Hundreds took part in a torchlight procession in Nørrebro on Monday evening to protest against the spike in gang shootings that has seen 30 since the middle of June – and one every day since August 8.
The victims of the weekend shootings were all innocent bystanders – on Friday, a 39-year-old man with no apparent ties to the gang environment was gunned down by a masked shooter on a scooter.
The police believe the conflict is mainly between the street gang Loyal to Familia (see page 3) and groups based around Mjølnerparken, Nordvestkvartet and Husum.
Genuine anguish
“We don’t want to see our children, youths and other innocent people become victims of criminal thugs. By using torches and solidarity, we’re showing we won’t be giving up in Nørrebro,” wrote the organisers on Facebook.
“I begin crying every time. Is it another of our youngsters? Is my son next? Or the neighbour’s?” Christina Christensen, a Nørrebro resident who took part in the torch procession, told DR.
Gang busting package
Last week, the justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, unveiled a new ‘gang busting’ initiative. Amongst the measures suggested was military personnel relieving police officers currently on border guard duty to free up manpower to tackle the problem.
Poulsen, who called the situation “grotesque” and admitted he was “furious”, also revealed that the police will employ around 25 computer specialists to monitor potential digital clues, and another 25 people to work with young people vulnerable to recruitment.
Additionally, anyone choosing to wear a bulletproof vest must register it with the police.
Police measures
The police’s stop-and-search zone, where they have been entitled to search anyone they want to since July 20, now encompasses Nørrebro, Nordvest, Brønshøj and Husum.
Meanwhile, the authorities have set up a hotline they hope citizens will use to send in image and video footage that will help the police crack down on the gangs. The hotline 9350 0012 can’t be called, though.
Rolling with it
In related news, a new crime trend is growing in the city: car rolling. So far, vehicles have been turned on their side or back in Østerbro, Kongens Lyngby and Søborg.
The maximum sentence for extreme vandalism is four years in prison.
