Real Policing

At approximately 11.20am on Sunday 5th August, 2007, twenty-three year old Evren Anil of Upper Norwood, south-east London, was sitting in traffic as a passenger in his sister’s car at the junction of Central and Gypsy Hill.  One of two youths walking past tossed a half eaten chocolate bar into their vehicle.  Evren got out to confront the youths as to why they had thrown the bar of chocolate.  Without warning and almost immediately, one of the youths pulled a knife on Evren and held it to his throat.  A gentleman passer-by who attempted to intervene ran to Gypsy Hill police station 100 yards away.  The youth who threw the chocolate bar then punched Evren to the face with such force that he banged his head as he fell to the floor.  Both youths then made off on foot in the direction of the Central Hill estate where they apparently live.  They are also believed to be well known to the residents there.  The last words Evren said to his sister were that his head and chest hurt.  Evren fell into a coma and never regained consciousness before he died on Monday 13th August, 2007. 

Yesterday, Mehmet Aray, Evren’s cousin, appeared on Victoria Derbyshire’s show on BBC Radio Five Live.  Mehmet spoke articulately and sincerely about the circumstances surrounding Evren’s death and the utter devastation suffered by his family.  Mehmet described his cousin as a passive and non-violent young man who didn’t swear and who had recently received a first class degree in computer science.  Evren was the only member of his graduating class to achieve such a distinction.  Mehmet’s interview raised many questions, from the causes of youth crime, parental responsibility and self-arming in order to protect, to the role of the police in preventing crime and harsher punishments for carrying offensive weapons.  He also described the youths involved in the attack on Evren as black, aged between 16-24 years and wearing dark hooded tops.  Mehmet asked listeners who had witnessed the incident to come forward in order to bring the two offenders to justice.  The incident room number he gave is (0208) 721 4205 or, alternatively, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.   

I spoke with Mehmet yesterday evening to offer my condolences and to reassure him that a campaign is already underway to bring an end to the kind of misery that his family and many others have had to endure.  Mehmet stated he doesn’t blame the police, whom he considers to be woefully undermanned.  He explained that Evren’s death under such pointless and callous circumstances reflect the lact of respect for authority and the loss of our sense of national pride and identity.  Mehmet also explained that he believes the Government, parents and the justice system must take responsibility in bringing about change.  He is quite right.  It should not be the responsibility of the police to parent errant children.  The police are not social workers in the traditional sense.  The role of the police is primarily to prevent crime and disorder (by being more visible) with the support of a robust criminal justice system.  Addressing the causes of crime is the responsibility of the Government, parents and, importantly, the perpetrators themselves. 

At 11.20am tomorrow, commencing in Hancock Road, Upper Norwood, will be a march to remember Evren.  The march is expected to draw in many participants and concludes at the scene of his assault.  Please show your support to Mehmet and his family by attending if you are able to do so.  To those who feel they would rather remain silent than be seen as a grass, wouldn’t remaining silent weigh more heavily on your conscience than being a grass?  Your silence makes the difference between bringing an offender to justice and letting him roam free to potentially end your life or that of someone you love.  Who else but you would know you’re a grass if, at the very least, you were to phone Crimestoppers and give your information anonymously if you are unable to identify yourself?  You may only be seen as a grass if you tell everyone else that you have given information to police.  There is much more to be proud of in assisting to bring an offender to justice than not being seen as a grass.

To the young lad who was with the youth who punched Evren, you were seen to look scared when your friend punched him.  You were seen to run away in fear knowing that he had involved you in a situation you didn’t want to be in and had no control over.  If the belief that what your friend did was wrong means more to you than protecting him, you must tell the police.  If all you did was witness your friend punch Evren before you both ran away, you have nothing to fear by telling the police what you saw.  Evren didn’t deserve what your friend did to him especially as he was not the kind of person who would’ve hurt either of you.  He didn’t deserve to be hurt and he didn’t deserve to die.  You can allow some small relief to the suffering of Evren’s family and those who loved him by telling the police what happened.                   

Lastly, to those of you who feel incensed by Evren’s death, please encourage your family and friends to sign the Real Policing petition in order that the police can reclaim our streets and once again occupy a position of respect and order.  We don’t seem to care about each other the way we used to.  I miss the sense of belonging, the pleasure, the satisfaction and sense of pride this feeling once engendered.  Don’t you?  We can realise it again.  It is surely not gone forever.  Our campaign is more relevant now than ever before.  Whatever it is the circumstances of Evren Anil’s death reflect in our society must not be forgotten in favour of tomorrow’s news.  His death imbues our campaign with an even greater meaning, impetus and legitimacy.  Widespread public support for police reform and the social change it can influence will ensure that Evren Anil did not die in vain.        

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6946608.stm