Tuesday 20 April 2010

Hackney police chief's odd reassurances

Hackney's borough commander attempted to reassure people after the death of Agnes Sina-Inakoju. Steve Bending told the Hackney Gazette it was "an extraordinarily rare incident".

But was it?

Feb 17 - Seven shots fired into a Hackney Chinese takeaway on Chatsworth Road. No one was hurt.

March 5 - Three shots fired at teenagers leaving fried chicken shop on Well Street. One shot in the arm. (Page 2 Hackney Gazette March 11 - couldn't find it online)

April 14 - One shot fired into chicken and pizza shop in Hoxton. Agnes Sina-Inakoju dies.

(Very late UPDATE :
22nd May Bystander seriously injured in London Fields shooting incident.)

I'm not sure how the last one qualifies as "an extraordinarily rare incident".

The Feb 17 incident was only made public after a statement was asked for. Have there been other takeaway shootings that have not been made public by the police?

Steve Bending's statement also included this: "To get it into proportion, the number of firearms arrests is actually very small." Is that reassuring?

May be he feels compelled to provide an antidote to comments like these: "The increase in gangland violence is a threat to everyone - and every parent is now worried their child will get caught up in a shooting or knife incident." (Darren Caplan (Con) speaking to Stokenewington People)

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