel that they are being stopped more often, combined with "continuing deprivation, growing unemployment, a feeling of lack of opportunity" says David Winnick, a member of Parliament.  A prevalent use of stopping black people, searching and interrogating them has resulted in some abuses and the feeling of abuse by members within the community.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Steve Hynd, a blogger from a news site Newshoggers.com reports that racism amongst British police is still rampant, even after the famous <a href="http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm42/4262/4262.htm">Mcpherson inquiry</a>. Especially amongst London Metropolitan Police and there specialized units like the TSG riot response unit.  A decade on from Macpherson, black people are still seven times more like likely to be stopped and searched than white people in England and Wales, with Asians twice as likely – figures which are a major impediment to good race relations. The Commission believes that these differences cannot be justified by detections, since only around one in six people in all racial groups are then arrested.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The disputed use of stop-and-search has arguably caused more conflict than any other modern policing tactic and first achieved national notoriety during the Eighties, when it was blamed for precipitating inner-city race riots. Black people are four times more likely to be stopped than white people, according to <a href="http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/uk-racial-profiling-encouraged">Scotland Yard’s figures</a>, which continues to give rise to charges of police racism.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Youth unemployment</u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtQd4jwlb2-fxBwN8iPuHjE5XlGvnOh99qYSLqExh6ln_ihyphenhyphenR1GdoWskSJVwXjE5bFCEmVZDpXbddmHczC1DKvGZr4boF4IyBKD2fOksazj3D7ezKZW1PQyw8yXRI0gv3tqjJFeSpAWIn/s1600/londonriots3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtQd4jwlb2-fxBwN8iPuHjE5XlGvnOh99qYSLqExh6ln_ihyphenhyphenR1GdoWskSJVwXjE5bFCEmVZDpXbddmHczC1DKvGZr4boF4IyBKD2fOksazj3D7ezKZW1PQyw8yXRI0gv3tqjJFeSpAWIn/s200/londonriots3.jpg" width="200" /></a>According to the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8328869/Youth-unemployment-hits-record.html">Telegraph</a> youth employment in London is extremely high, in February 2011, there were 75,000 people aged 18 to 24 who have not had a job for two years. This was an increase of 43 percent on a year ago. Couples with the end of the Education Maintenance Allowances, which allowed students to stay in education, increased tuition fees and the abolition of the Future Jobs Funds - which Britain's Office of Labour would have created 200,ooo jobs.  That is a death knoll for teenage opportunities!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Inequality</u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdf_CcwpAZmN3urPZ-OP3JZEKrh5kz3tjIGGGZsnd0JPvGLzoSTtZRe9kI-QpWacyJfHy_WHJg03GHp7ltcT5EvKjzpiA5K8WUHUo2rO8ncpG7ptE7n_Kj5trYw5xLvWIJemMGHPtDTs_/s1600/london+riots2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdf_CcwpAZmN3urPZ-OP3JZEKrh5kz3tjIGGGZsnd0JPvGLzoSTtZRe9kI-QpWacyJfHy_WHJg03GHp7ltcT5EvKjzpiA5K8WUHUo2rO8ncpG7ptE7n_Kj5trYw5xLvWIJemMGHPtDTs_/s200/london+riots2.jpg" width="200" /></a>In an article written by Mary Riddell, in Britain's Telegraph she states "Britain is less equal, in wages, wealth and life chances, than any time since," the last major financial upheaval, in 1929.  The anger continued after bailouts came for financial institutions, big business and industry, while Britain's youth got hit with the reduction of their education benefits and the bleak job prospects. The riots all unfolded while much of British leaders were vacationing abroad in yachts and resorts.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Weak Police Response</u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The mass rioting that occurred was allowed to occure because police failed to crack down quickly on behavior, similar to what happened in Los Angeles during the Rodeny King Riots, when the LAPD backed out of entire neighborhoods, thus fueling the looting and mayhem that insued. When the mob sees that police can't control a situation, it "leads to a sort of adrenalin-fueled euphoria," says ciminologist John Pitts.  The relative quiet that was brought back to Britian after 16,000 police officers calmed to ritoting and looting that occurred onthe prior four nights. A strong response met with overwhelming force can push the community to comply with societies norms. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But the underlying factors that contributed to this unrest must still be dealt with, and they did not occur overnight. A long term solution, with the involvement of all parties from the community, to government, business and law enforcement must work together to reduce the risk factors which lead to this level of mob violence or it will only get worse. </div></div>

Mobs of London!

Watching the chaos and destruction that is gripping Britain shows just how fragile the world has become in this era of economic certainty. I...

