police in court lane

[smarties]

Does anyone know why there was about 8 police cars and vans with sirens blaring going up court lane today about 3.30pm?

[Asset]

park - kids - knives - action

[dullwitch]

Asset Wrote:

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> park - kids - knives - action

Is that a guess or do you know?

I've been wondering what that was all about.

They were all parked at the top of court lane and police were looking in the front gardens of all the houses.

[Al&Em]

There were loads of police cars and a dog team roaming the park at around 4:30 ish- presumably the same lot..

[IrishDancer]

Why didn't you ask the Police?

[Tylertoes]

2 males armed with a sword were robbing kids in the park....they were arrested

[Alan Medic]

Robbing kids of what? Not sweeties?

[marigolds]

Alan Medic

'Sweeties ?'. Not funny, just flippant and insensitive. 'Robbing kids of what ?' As you ask they were probably after the phones and small change that the older kids carry. My youngest child (12 years old) was 'relieved' of 45p on the bus last week and was the subject of an attempted mugging several weeks before that whilst walking home from school, co-incidently on Court Lane. Although we have told our kids to give whatever items are being demanded by 'muggers' it is still stessful, scary and out of their comprehension.

All secondary school-aged kids have mobile phones now so that we parents can contact or be contacted by them. Unfortunately a minority believe they have the right to take these phons away from kids by force or the threat of force. Some idiots brandishing a sword (or not) intimidating kids is out of order - I know I'd be pretty freaked out ! My secondary school-aged kids spend a lot of time in the park with their friends. Please be sensitive to people who have been the victims of this type of incident. Getting mugged seems to be a right of passage for kids now, particularly boys.

Marigolds

[slater]

As my son cycled off yesterday I warned him not to hang around in the park after school.

Last day of term is always 'thief day' in Dulwich Park. He came home early told me his friend was

chased by a boy who ran up to him pulling on a balaclava trying to steal his bike. Fortunately the

bike rider escaped. On the last day of half term one of my sons friends received a call telling him not to hang around

in the park as a group of kids were going to 'get some bikes' I phoned the police .... got an answerphone.

It happens every week in Dulwich Park, phones,money,bikes (and yes Alan Medic probably sweets) it's time the police took a

proactive approach before some innocent kid really gets hurt. Summer is here and as soon as he wants to venture

out I have to issue the reminders about handing over the phone if he gets threatened.

He was mugged for his bike last year and a phone in the spring. I don't think even 'Alan Medic' would enjoy

being stopped by two older and bigger kids (I hate calling these people kids, but this is a public forum)

and asked 'what have you got on you' and made to empty your pockets.

He's scared to go out riding alone on the bike he worked and saved so hard to buy, afraid of being

surrounded by a groups of thieving bullying scum.

[Alan Medic]

Marigolds and slater, I'm the father of a boy who was the victim of an attempted mugging in Dulwich Park. Indeed, kids tried to mug him several times returning from school. He also had his bike stolen. I'm amazed all you appear to be concerned about is what was stolen.

I'd like to know how someone can wander around DP with a sword?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Alan a rather clumsy attempt to divert attention from your own insensitivity by pointing people's attention at something that doesnt exist.

If somebody gets mugged and something is stolen, then the item that is stolen is mentioned. Clearly everbody's anxiety (except yours) is the emotional impact that this has on their children.

Bullying, whether in a Park or on a website is distateful.

[Alan Medic]

Michael, what doesn't exist?

The 'everybody's anxiety' you refer to started as 'everybody's curiousity'.

My 'insensitive' remark was made prior to the other posters making their points.

I subsequently highlighted that I know all about having a child mugged but that my greater worry is that someone would use a sword to get what they wanted.

Are you calling me a bully? If so on what grounds?

[marigolds]

Alan Medic

'I'm amazed all you appear to be concerned about is what was stolen'.

I don't think Slater and I are solely concerned about what is being stolen. We both seem concerned about the emotional and social impact on children at the receiving end of these spineless acts. When saying my son was relieved of 45p I was trying to convey the impact of an older group of boys surrounding a small 12 year old boy on a bus all for a few pence. He was shaken up and upset. I really don't care about what was being taken. Slater and I both report telling our kids to hand over their things rather than fight back. These people know this is what our kids are advised to do.

However re-reading the last 2 posts makes it obvious why bullies and thieves are hanging around certain parks for easy-pickings. So Alan Medic I guess it does make sense to give some background to what is taken. Actually the more I think of it how dare someone take a phone and a bike off a child/teen ? It probably won't be for the thief's use but to be sold on for a few paltry pounds whilst Slater's son and others worry about being safe on their own in the future !

Hope all our kids have a safe summer and a good time hanging out in their local park.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Alan - kids were mugged by men with swords and you ask if this was for sweeties? This is insensitive. The fact that your own children have suffered a similar crime make it doubly so, you should know better as you know how the children and their parents feel. To then rub salt into those wounds by belittling their distress by suggesting that they are overly concerned with their lost goods, just repeats your bullying tone.

That I think is the response you asked me for in a PM.

[Alan Medic]

Michael, I said 'not sweeties'. The opening post was written by 'smarties'. Which bit doesn't exist like you stated? I pm'd you so you wouldn't just drop your slur and never come back to explain it. Thanks for your explanation. I disagree with it and can't be bothered to explain why to someone who accuses me of bullying when I did nothing of the sort.

PS Amazing how a sword (bad enough) becomes 'swords' later.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Oh I see. "Smarties" .... "Sweeties" - it was a joke.

How appropriate.

[Alan Medic]

You still haven't answered this. What doesn't exist?

[Frankito]

I think we should all do curry and hugfest....! Come on guys, life is too short and precious (says he who is known to fight with his own shadow unprovoked.....)

(tu)

[Michael Palaeologus]

"I'm amazed all you appear to be concerned about is what was stolen" = that bit did not exist.

The "all you appear to be concerned about is what was stolen" bit.

That people's concern was only about what was stolen rather than the trauma that their children had experienced, did not exist.

[Alan Medic]

I wrote what you have extracted in this context.Mugging is one thing, mugging with a sword is something else.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Again an attempt to shift attention from the main thrust of our disagreement.

This is post rationalisation. The fact that the mugging was with a sword was mentioned immediatly before your "sweeties" comment. You knew the circumstances of the mugging.

However, this is irrelevant to the non-fact of the people's alleged prioritisation of their stolen goods. Whether the mugging was with or without a sword, people were not pre-occupied with their stolen goods.

This did not exist.

[Alan Medic]

For someone who doesn't read a thread properly you put up a convincing arguement (swords, my children.........wrong on both counts). If this thread was entitled 'nutter on the loose with sword in DP' the emphasis would be on what serious damage such a person could do, above and beyond mugging people.

I thought my 'not sweeties' comment was quite good. Then again I requested the playing of 'where's your mother gone' at my mother's funeral! That was a joke too.

[Michael Palaeologus]

How wrong? Or are you yet again attempting to divert attention?

[Alan Medic]

It seems to me Radiant Bhuna that it you who are attempting to divert attention away from your tribe. Is the tribes weapon of choice a sword by any chance?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Ah. I knew that if I waited long enough you would resort to petty sniping and insults.

My weapon of choice is the word. In this case, victorious.