The Liverpool Echo finally published the story today about the memorial of flowers adorning every post along the Strand of Norris Greens Scargreen avenue.I suspect only because a local historian felt it was so historical he paid for it to be photographed.But what they did'nt publish was the feeling of the local people about the tension in the air.Liam Smith,who its said was the leader of the Strand crew.is sadly missed.There can be no doubt of that.The young men and boys who make up this gang are grief stricken and very angry.The local ordinary folk of Croxteth and Norris Green are aware that something is going to blow.And so are the police.
But what have the police done?To all intents and purpose as far as the people of the two areas can see not much.The police say unless the community come forward with information there is little they can do.But if these two gangs were cells of terrorists what would they do then?You can bet your bottom dollar every mobile phone in the area would have it's traffic monitored.Homes and cars would be bugged.Surveilence would be 24/7.
In short all the resourses of MI5 and MI6 and the national crime unit and anti terrorist squad would have the the guns and gunmen in custody and on charges that could put them in guantanamo befor a month went by.So by what definition is gun terror classed as crime and not as terrorism?Only in a legal definition.To the worried and frightend people of Croxteth and Norris Green it looks,feels and is terrorism.They say its only a matter of time till someone innocent gets shot and killed.And they are right and like in Manchesters Mossside it will probably be a child.Perhaps it's time the police classed this kind of gun crime as terrorism and went after it with those resources.