The Most Violent City In The Developed World

[weegie]

Big topic but it's worth the read if your interested in this sort of thing.

Ever since Glasgow was named the most violent city in the developed world I have seen many topics attempting to highlight the points where it all went downhill for Glasgow, yet I have rarely seen anyone get it right. I was part of the west of Scotland gang culture for four years of my life, the only reason I left the gang was because it was disbanded, yet I didn't totally exclude myself from the violent culture. It was only after I was faced with a hefty jail sentence that my views began to change. Even after the case I still did not change my perception on gang culture, it was only when I was kicked out of my home, lost my girlfriend and essentially lost everything I began to turn my life around. All this being said I do not believe Glasgows problem to be youths looking for pride or status. It starts of with a young group of friends who can see the gang culture all around them and decide to represent their area in the form of violence simply because they have nothing better to do. I did not come from my gangs area (the scheme) but went to school with most of them and thought it would be fun to sign up. I did not join for status but simply because I thought it seemed like a good thing to do at the weekends.

The general perception of most people here is that it's alright to commit crime and it is acceptable to plant a knife inside someone for disrespecting you or from being from another area. It is also considered a 'good idea' to carry a weapon around with you. Although many people will put this down to wanting to feel they have some sort of protection on them, that is not why I carried one. I carried a knife so that I could inflict maximum damage to my victim. A lot of people might call this insane but I'm not. I was your average day to day gang member.

Many people blame it all on the gangs (or neds as their called here) but this is a common mis-perception. It's described as a violent culture for a reason. Like I said before it is generally acceptable to commit crime in this city and the crime is not exclusive to poor areas.

Although most of the violent crime does happen in the poorer areas, it still happens in the more affluent districts of the city, due to the acceptance of crime. From a very young age nearly all Scottish parents will teach their kids how to properly defend themselves (most likely because they know the problem we have) and will tell you it's alright to hit someone for doing any wrong to you.

Gun crime. This is one of the biggest areas where people get it wrong. Nearly every post I've read (if not all) say that guns are not a problem in Glasgow, only knives are. Glasgow has the most gun crime in the UK and one of the highest in Europe, although most glaswegians would have no idea where to get a gun from. The reason the gun crime is so bad is due to the high amounts of organised crime that also plagues the city. I'm not even sure if you could call it organised crime, as their seems to be a never ending war between the gangsters of Glasgow. This being said, recently I have noticed more and more younger people getting their hands on a gun and I'm not particularly sure how but there is a common saying here, 'everyone from Glasgow is related (or at least knows) to a gangster'.

The dark side. Most people that visit Glasgow will return to wherever they came from to tell you what a good time they had and how nice it was. It's very rare that anyone who doesn't stay here will experience any sort of violence. Nearly all crime is exclusive to the people that stay here and thus I feel most people have the opinion of, let them fight among themselves as long as it doesn't affect me. Sadly this is not fair and more should be done to help the city. Added point, all you ever seen on the UK news is the growing problems in areas like London and Manchester, yet Glasgow has more than triple the crime of any other British city. I feel Glasgow is generally pushed to the side like an unfixable problem.

Crime statistics will paint a very different picture of Glasgow. Although the statistics do say that the city has a major problem and has triple the crime of London, it's thought only a fifth of Glasgows population will report a crime and that more than 70% of crimes go unreported. This being said a Glasgow hospital recently released figures of the amount of people treated for stabbings. It was more than ten times than what the police records stated. Being from the violent culture myself I can tell you the amount of crime the gang and myself commited in one weekend was unreal, and you would only be caught on a rare occasion.

Currently the city seems to have a stable level of violence, it's not getting any worse nor is it getting any better, but if the current British government keeps making 'cuts' due to the change in the economic climate then I'm certain the problem will get worse. Just to add, the current/new British government believes that the rich should rich and the poor should be poor, and considering a massive percentage of Glasgow lives in poverty this will not be good for the cities future.

