‘Essex Boys and the new breed of criminal' by Bernard O'Mahoney

Ex-member of the notorious 'Essex Boys' gang Bernard O'Mahoney tells Crimestoppers why he's worried about the way crime is being tackled in Britain today, and how he learned that being in a gang is far from glamorous.

The offer from such a worthwhile charity as Crimestoppers to contribute to their website has, I admit, left me with something of a dilemma. Gangs, knives, guns and prison have all featured heavily in my life.

I once revelled in the notoriety of being a key member of the infamous ‘Essex Boys' firm. To be a villain, I thought, was to be `a somebody.` But reality hit home in December 1995 when three of my associates were shot through the head as they sat in their Range Rover. They had believed that they were above the law and embarked upon an orgy of violence, drug dealing and intimidation throughout Essex and the south-east of England. They really thought they were untouchable. But as gangs throughout history have learned, it's only a matter of time before others tire of your activities. Your rivals either pick up a phone to report your activities to the police or Crimestoppers so that you're imprisoned, or they pick up a gun to remove you for all time. A prison cell or a grave; the career options for those involved in gangs have never been mouth-watering.

The misery doesn't end there either, as the tentacles of imprisonment or murder are far reaching. Imprisonment punishes the loved ones of the convicted person and murder decimates the lives of families and friends of all concerned.

I learned my lesson the hard way, and therefore feel it would be wrong to promote the books I now write about that particular lifestyle on a charity's website, which strives among other things, to prevent others from taking the path I chose. I decided to contribute, however, because I believe that the work the police, the courts and charities such as Crimestoppers do to detect and prevent crime is admirable. But I am also afraid that they may have lost their way when it comes to the new breed of criminal.

ASBOs and exclusion orders from city centres are seen as ‘badges of honour' by many of today's young people. The culture of protecting their rights, instead of addressing their wrongs, has led to teachers, the police and society in general losing the authority to administer the law and maintain discipline. I can almost hear kids saying: “Why worry about the consequences of my actions when in reality there are no consequences?”

Prison has become such a soft option these days - it actually provides a better standard of living and social environment than many of us enjoy on this side of the wall.

In 2008, the family unit is all but redundant in some sections of society, and so the attention and recognition these young children (because that's who many gang members are) yearn for, has to be found elsewhere. For many, ‘elsewhere' is amidst a gang where members protect each other, provide for each other and essentially become a substitute for the absent family.

Their father figures are rap artists whose lyrics promote the ethos that it's better to get rich quick or die trying.

Their entertainment is provided by video games where they are able to shoot people fifty times and watch them get back up again.

Causing injury or death using a gun or a knife becomes an emotionless, cold, clinical, almost matter-of-fact activity.

‘Families'' income is provided by drug dealing. Why work 40-hours a week for £300 when one can earn thousands of pounds a week, by simply selling drugs to their friends?

No well-meaning poster campaign or ‘shocking' TV advertisement will break these bonds or ideals. Education, as always, is key, but instilling respect for oneself and others is paramount. Human Rights laws need to be tailored to consider human wrongs. Those in authority need to be able to administer discipline and justice for the benefit of both the victims and perpetrators of crime. Like the successful campaigns for speeding and drink-driving, drugs and gangs have to be portrayed as un-cool activities, reserved only for the losers in society. Only then will we see a reduction in the senseless slaughter of children on our streets.

Sadly, I fear those in authority don't have the mettle to admit their dream of equality for all, human rights and the ‘softly softly' approach has turned into every parent's nightmare. By all means, please do read my books, but if you think gangs are glamorous and cool prepare to be disappointed. The only cool gang members I have ever known were on ice in the morgue.

Author note

Bernard O'Mahoney was once a member of The Essex Boys firm. In 1995, three members of The Essex Boys were shot dead in a Range Rover in rural Essex. O'Mahoney decided to leave the firm and his life of crime. He later wrote a book about the killings, 'Essex Boys, which was made into a film starring Sean Bean. Now O'Mahoney spends his time as a family man and an author, writing and researching books about gangsters. He has also worked with an investigative journalist, going undercover to expose the British branch of the Ku Klux Klan.