NEQUELA WHITTAKER
What really goes on in a gang? Speculation and myth often supersede reality in the media and only gang members know the detail of what it’s like in their world. When I was based in the Hackney gangs unit, in a service that helps young women move away from gang connections, the police would often say that no girl gangs “officially” existed, but they kept detailed maps and charts with information on every boy in any of the many gangs in their patch. In addition, there was a matrix ranking each known gang member based on the crimes they committed. A bit like football leagues, it had a smack of glamour or kudos about it, and I could imagine the gang members getting a kick out of knowing their position at the top of the chain.
PHOTO CARRIE LYELL