I've been out of the violent culture for a long time now yet I still cannot travel into many areas of Glasgow due to my gang related past. I had to move from the area I stayed because most of the shops/facilities were in other gang turfs. I now live in a nicer part of the suburban area and lead a better life but this is not down to some government project, it was simply down to me wanting to live a better life.

It may also be useful to point out that I was 13 - 18 years old when I was part of the cities violent history, and this is the general age of the most violent offenders.

I've probably missed out a lot but this is the just of it.

[Saipan]

Ever since Glasgow was named the most violent city in the developed world I have seen many topics attempting to highlight the points where it all went downhill for Glasgow, yet I have rarely seen anyone get it right.

Looks like the handgun ban made it only worse.

Statistically speaking.

[M.Dancer]

Looks like the handgun ban made it only worse.

Statistically speaking.

Cite statistics...especially the ones from prior to the handgun ban of 1997

[Jack Weber]

Cite statistics...especially the ones from prior to the handgun ban of 1997

Are you really expecting a statistically cited response from him??

[DogOnPorch]

Hated Glasgow back in the 70s...probably still would hate it by the sounds.

[Saipan]

Cite statistics...especially the ones from prior to the handgun ban of 1997

1) Why is that the most violent city?

2) Should it be better after handgun ban?

3) Why is homicide rate, for example in Czech Republic, so low despite the much looser gun restrictions than Canada?

4) Why it's so high in countries with very strict gun laws like Mexico or Jamaica? Or even Washington DC.

http://www.haciendapub.com/Images/table1.jpg

Why it's higher in Canada after many gun regulations? Including suicides.

.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_Czech_Republic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_murder_rate

[Saipan]

Are you really expecting a statistically cited response from him??

Not from you.

[M.Dancer]

1) spam

I asked for a citation to back up your claim that:

Looks like the handgun ban made it only worse.

Statistically speaking.

If it helps, we are talking about violence in Glasgow, not suicides in Canada or gun laws the Czech republic.

[Guest American Woman]

Looks like the handgun ban made it only worse.

Statistically speaking.

Can't understand how a handgun ban could make things worse. According to what I've read:

Scotland's gun problem has not yet reached the same scale as London, Manchester or Dublin. It would be truly terrifying to think what might happen if this came to pass. link

I have to say, I never would have guessed that Scotland is the most violent nation in the developed world; that Glasgow is the most violent city.

[Saipan]

Can't understand how a handgun ban could make things worse.

1) Simple. Look at the USA statistics. Namely state that lately adopted Concealed Carry Law.

2) Check very low homicide rate in Vermont (almost no any firearms restrictions) And the highest in Washington DC - with very strict gun laws.

3) Say you were a robber. What home would you go to, one that you know is armed or one that is not?

Same with suicides. Japan has higher than Canada. And Canada higher than USA. Japan btw, has not legal gun ownership at all.

According to what I've read:

Scotland's gun problem has not yet reached the same scale as London, Manchester or Dublin. It would be truly terrifying to think what might happen if this came to pass.

Yes, there too were the legally registered handguns confiscated. And liberals wonder why do people NOW resist any registration in Canada. 'Specially after confiscation in Australia as well.

Now Liberals started to lie and fabricate - again.

[Scotty]

The general perception of most people here is that it's alright to commit crime and it is acceptable to plant a knife inside someone for disrespecting you or from being from another area. It is also considered a 'good idea' to carry a weapon around with you. Although many people will put this down to wanting to feel they have some sort of protection on them, that is not why I carried one. I carried a knife so that I could inflict maximum damage to my victim. A lot of people might call this insane but I'm not. I was your average day to day gang member.

My perception is that the violent sub-culture of Scotland, which is not unique to Glasgow, is the result of a variety of issues. Not the least of these issues is the stultifying culture of leftist political correctness which has taken over Scotland over the past couple of decades. Well-meaning, knowledge-free social science types from the Labour Party have tried to impose a dainty, European code of behaviour on Scottish men whose cultural value set required a certain machismo. Rowdy young Scottish men used to be kept in line by older Scottish men who would give them a boot up the arse when they acted up. That doesn't happen now. Violent youth are 'listened to' and 'guided' while the system takes a 'holistic approach to intervention' on their behalf. Discipline used to be enforced by the rod and fist, now it's not enforced at all, really. Rowdy students are simply expelled to go and fight in the streets and neighbourhoods.

