According to police in Waltham Forest, East London, levels of crime have decreased over the last ten years, with robbery, youth violence and gun crime all going down. I interviewed a young person living in Waltham Forest, who had a very different opinion on this matter. This young person wished to remain anonymous, so we have changed her name to Sarah.
When I asked Sarah about the sorts of crimes that go on in Waltham Forest, she told me that rape was one of the main issues she had come across: ‘A girl got raped when she walked into a shop, and then the man locked all the doors, and took all the cameras off, and she got raped in the shop.’
Sarah then went on to say that crimes such as this do not get reported to the police and even said that she had seen the man who raped the young girl in her area just recently. However, the police statistics are based only on reported crimes. And so it seems likely, from Sarah’s remarks that many crimes do actually take place, but are simply not reported to the police.
David Crute, a police officer working in the Waltham Forest Youth Offending Team, felt the area was generally safe: “Crimes can and do occur in Waltham Forest but it needs to be recognised that it remains a safe borough, and in reality, only a small proportion of residents and visitors are affected by crime.”
When I asked Sarah if her friends reported crimes, which affected them, she replied by saying: “No. They’re probably too scared too.” When this information was put forward to David Crute, he said: “We would always encourage young people to come forward and report crime to ensure that we offer them the service they deserve.”
David was also asked if for any reason, youths should be scared to come and see the police in the case of a crime occurring. He responded by stating: “Absolutely not. We deal with people in a professional, courteous and respectful manner. We are here to help and support in times of need.”
Another disturbing crime that Sarah mentioned was violence amongst young people. She said: “girls have got beaten up for saying the wrong things about other people, and they have had to go to hospital.” This wasn’t the only occasion that Sarah mentioned fights and injuries taking place in Waltham Forest.
Sarah says that if anybody were to threaten her, then people would “back her” and not let any harm come her way. Yet is this a gesture of kindness or aggression? Sarah says: “Maybe it is the right thing to do, otherwise how else are you going to learn? If you want to make comments, you should keep them to yourself, and not say them out loud.”
I asked David about young people committing crimes he said: “Young people can and do commit crimes. We have a hard–working Youth Offending Team who specialize in this area and constantly monitor crime trends amongst young people. It is also worth noting that the number of young people offending is not disproportionate.”
David Crute gave some tips on how to prevent violent incidents from taking place: “Be assertive, trust your instincts, be aware, be alert and try to travel with a group of friends.”
David’s advice for young people was: “Don’t get involved in criminal behaviour. Think about what you are doing and think about the consequences to yourself and potential victims. If you witness a crime, report the matter to the police, there is nothing to fear. The police are professional and are there to help and support you.”
Sarah agrees that her area may be dangerous to people who are new there, but she said that she has grown used to it, and has learnt which places are safe and where she should stay well away from. She said: “I know the area, and I know where to go and what to do, but other people who visit might not feel safe.”
Sarah was still keen to defend her local area and point out that it isn’t all what it’s made out to be, despite some of her comments: “Danger is everywhere; my area is just one example of all the areas in the country.” When asked if her parents ever worry about her safety, Sarah commented: “Yes, they do sometimes. But they generally think it’s a good neighbourhood.”
Sarah and David both agree that crime does take place in Waltham Forest, and they also have the same opinion on the fact that young offenders or adult criminals do not overrun the area. Yet their comments clashed when they were asked about the area’s recent crime activity. Sarah mentions that there is a lot of crime around and not much is being done about it and David stating that reported crimes are at their lowest level in 10 years. It seems that reported crimes have decreased, but the fear over informing the authorities may have increased.
About this article
This article was written by Vinny Monachello, 14.
