Trident Dismantled

The killings that go on in our community predominantly amongst young Black Boys (Wherever they are in the world).  Is appalling.   (Looking for stronger word).  The sadness I feel in my heart with this senseless killing, whenever I hear about another killing a piece of my heart breaks even more.  

A few years ago we there seemed to be an epidemic of young men being killed.  The Police appeared helpless, this was during the time of TRIDENT, a police initiative which.  I will say it how I saw it, ‘Standing by and waiting for information from local communities’  The theory seem to be that within the Black Community we knew who was responsible for the killings and we were keeping these secrets within our community.  I objected  to this on many reasons, I pay my taxes like everyone else why was I being subjected to what I could only consider to be, lets call it ‘Special Treatment’.  Special treatment which meant we were all made to feel like we were all withholding information which could lead to the resolving of a crime.  What could we possibly have to gain from allowing these criminals to go around killing young men.

At the time I was in my 30’s sincerely I knew, no one who knew about the killings, about who was doing it, as part of the elder community we could speculate.  We would agree with the speculation it was no doubt drug related.  I lived within Brixton at the time a notorious area for such killings and drug dealing of which I saw nothing and knew nothing, I wasn’t in the loop although I had lived in this area for over fifteen years and I knew no one.  So whoever had this information that the TRIDENT officers were relying on to approach them I didn’t know them.  After about ten years it was  dismantled.  How many cases did they resolve? How many cases are still open? How many cases were resolved by the information provided by the community?

I wrote this poem as I was haunted by  picture  I remembered seeing in the Metro a few weeks earlier, such  beautiful picture one for the album.

Posted FB 25/02/13

#23 Last Smile

The picture of a proud mother

Her hand placed gently on his shoulder

Him smiling in that

'I really should be embarrassed at my age to be skinning my teeth like this'

But Mum's so happy I will give my street cred a miss

They share the same smile

They share the same goals

Some wicked person, who? We just don't know

Has taken him from his loving Mother

Ended his life

Terminated his dreams

That picture captured them so well

smiling because no one knows what the future holds

Cherish our children grow them well

There is nothing that can prepare you for this type of hell.

The taking of another life it is not correct it's not right

Daily on our screen this phenomena is clouding our dreams.

Make it stop! Make it stop!

No more of our young men taken down in their prime

Its like a culling of the next generation

where only the ruthless heartless and troubled will survive.