BBC News - Glasgow ranked UK's most violent areaSo what's new? Since they mad old days of Glasgow razor gangs in the 1920's and 30's Glasgow has always been a city of violence.
In the late 50s and 60's we had the rise of Arthur Thomson Snr. as the Godfather of crime in Glasgow. There were other leaders but he was the ultimate boss. Then we had the housing scheme gang wars, fought over the territory in which the gang members lived in squaler.
In the 70's we had the Ice Cream wars, during which various gangs fought and blew up each others ice cream vans. The vans were being used to sell drugs, in the housing schemes, round the city.
Things are a bit more subdued these days although the occasional murder hits the headlines. Each fiefdom is run like a conglomerate and business ethics are now to the fore. But there is always that undercurrent when the shooters come out,doors get kicked in and justice is done after much trading of insults and threats have not solved the perceived problem.
The big game in town now is to set up a security company whereas a taxi company was the big thing of the 70's and 80s. Would you know if the lady in the back seat of a taxi was going to Bingo or going to service a client?Drugs were moved round in taxis too.
Nowadays, any new building site is visited with a view to supply 'security.' This amounts,normally, to some old drunk in a hut but the signs are up which mark the site as being under this or that gangs control. A refusal to take their 'services' normally leads to fires and massive robbery of materials and so most builders put down the charges against the tax bill!!!
Glasgow.....No Mean city as Maggie Bell sings as the Taggart theme song. Well Maggie, you've been living in Spain for too long dear!!!
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