A policeman has laid the blame for the recent riots in London at violent, crime-related video games.
Grand Theft Auto - game or real life?
Quoted in the London Evening Standard the unnamed police constable advised residents in Tottenham: “"Go home, get a takeaway and watch anything that happens on TV.
"These are bad people who did this. Kids out of control. When I was young it was all Pacman and board games. Now they're playing Grand Theft Auto and want to live it for themselves."
The newspaper reports that the police are hunting mobs of children who joined the riots across the capital “when parts of the city descended into lawlessness for a second night”.
Grand Theft Auto is set mainly in American cities but was created in the UK, with the original release featuring an expansion pack set in London.
The violent game in which players act out the crime-filled lives of various gangsters and lowlifes is frequently blamed for encouraging youths to commit crimes.
The looting and arson that has spread to several inner-city boroughs began in Tottenham on Saturday night, sparked by the fatal police shooting of a local man (reportedly armed with a replica firearm) on Thursday.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said that over 160 arrests had been made so far, and that 16 people have been charged for a range of offences including burglary and possession of weapons.
Comments
Ross D Lane said: Video games are not to blame believe me right now if mw3 and Bf3 become banned in the UK im sure there will be more riots than ever if you are going to ban a game make it GTA there is no need to ban games like mw3 or bf3 because they arent encouraging riots if anything GTA is encouraging gangs n stuff so dont ban games like mw3 and bf3 just ban gta
Link said: Of course it was grand theft auto 4 These silly kids were just enjoying the game for 3 andhalf straight yearsand now they felt like rioting Of course that makes sense OR another group of conservative idiots want to find a new Marilyn Mansonto use as a scapegoat so we dont have to blame politics or lack of family guidance or a class-based economy as part of the riots People who blame video games sicken me
seeyouentee said: A police set up as usual 330 people have died in police custody in the last 12 or 15 years and not one copper has been held accountable The man Mr Duggan who was murdered by police was set up If anyone here would like to take their eyes away from the mainstream media from your corporate newspapers and look at it from another view for once please do
MillionlittleE said: I like how they dont say it was the kids who committed the crimes--
Millionlittlee said: Ok so a smart cop and a dumb cop sees a 100 dollar bill who takes it The dumb cop smart ones dont exist
Jack T H said: to mutch gunnshop
Thantos said: god this cop is retarded video games are not to blame this is the end result of bad parenting and the pathetic lack of severe punishment from the lawjesus christ am i getting sick of these retarded people blaming video games for everything you can bet your ass if they start bannign video games Rioting is going to be the least of thier worries
Grant Sullivan said: Wow some people are just way over the edge hes just mad because he cantt complete the first mission of GTA
Daniel said: Actually no its probably about bad parenting but it doesnt have anything to do with video games There was violence and riots before video games and contrary to this article it has been proven that video games have reduced the acts of violence
Dsa said: The cause of this is the most important
taxiturtle said: Im working on a paper currently about how gaming has the exacty opposite affect and in fact has contributed the the crime drop weve experienced in the last two decades Hopefully I can make it good enough quality to be published and finally people of authority can be shown that perhaps their perceptions of video gaming and media entertainment being the source of many violence-related offences is fundamentally flawed and needs to be reconsidered
Guneet said: RETARD
Jake said: In stead of blaming mass inequality poor education and a society that judges success by material wealth for turning young people into compassionless idiots lets blame video gamesAre these the only kids who play violent games If not where are all the others and why arent they smashing windows too
Wildebeast1 said: Ok not to pick any bones with anyone but do people in Scotland or Wales not play GTAI know heaps of people who play violent games and havent started a riotThe violence was caused by small minded people without a proper education kinda like the guy quoted in the London Evening standard
Currybean said: lurker please stop this they just keep eating everybody
Jayy said: facebook-792784239disquspeople are fuckingg idiot blamed on video gameswhen it got nothing to do with it
Chris said: The next thing theyll be saying is that Pokemon is the main cause for poachers Idiots
JCOLE said: they seem to blame evrything but themselfs
muddy said: Hey they got a really good pick showing off GTAs graphics Winning
Gfhg said: If they would blame this on CoD then i have 1 good argumentIf they really got like this playing MW2 why arent they 360 noscoping