For the most part.

For the most part citizens/residents are decent law abiding individuals who live their day-to-day lives in harmony with the majority of civilization. Sadly as we all bear witness to from the news on a daily basis, we may consider ourselves civilized, yet there are a small number who are less than civil and seek to commit crimes against decent law abiding individuals.

It has been brought to my attention of street crime in London this week. Specifically one incidence, a mugging. My heart goes out to the young teenager who was attacked by a small group of other teens, who beat and kicked her so that she needed medical attention took her valuables including her cell phone as she walked home from school.

London Chimes sincerely hopes that the individuals responsible will be brought to account for their crime and that they will be punished to the full extent of the law. But what is that?

I have read various press reports on this type of crime. Sadly where teen(s) are the perpertrators, teen(s) are also the targets of the attacks. In the instances I have read, it is at least two or three attackers, brutally punching and kicking a single target while pockets are raided, jewelery ripped from ears, necks and fingers and anything of value, not just cash and credit cards but cell phones and other portable electronic devices are taken. Why?

Crime figures in some areas continue to rise while others fall. Questions are asked about the background of those offenders. What responsibility do their parents have, and how has their upbringing affected the teens to a life of criminal activity?
Sadly more questions.

In an effort to try to answer some of these, London Chimes offers the following observations and openly invites comments from readers.

The Law: Street Crime on the totem pole of criminal acivity to be persued by the police is not exactly a priority. As the numbers of bobbies on the beat have declined, resources are used to work smarter and the disconnect with the community has widened from a crack to a chasm. Hence the Neighborhood Watch program supported by the authorities yet does little to affect the street crime figures. Those reports that can be found of arrests made and court appearances sadly do not reflect well for justice for the law abiding person. One instance where a knife was used resulted in 10 months prison and a fine for a teen. So where the weapon was feet and fists is the threat of incarsoration in a prison or other detention center going to act as a deterrent, sadly no. For that I truly feel for those who are the victims of a personal attack, a crime that physically and mentally affects an individual.

The Theft: Teen criminals engaging in this callaous crime are probably not sophisicated enough to dispose of the items stolen from their target. Cash is cash. But what teenager walks the street with significant sums of money upon them. To that end who does anymore. A teenager is unlikely to have credit cards so again what is the motivation. Teenage girls may wear some jewelery, earrings, a necklace, perhaps a ring or two. But what of these will be of value when worn to school? The most valuable items are probably the I-Pods, the Cell Phones and MP3 players. Again those mugging may want these items because they don't have them, or want them to sell them to get cash. Perhaps to sustain a habit. But what value - if anything is this all worth? Probably very little to those committing the crime if they can dispose of the stolen items at all.

Upbringing: Is is related to drugs, did their parents "let them run wild", have no control over their kids, perhaps their is a history of this behavior. Perhaps the crimes are being commitmitted to fund some other habit. Each criminal probably has their own sorry story to tell - but in their wake they leave those they have physically attacked while those near and dear to them demand a level of justice and community policing to prevent acts like this from happening.

For the most part, individuals are law abiding. Once in a while, hopefully a very long while, individuals are touched directly by those who are not law abiding, or know of someone near and dear who is the victim of a criminal act. In instances like this a teen or teen mugging, those responsible possibly live locally and for the victim, simply a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Justice is blind, but justice should take a long hard look at what is important to those law abiding individuals.