CLOCKWORK ORANGE: London saw 16,000 Moped Gang Attacks in 2017 - Up 1,000 Percent in 3 Years

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Diversity: Moped gang, convicted in December, 2017

In Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange and Stanley Kubrick's subsequent 1971 film of the same name, London is terrorized by youth gangs who rape, steal and murder with impunity.

The criminals speak in a Cockney-foreign argot and often wear foppish costumes or uniforms. The main character, a thug named "Alex," likes classical music.

Great Britain is a socialized police-state where dissidents are monitored and politicians attempt to use the violence to manipulate elections. There appears to be little difference between the dominant political parties.

The story was satire, but many saw it as a sort of prediction.

Has it come true?

I would argue that the reality is getting closer.

What are some of the differences?

In the story, while all of London and the surrounding countryside were to some extent dangerous, there were no "no-go zones" where the police would not venture.

In the story, there were no terrorist groups engaging in random mass-atrocities.

In the film, all of the gang members were white. Today, it's a mix, though probably dominated by "Asians."

In 2018, the criminals supplement the broken bottles, clubs and knives of the story with hammers, deadly acid and sometimes firearms.

If there is an argot, it's Cockney-Arabic or -Urdu, not Cockney-Russian.

There are no foppish costumes. Beethoven is out. Urban rap and Islamic chant are in.

In 2018, if there is a form of aversion therapy, it's only practiced on the dissidents.

Though in 2018, the government is apparently attempting to murder dissidents by imprisoning them with the thugs. This didn't happen in the story.

***

I went to school in London for two years and subsequently visited many times as an adult. My wife and I honeymooned there.

But I doubt I will go back. I don't think I would send my children to school there. And, of course, if I were a bit more prominent as a blogger, I would be banned from returning, anyway.

But, man, I have some very fond memories.

Is all of Great Britain now a dystopian hell-hole? Of course not. I have many online friends who, as far as I can tell, live fairly happy and normal lives, in between being banned from YouTube or fired from their jobs for dissident activities.

But a more nasty dystopia and perhaps civil war are coming.

That didn't happen in the story, either.

From The Sun:

HELL ON WHEELS London moped gangs – how many crimes have there been and where have they happened? 

London saw 16,000 moped attacks in 2017 while scooter-related crime is up 1,000 per cent in three years across the UK 

By Mark Hodge, 5th June 2018, 9:55 am, Updated: 5th June 2018, 10:30 am 

THUGS riding mopeds have helped fuel the rise in violent crime in the UK. 

London is proving to be a hot bed for the scooter attacks which are up 1,000 per cent in three years across the country.
How many moped gang attacks have there been in London? 

London saw 16,000 scooter attacks in 2017 - up from just 1,053 in 2014. 

Motorcycles have been used in crimes such as phone snatches, gem store raids and acid attacks. 

Authorities told The Guardian last year that one gang carried out 30 robberies in the capital within an hour period. 

In October 2016, a man was jailed for snatching 21 phones in one hour while riding a moped before he was chased down by a police helicopter. 

When and where have the London attacks happened?

• April-May 2017: A gang of three teenage boys – aged 15, 16 and 17 – committed over 100 crimes while riding mopeds in the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.
• July 13, 2017: Five people were attacked with acid in a 90-minute period by two men riding scooters.
• The victims, who were all riding mopeds, had their bikes hijacked in the assaults in Hackney, Stoke Newington and Islington.
• July 14, 2017: A moped rider was attacked with a "noxious substance" by two men riding a scooter in Dagenham, East London.
• July 15, 2017: A man was stabbed to death by a moped gang in Greenwich.
• October 2017: Charity worker Abdul Samad, 28, was stabbed to death in Maida Vale, West London, by a scooter gang who were attempting to steal his phone. In April, 2018, two teenage robbers, dubbed the “highway men for the 21st Century”, were convicted of murder following Abdul’s death.
• December 2017: A ten-strong moped gang were jailed for 110 years after a series of £1.2m raids across the capital.
• June 2018: Comedian Michael McIntyre had his Rolex watch stolen by hammer-wielding moped thugs in North West London.

What has caused the rise in moped attacks? 

Authorities believe the surge in moped-related robberies could be driven by an increase in the value of smartphone parts. 

Met Police officials say criminal gangs are also getting better at bypassing the security of stolen handsets. 

Aside from mobile phones, many of the attacks involve the criminals hijacking others scooters. 

Police stats in 2017 showed that around 1,500 mopeds or motorcycles are stolen in London every month. 

The poor security of these vehicles, coupled with their ability to easily mount curbs, is thought to be behind the surge in robberies. 

Experts, such as former Metropolitan Police chief inspector Peter Kirkham, also believe budget cuts to cops have contributed to a rise in violent crimes in the city. 

Speaking with iNews, Kirkham said: “Cuts to police officers mean fewer officers on the street and fewer officers investigating crimes. 

“There is no time for officers to carry out stop and search, and the bad guys have noticed. 

“They know they can get away with more and more… It’s not rocket science."