The Inside Story of the War on Our Streets

In 'Guns and Gangs' Graeme McLagan lifts the lid on a hugely unreported but important modern-day problem. After terrorism, the single greatest worry for law enforcement agencies is gun crime, and in particular the so-called 'black on black' shootings. The statistics are shocking. Black people are the victims of three quarters of London's gun murders and non-fatal shootings.

The shooters in 80 per cent of cases are also black. 'Guns and Gangs' traces how the trend first started in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the emergence of the Yardies, the rise of crack cocaine and the consequent turf wars. The police have since launched numerous operations to tackle the problem, the big turning point for which came after the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. Most of these operations have been kept secret over the years. Now, Scotland Yard is prepared to open up Operation Trident, allowing McLagan unprecedented access to files and case histories, showing how black gun crime is being confronted in a joint effort with police and the black community.

This fascinating in-depth study, containing interviews with police officers, victims, their families, witnesses, lawyers and perpetrators, highlights this under-explored phenomena and offers valuable insights into the psychology behind this disturbing form of crime.

NON-FICTION: TRUE-CRIME

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