Daniel Cann

Published by Michael Joseph Penguin Books 2008

Most people will forever associate actor Ross Kemp with the characters Grant Mitchell from ‘Eastenders’ and Henry ‘Henno’ Garvie of ‘Ultimate Force.’ More recently he has been making a niche for himself in an entirely different guise: Investigative journalist for Sky televisions ‘Gangs’ series. In this second book his travels take him to diverse places such as Columbia, Poland, East Timor, LA and Kenya. He even meets gang members closer to home in Liverpool.

Initially I wondered whether this would be yet another sensationalised and glossed over account passing itself off as something deeper than it really was. I had not read the first book and had only caught snippets of the television series. There are many programmes these days masquerading as ‘serious behind the scenes journalism’ so I was a touch sceptical.

Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised to find a book of substance and Kemp comes out of it as the real McCoy and not someone using their celeb persona for a ‘good gig.’ The dust jacket reveals that his father was a senior detective with the Metropolitan Police force and, as a consequence, he has always had a fascination for crime. So at the least his credentials as an interested and involved party hold up. He is not someone posing with a microphone; he really is interested and eager to explore the murkier side of life.

Kemp does suffer during his quest. He gets tear gassed at a football match while investigating neo-Nazi hooligans in Poland and whilst in Columbia he is taken off to remote areas to interview alleged hit men who specialise in kidnapping and bombing. As he explains while there he was a sitting duck and anything could have happened while he was away from the city.

What impressed me the most about Kemp’s writing was his honesty and modesty. Far from trying to portray himself as a ‘hard man’ like his screen characters he is not afraid to admit his fear and unease when encountering various gang members and leaders across the globe. He is brutally frank and honest when describing meetings with characters like ‘Bloodhound’ and ‘Joker’ during a stint in Los Angeles. The origins and history of the Bloods and the Crips are explained and also the modern day warfare between the Black and Hispanic gangs is explored. This chapter makes for interesting and chilling reading as Kemp learns about the code that binds gang members and the punishment and sanctions meted out for those that don’t toe the line. A visit to a Californian prison is an eye-opening account and Kemp does well to bring the sense of menace and hopelessness to life.

In East Timor he meets with two very powerful gang with different outlooks and views, but both are frighteningly organised and prepared. The gang member’s dedication and unquestioning faith are as disturbing as they are impressive.

The book makes the point that poverty, crime and gang warfare are not unique to far-flung places around the world. There is a chapter focussing on this problem right on our own doorstep in Liverpool. Kemp concludes that it’s a mixture of poverty, boredom and a sense of wanting to belong to something that feeds the gang culture. His first hand experiences have also led him to conclude that sadly a lot of the gang culture is self-perpetuating as long-held grudges and forgotten vendettas become a flashpoint for years of misery.

Despite its strong subject matter the author manages to be dry, wry and witty. He has a keen eye as well as self-deprecating humour. He is clearly on a mission to find out ‘why?’ and his enthusiasm for the subject matter is undeniable. I would advise anyone who picks up this book to ignore any preconceptions you might have and just read it. You will be rewarded with a balanced and observational account of an old problem that still exists in our modern world.