Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
That Britain has a serious crime problem will not come as a complete surprise to readers of City Journal. Nor will they be surprised that Turkish immigrants socked it to the rioters with kebab skewers.
In the spring of 2009, I wrote The Dark Figure of British Crime:
One London cop in the Criminal Investigation Division blames the police’s ineffectiveness on the unintended effects of community policing. “There was a perception that there weren’t enough beat cops—people who knew the local area,” he remembers, which led to sending extra cops to problem spots. “But in practice, they ended up going to community meetings and liaison. They’re not actually dealing with minor crimes. If they were answering emergency calls and dealing with minor crimes instead of doing community liaison, that would indeed take a huge load off the system, but they’re not. So in practice, what this means is that when I started working as a police officer, there were 25 people on staff answering 999 calls”—the British equivalent of 911. “Now there are 15.”
In the summer of 2009, I wrote Istanbul's Crime Conundrum:
Istanbul’s residents are religious, their values are traditional, their families are intact, they don’t drink much, they keep an eagle eye on their kids, they are nosy, their streets are busy, and if they see someone committing a crime, they beat him to a pulp. It’s a near-perfect crime-fighting formula.
If big-city criminology's your thing, I think they both stand up pretty well.
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Re: Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
Indeed. When I lived in Istanbul, I was struck by the fact that -- with the women at home and keeping on eye on things -- burglars did not have a chance. See my post below.
Apr '11
Re: Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
One provided expensively and not very well from the government, the other provided holistically 24/7 by the people.
I had to chuckle, when the London cops finally woke up and started showing initiative they went after the groups of men protecting their businesses, neighborhoods, temples and mosques.
Re: Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
That's what I was responding to--but if you read the article, you'll see that burglars do indeed now have a chance, for a very interesting reason.
Re: Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
That's what I was responding to--but if you read the article, you'll see that burglars do indeed now have a chance, for a very interesting reason. · Aug 11 at 9:33am
I just read it. A fascinating piece. When I lived there, burglary was exceedingly rare.
Apr '11
Re: Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
Using kids to thieve.
What struck me is that petty theft seems awfully romantic to me. I mean think of Robin Hood,Oliver Twist, or Aladin. I'm picturing dirty, but adorable children with a bit of moxy and quick fingers slipping in and out of homes and stores with their small but ill gotten gains. Returning to a kind of tree fort like layer filled with all the modern amenities a child could want. Delightfully mismatched yet all seemingly of a piece. Is that strange?
Then I think of kids recruited in to gangs selling drugs, beating each other, and committing murders and that seems less romantic, and more real. Your article makes the former seem for plausible at least in Istambul, while the later is more true of Baltimore.
Feb '11
Re: Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
Liberal policies=riots+ruin. From Detroit to Philly flash mobs to London looting to US fiscal ruin, we're seeing the endgame of PC madness and stupidity like protected classes of permanently unemployed benefit moochers and community "policing." Makes me feel happy to be going back to the good old conservative Middle East next month.
May '10
Re: Crime in London, Crime in Istanbul
As an anecdote, I lived in London and during that time my house was burglarized and three friends were mugged on separate occasions. Mind you, this was all within nine months and while living in one of the nicest boroughs in the city. I was a RINO squish on gun control until I lived in a firearms-free society.
The police were absolutely useless (actually, apathetic) on all four occasions.
Edited on Aug 11, 2011 at 1:48pm