My father, who was born in Dundee, says the problem is there are no real men left in Scotland, just 'pussies'. All the men left for Canada and the U.S.. Thus there's nobody there to show the boys how to behave.

Edited April 1, 2011 by Scotty

[weegie]

http://www.glasgowgangland.com/apps/blog/

Great site, this link takes you to the 'newsflash' section. It lists most of the crimes that make it into the local newspapers. Read through this and tell me that gun crime isn't a problem in Glasgow.

Last weekend, four people shot in just one area. I should also point out how small Glasgow actually is (pop. 600,000), the different areas (schemes, districts, projects, whatever you call them) consisting of sometimes only a few streets.

London's population - 5million +, Gangs - 170 +.

Glasgow's population - 600,000 +, Gangs - 170+.

Scotland's population - 5million +.

Edited April 2, 2011 by weegie

[Saipan]

Shouldn't the registration/confiscation prevent that?

Like in Canada, the opposite happened. Only the lawabiding were punished.

[bloodyminded]

My perception is that the violent sub-culture of Scotland, which is not unique to Glasgow, is the result of a variety of issues. Not the least of these issues is the stultifying culture of leftist political correctness which has taken over Scotland over the past couple of decades. Well-meaning, knowledge-free social science types from the Labour Party have tried to impose a dainty, European code of behaviour on Scottish men whose cultural value set required a certain machismo. Rowdy young Scottish men used to be kept in line by older Scottish men who would give them a boot up the arse when they acted up. That doesn't happen now. Violent youth are 'listened to' and 'guided' while the system takes a 'holistic approach to intervention' on their behalf. Discipline used to be enforced by the rod and fist, now it's not enforced at all, really. Rowdy students are simply expelled to go and fight in the streets and neighbourhoods.

My father, who was born in Dundee, says the problem is there are no real men left in Scotland, just 'pussies'. All the men left for Canada and the U.S.. Thus there's nobody there to show the boys how to behave.

Ye gods.

Is there no limit to the iniquity of effete leftism on the superior (ie not feminine) noble morality of Real Men everywhere?

[Scotty]

Ye gods.

Is there no limit to the iniquity of effete leftism on the superior (ie not feminine) noble morality of Real Men everywhere?

Doesn't appear to be!

I have a kilt. Call it a skirt and die.

That's how you enforce discipline!

[Jack Weber]

Doesn't appear to be!

I have a kilt. Call it a skirt and die.

That's how you enforce discipline!

I've punched out skirt wearin' highland picts just for fun....

Nice dress Angus McThistlehead!!!

I'm a Krauthead,so...I'm barbaric by nature...

You do have nice whiskey,though...

[Saipan]

Or refuse to vote liberal.

[Tilter]

Looks like the handgun ban made it only worse.

Statistically speaking.

Funny you should mention that--- Look at the handgun ownership increase in Toronto since the Gun Registrations program went into effect.

OH, sorry, you can't because 99% of the handguns in Toronto are unregistered, used in crime and seem to be ignored as part of any sentence handed out by our idiotic court system.

My son applied to own a .22 pistol for target practice at a gun club.

After a year & 1/2 he got approval & got the permit to transport to his 300 lb safe in his home. If he had failed to follow the procedure and got caught for failing that he would have been liable to a $10,000 fine and 10 years in prison.

Why then, can a felon get caught for armed robbery with an unregistered pistol, threatening the life of the occupants of the store and walk away from court with a 2 year term in the hoosegow, likely served (in theory) as house arrest?

What we need is more justice & less lenient judges.

[Oleg Bach]

Used to drink with the well dressed spiffy "Scotties"...They were not a bad bunch - come to think of it I saw them drunk and mouthy - but never saw them fight.

[Saipan]

What we need is more justice & less lenient judges.

It's simpler than that. We need to make sure Liberals never form federal government.