How Nottingham shook off 'gun capital of the UK' title

[Informer]

At the height of Colin Gunn's reign over the city of Nottingham, the area neared the top of the national gun crime league, alongside bigger and traditionally more dangerous cities such as Manchester and London.
http://www.24dash.com/_images/news/25490/m_nottingham_city.jpg

A series of high-profile shootings led to Nottingham being nicknamed "Shottingham" and "Assassination City"; and to the city being handed the dubious accolade of gun capital of the UK.

At the time Nottinghamshire's Chief Constable Steve Green gave a now infamous interview to a newspaper in which he admitted the beleaguered force could not cope with the spiralling levels of gun crime and were having to "farm out" murder investigations to neighbouring forces.

The effect this had on the city, which is traditionally famous for its connection to its rather more heroic outlaw Robin Hood, was devastating.

But since 2005, when the Bestwood gang was finally dismantled and the Gunn brothers were taken off the streets, the city has seen a massive turnaround.

Crime is down, gun crime is at an all time low (falling by 74% between 2003 and 2006) and the tourism industry is booming. There has been just one fatal shooting in Nottingham since 2005.

Initiatives to encourage people to look after their neighbourhood and build community relations followed high-profile campaigns to keep guns off the streets.

Read more (http://www.24dash.com/localgovernment/25490.htm)

[Crimefighter]

Informer, thank you for that story as it is very inspiring.

C/F

[Mini Mafia Boss]

They've been here a long time in the East Midlands.

This particular syndicate has evolved in three factions: London, Nottingham and Mansfield. Starting out in Derby, they dealt in Ectasy, loansharking and gambling, until they were kicked out by local family, the Bradys, who had links to the Derby Lunatic Fringe football hooligan gang.

After settling in Mansfield, they continued to run their enterprises and expanded to Nottingham. After their leader, Mahmood Ozdimir, died of cancer and subsequent raids, a new set of hoodlums took the reins and expanded to London.

A new coalition was formed, where the Nottingham faction eventually came to rule itsself. This was led by two sisters: Saria and Anissa Rawat. They organised a group that continued its loansharking and gambling operations, which saw a boat on the River Trent take bets from high rollers. This boat was seized, by the off chance, by police looking into its suspicious comings and goings and £35,000 was found on board.

A third sister, Anya went to London with members of the group and set up base there. She eventually joined up with Michael O'Malley, and his Irish and British boys. They continued their enterprises in the loansharking, gambling and Ectasy trades. A massive 500 man police raid in North London turned up members of the Arif family, along with money, drugs and guns.