It takes time

The horrible murder of Rhys Jones has shocked the UK.

Here in Granton, guns are not a new phenomenon. I can think of at least 4 incidents in the last 18 months where whole neighbourhoods have been locked down as armed police swarm tenements looking for guns used in local incidents. Everbody, including the police, knew who was responsible; everybody, except the police, was afraid to 'grass' in case they ended up looking down the wrong end of a barrel.

I completely understand local people's fear and I also understand that until someone is prepared to screw up the courage then the hoodlums will prevail. Until you have lived with that kind of fear it is difficult to be judgemental.

Once, for a while I was caught up in the middle of two gangs, fighting it out for supremacy in the area. It was insidious, vicious stuff. The gangs were powerful local families with strong roots in the area, both with a large power base and with many neighbours who regarded them as friends. One would come to make a complaint about the other; then vice versa - meanwhile fearful constituents daily reported anti- social, criminal incidents involving both. Local housing policy was being used as a weapon by the gangs - each trying to get the other out.

They were clever in other ways too- legitimate local concerns about lack of youth provision or the need for new community facilities were an excuse for rowdy, oppressive public meetings, feeding local people's fear that the authorities were not in control, aggrandising their own power. I became a target - one night my car was stoned and I was nearly driven off the road. I don't mind telling you I was terrified. After that, our house was wired with a panic alarm and camera for months- [one morning our dog accidentally set off the panic alarm...within minutes six police officers were banging on the door...reassuringly!]... I was not unique in any way though...

Eventually they imploded and their gun violence led to arrests with one or two being jailed. Of course, they will, in time, return since their families still live here. It remains to be seen whether their return will mean an upsurge in the same behaviour or whether they have changed. I hope so.

Two women, in particular, stick in my mind as having shown the kind of courage needed - one was relocated out of Edinburgh to a safe house, the other sadly died of a long standing illness. Both made a moral stand that eventually helped bring their community back to some kind of normality.

I don't know the circumstances behind the gangs in Liverpool which have led to this tragic murder. I do know, though, that it will take guts on the part of many ordinary people to help make the community safe again. Knee jerk policy won't work: it takes time to build confidence in the authorities; time to show people there is a different way - it takes time to defeat badness.