How London murders became a point-scoring game for violent gang members
Once driven by control of drugs and territory, rival gangs are now locked in a deadly battle to top an online scoreboard.
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Stabbings, shootings and murders are ranked in league-style tables shared on social media by gang members in London.
The more serious the attack, the more points awarded. The more points awarded, the more street credibility.
“Every crime is logged, and it’s credited to a gang member,” says Andy Hughes, co-host of The Crime Agents.
Andy was given exclusive access to Operation Gallium - the Metropolitan Police’s largest crackdown on gang violence, during one of the capital’s most brutal and deadly street wars in recent years.
“It was all about territory initially, but when camera phones came out, the gang members would film and post attacks on other rivals then post - this would get them street credibility," he tells The News Agents.
“This has now advanced to a league table, which logs all the violence. And if you’re at the top of that tree, you get the most street credibility.”
This tit-for-tat approach has seen a spike in youth violence across there capital. In Lambeth and Southwark, 11 murders have been committed in just eight months.
“One gang, who’s having a war with another, are saying: ‘We’ve got 33 points, we’ve got 44. We’re wiping the floor with you’.
“Then a week later the other gang will retaliate, to try get back up the leaderboard”, says Andy.
“It’s so dark”, says Jon Sopel. “
You imagine gang warfare to be about control of narcotics, insurance rackets.
“It turns out they’re killing and stabbing just so they can have more points on the board than you have.”
Whilst this leaderboard is helping identify suspects perpetrating this violence, it does little more.
“These gang members know how to cover their tracks”, says Andy.
“So unless they find a murder weapon, unless they find any forensics, then it's going to be very difficult because the unspoken rule is: never ever cooperate with police.”
“When I speak to the kids involved or elder members in the community who have lived that life, they just seem so desensitised.”
“This is how it is, this is just a way of life. If they come out, they’re going to want to get a body, because that will get them more points.”
Emily Maitlis says this is simply gang revenge in another iteration.
“It turns out it’s just a game”.