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Wilding? What is driving this growing phenomenon

Wilding, is not something new to the United States, nor is it unique to the us. According to <a href="http://www.dictionary.com/">Dictionary.com</a> "<strong><em>wilding is the activity by a gang of youths of going on a protracted and violent rampage in a public place, attacking or mugging people at random." </em></strong>The media has erroneously reported these groups as "Flash Mobs" which are<strong><em> "</em></strong><span id="hotword"><strong><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">group</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">people</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">coordinated</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">by</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">email</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">meet</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">perform</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">some</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">predetermined</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">action</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">at</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">particular</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">place</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">time</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">then</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">disperse</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">quickly,"</span> according</em></strong> to Dictionary.com. </span><br /><br /><div></div>The differences are vast should be obvious, specifically <strong><em>"Wilding Groups"</em></strong> are committing criminal acts, where "<strong><em>Flash Mobs"</em></strong> do not. The media may have been lured into thinking they were similar, because some of the some of the Wilding groups had been posting on sites like <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook </a>and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter </a>. This was done to prearrange meetings between fellow conspirators to commit their acts of violence. Much different than doing a synchronized dance or all showing up holding umbrellas and wearing derby's like "<strong><em>The Thomas Crowne Affair" with Pierce Brosnan.</em></strong><br /><br /><div></div>The act of <strong><em>"Wilding"</em></strong> is not new, in fact it dates back to the acts committed in New York's Central Park back in 1989, when a female jogger was attacked, raped and left for dead. This is the first time the word <strong>"<u>Wilding</u>"</strong> was coined. This was then followed with attacks in New York City on the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/03/nyregion/wilding-youth-and-homeless-a-blood-feud.html">homeless population</a> resulting in assaults, ball batting's and stabbings. Then in 1991 a rape and murder in which a female was stabbed 132 times occurred, described as the most brutal murder in <a href="http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/69044291.html?dids=69044291:69044291&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+20%2C+1991&author=CHARLES+CRAIG&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Coercion+a+key+issue+for+jurors+in+wilding+case&pqatl=google">Boston History</a>. The incidents continue through the 1990's in New York. In 2000, June 11, during the Puerto Rican Day Parade a group of teens began an series of unprecedented acts of "Wilding" in which young women, were groped, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_Day_Parade">sexual abused,</a> battered and attacked. Much of this was seen through video by the television media. In 2008, in <a href="http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/011161.html">St. Louis</a> teen African American males in large groups were attacking riders at train stations.  In early, March 2010 in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/us/25mobs.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig">Philadelphia</a> the acts of "Wilding" utilized technology and social networking sites in which they would commit acts of group bullying, sprinting down the block, stop to brawl with one another, assault pedestrians or vandalize property. It took concerted effort by the Philadelphia Police Department through stepped up enforcement to reduce these acts acts of violence. These acts began to snowball through Boston, South Orange, N.J. and Brooklyn. Milwaukee had an a group of 50-60 teens disrupting a area <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/destructive-teen-mob-shuts-down-large-milwaukee-mall/">Shopping Mall</a> in January of 2011. Now it has infected Chicago. Thus flurry of attacks included 8 attacks in just one weekend and the closing of one of the most famous beach's in the Midwest, <a href="http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/garry-mccarthy-said-north-avenue-beach-closing-not-linked-to-gangs-20110602">North Avenue Beach</a>. <br /><br /><div></div><strong>So what is the cause to this growing problem?</strong><br />This growing trend may be attributed to the "herd behavior" or "crowd hysteria.". "Mob Mentality" was first studied by a pair of French social psychologists <a href="http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/tarde.htm">Gabriel Tarde</a> and <a href="http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/BonCrow.html">Gustave Le Bon</a>. The term <em><strong>"mob mentality"</strong></em> is used to refer to unique behavioral characteristic which emerge when people are in large groups.  But it goes beyond more than just crowds which have gotten out of control. When in a group people behave differently in small groups of individuals than they do in big crowds, and a variety of factors affect the behavior of the crowd. This leads towards a theory called the Convergence theory, which holds that crowd behavior is not a product of the crowd itself, but is carried into the crowd by particular individuals. What this really says that crowds amount to a convergence of like-minded individuals.  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_psychology">The Convergence theory</a> says that crowd behavior <em>"is not irrational, rather, people in crowds express existing beliefs and values so that mob reaction is the rational product of widespread popular feeling."</em> This theory may bolster behavior may factor into the thoughts and issue that are facing teens in urban environments today.<br /><br /><div></div><strong>What factors may be contributing to teen "Mob Mentality"?</strong><br />Teens are faced with a variety of difficulties as they move towards adulthood. Contributing to this difficult time includes factors such as safety and security. For teenagers especially teens in the inner city, survival is one of those basic psychological needs that if not nourished will become negative factor in a teens life. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a strong motivator for teens, check out our post on <a href="http://www.itstime.com/maslow.htm">Maslow and teens</a> for greater insight.