Gun Crime- A real cause for concern in Britain

Councillor Phil Bateman said " This is how the BBC reports on gun crime today in Manchester. Read the full interview on the link provided. I think it is a very valuable comment on the way youngsters are thinking in some parts of Britain.

Wearing a bullet-proof vest, and riding a mountain bike, 18-year-old Frank skids to a halt and starts to talk about his life in a Manchester gang.

It is a chance encounter with a talkative teenager in the heart of Moss Side's so-called gangland.

"Call me Frank," he mutters, although it is not his real name.

In the five-minute conversation, he is remarkably candid, and willingly shows off the thick protective vest under his black anorak.

Usually, the media are shunned when they want to interview young males about gun crime, and told in precise biological terms where they can shove their microphone.

Frank is not afraid to talk. In fact, Frank is not afraid of anything.

read the full interview on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6374171.stm



Commenting further Councillor Phil Bateman said "Last Friday in Wolverhampton I and other colleagues were involved in closely questioning the police for the 'Pride in the City' scrutiny report of which I am the Committee Chair.

I asked specifically about gun crime here in Wolverhampton City Centre. I was heartened to have had the response that the police perceive this particular type of crime as still being unusual in the city centre.

There is still a lot of questions to be asked around crime and some specific statistics are being worked on by the police at our request.

But as a scrutiny board we were very heartened to receive information from Sgt Steve Knight who clearly knows his beat and what takes place there. He was a most impressive witness and the Councillors present were very much taken with his grasp and knowledge of crime that was taking place in Wolverhampton. The scrutiny report we all know will be eagerly awaited which I hope will help the City in its continued development. "