Look out for lots of crime related vocabulary in the article and explanations below the text Unfortunately, everyone knows from reports that London has been in chaos recently, with rioting happening all over the city. Its now time for people to know that, in the aftermath, a certain part has been ‘pulling together’ to clean up the mess. One of the reported places of vandalism, looting and violence took place in Clapham Junction. Even though this is an upmarket area, muggings, shoplifting, and petty crimes are not really associated with it. This is why it was quite a surprise to some people and local residents in particular, that this area was targeted on such a high scale. The local department store was broken into with most of their goods stolen, and even a building was burnt down by an arsonist. However, the residents are now fighting back…with their brooms. They are showing that they are willing to help remove smashed glass and debris caused by thieves and vandals from the streets to restore their lovely high street. Hundreds turned up to participate in the clear up with their brooms, and even the London mayor, Boris Johnson, was given one when he arrived to speak to the residents. Unfortunately, some people have been murdered while protecting their shops, but what this shows is that even with the rioters and seriousness of the situation, the general public still feel like they need to do something. I hope that other affected areas follow their example and do the same, as it really does lift the spirit of the area, if not the nation. However, some people are even turning into vigilantes to try and defend their high streets from looters, and physically fighting back. I don’t condone violence, but I do feel that shopkeepers and homeowners do have a right to protect their way of life. Whatever the reasons why these criminals are committing these crimes, particularly young people, it shows that there is still some moral decency and togetherness in all this chaos; even if it is only broomtastic.
Crime Vocabulary
| NOUN | VERB | PERSON | MEANING |
|---|---|---|---|
| crime | commit | criminal | doing something against the law |
| stealing | steal | thief/thieves | to take (the property of another) without permission, especially secretly or by force |
| rioting | riot | rioter | destroying |
| vandalism | vandalise | vandal | breaking things |
| mugging | mug | mugger | to steal from someone in an aggressive way |
| murder | murder | murderer | to kill someone with intent |
| arson | arson | arsonist | crime involving fire |
| shoplifting | shoplift | shoplifter | to steal from a shop |
| looting | loot | looter | to steal from a shop/house during a crisis e.g. during riots or after an earthquake |