<br /><br /><div></div>Survival (psychological) includes: food, water, teens may also survival as those basic things that they believe are necessary. Which would include money, which is a major contributing factor for teens, in a depressed economic environment and neighborhood. Teens may look at s<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">surviving</span></span> (psychological)<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">, which means viewing life in a very inexperienced way, seeking survival at any cost. </span>  Teens who may operating primarily at a surviving perspective live on the fringes of society, they cannot see the larger picture or understand the larger rhyme or reason to life. If the basics needed to sustain physical life, are not met they will continue to act in that surviving mode until they are met.<br /><br /><div></div>The second major issue for teens includes <strong><em>Safety and Security</em></strong>. It has been said that much of the reason why these<strong> "Mobs"</strong> are traveling into the shopping centers and downtown areas of the city is two fold. First, it is far too dangerous for them to stay in their home communities. As evidenced by the 2009 beating death of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/27/beating-death-of-derrien_n_301319.html">Darien Albert</a> outside Fenger High School. Being in their communities is unsafe, shootings, drug over doses, senseless killings are pushing teens from their communities to areas that are known for their safety. <br /><br /><div></div>Also a contributing factor to <strong><em>Safety and Security</em></strong> which may contribute to teens leaving their home communities include police presence. Increased police presence and the police perceptions, "run-ins", negative perceptions may play into the role of what they can do in their home community. Hanging out on the corner or front porch, will undoubtedly result in contact by the police. That contact in a 'teens' eyes may result in unwarranted contact, arrests, beatings, regardless of the realities of the outcome the perception of an inner city teen is molded and shaped by what they observe, encounter and are exposed to. Environment definitely plays a role in their experiences. This is not to say that behavior is excused, there is never any excuse for criminal behavior and the actions that bring someone to the commission of a crime of their own free will.<br /><br /><div></div>Lastly, economics play a role in "Mob Mentality." How it plays out is different for individuals and ethnicity's. For example, teens way of thought surrounds on comparing what they have to others. Appearance, clothing, electronics are motivating factors for teens surrounding issues of depression, perceptions of poverty, whether real or not, etc. For a teen, having the same things as their peers is an extremely motivating factor. If you do not have a "smart phone" or the new "IPhone" you not as "cool" or in the "in crowd" as your peers. <br /><br /><div></div>Consequently if you do not have an income, your family does not have discretionary funds, how do you what you want. If you do not have a means to get employment, or in most cases live within an economically depressed area such as the inner city, or "ghetto". According to the <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.nr0.htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> unemployment in Illinois in April 2011 was at 8.7%.  But that number is not representative of individual cities or communities. In neighborhoods in Chicago unemployment is hovering at twice or three times that state statistics. Depressed communities do not have the businesses, customers and items that these groups of people are looking for.  Do you believe that this is a contributing factor?<br /><br /><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gf-AQrxM2J-m2MjxIAoRxfKaK-j4Mlot1psPbEFZqbu0fbmDOy0ZgtRN9cTbEWTG1IbbiVa79OgJ6CVotj_KDGiagYk41egPNvP_dESGAkzUSm8Ixn9R9yxs1K5OcaoSYvBIS1uLQakr/s1600/triangle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gf-AQrxM2J-m2MjxIAoRxfKaK-j4Mlot1psPbEFZqbu0fbmDOy0ZgtRN9cTbEWTG1IbbiVa79OgJ6CVotj_KDGiagYk41egPNvP_dESGAkzUSm8Ixn9R9yxs1K5OcaoSYvBIS1uLQakr/s200/triangle.gif" t8="true" width="200" /></a><strong>So where do teens go to get what makes them feel normal like their peers?</strong> They travel to where they know there is money, downtown shopping districts, beaches, entertainment districts, anywhere people may have the items in their possession or where the stores are that you can buy them.  This should be obvious from a law enforcement perspective and understanding the crime triangle, Opportunity, Desire and Ability. Remove one of those outer issue and the crime does not occur. </div><br /><div></div>As a result, teens traveling into an area where the opportunity to rip off stores, pedestrians,. vehicles make those areas ripe for large groups using blitz type attacks to get "rewards" for their actions. <br /><br /><div></div><strong>So what can be done to prevent it.</strong><br />The approach is broad and will not likely sit well with most in these very difficult economic times. <br /><strong><u>Law Enforcement Response:</u></strong><br /><ul><li>Proactive approach  in areas where the "Mobs" might appear, this includes increased uniform personnel, use of CCTV cameras, interaction with business and community leaders in targeted areas. </li><li>Building community relationships with teens within those communities in which teens are coming out of. High crimes areas, depressed communities etc. </li><li>Involving religious leaders in the building of those relationships with teens.</li></ul><strong><u>Business:</u></strong><br /><ul><li>Promote businesses into investing into those communities that have a need for jobs, income and affordable, quality products not currently available in their home communities.</li><li>Reduce the union restrictions on business. Do not require unions in order for employees and business to keep more of the hard earned money to both increase profits and personal wealth.  This will go far in infusing income into the community.</li><li>Invest in the community by bringing business and job opportunities for the communities located in the inner city.</li></ul><strong><u>Community:</u></strong><br /><ul><li>Be involved in the activities in your community. Attend community policing activities. Get to know your neighbors. Report criminal activity. Participate in the solution by being witnesses instead of relying on the police alone to police your community.</li><li>Be roll models for your communities youth. Setting good examples, expressing your dislike for behavior and provide active self-esteem building constructive criticism to youth. </li><li>Work with Police, legislators, local business and informal community leaders to continue to build strong community relations.</li></ul>These are just some of the ideas that can be utilized to change a community. There is not a silver bullet that will fix everything and it takes a community to raise a child. Become part of the solution, not part of the problem.

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