MET POLICE 'CBA WITH INVESTIGATING ASSAULT, SHOPLIFTING, GTA & BURGLARIES & MORE'

2017 has been truly loopy and you are 100% forgiven for not being to keep track with all the madness. Today, however, the Met police have made some pretty big changes that I feel we should all be aware of.

"On Monday, it was reported that the UK’s largest force would no longer look into many reports of crimes, including burglaries, thefts and assaults, where there was judged to be little prospect of identifying a suspect."

London's Metropolitan Police announced earlier today that they would be looking to save around £400m on their budget in the next four years as a result of over-spending and immense pressures caused by the current terror threat. Firstly, that's a huge sum. The fact that we're ready to reduce funding for our national/domestic security but happily increase our military budget is beyond crazy.

As a result of these cuts, police will now be investigating far fewer crimes, essentially giving free-reign to some criminals, some think. Nothing's been decriminalised so every crime is still worth it's weight in jail time.. What has changed are attitudes towards certains crimes, with less time being spent on the investigations of them.

Police will now be looking into the following a lot less;

- shoplifting

- burglaries and thefts

- assault (where the attacker isn't instantly idenitfied)

- car crimes

- criminal damage

The deputy commisioner of the Met Police, Mark Simmons said;

“With the pressure on our resources, it is not practical for our officers to spend a considerable amount of time looking into something where, for example, the value of damage or the item stolen is under £50, or the victim is not willing to support a prosecution.

The 'pressure' on their resources that Mr. Simmons is referring to is the supposedly ominous and looming 'terror threat'. 

“We need our officers to be focused on serious crime and cases where there is a realistic chance that we will be able to solve it. We also want them to be available to respond to emergencies and go to those members of the public that need our help the most.” 

He also added;

“Of course, we are not talking about things like homicide, kidnap, sexual offences, hate crime or domestic violence, but the lower level, higher volume offences such as shoplifting, car crime and criminal damage. 

Obviously, he's obliged to say everything he's said above, he has to do a job. However, I'd say that the Met Police are playing a risky game. They are fully aware of the mentalities the 'criminals' they have to deal with on a day-to-day and must surely know that the opportunist mindset of a potential wrong-doer is only going to see this as an opportunity?

This supposed 'let-off' is weirdly coupled with an announcement earlier in the week that the Police would now be looking to clamp down on people for the possession of corrosive acids/liquids in the wake of a recent rise in acid attacks, the most being one in Stratford's old shopping mall. All smells a bit contradictory to me.. 

The police are basically saying they're going to be harder on assault because that's what an acid attack is... at the same time as investigating it less?? I can only think that this will result in more people trying to get away with acid attacks and other assaults if they believe they can remain faceless, resulting in more people from that demographic being jailed. 

The Met are hoping to save this huge some of money over 2020, which is the tiniest bit more encouraging. Imagine if they forecasted themselves a year to save £400m we could be looking at a completely different story. Personally, I hope that these cuts of this nature don't continue. After all we fund the police through tax. If they do continue, we could be looking at a lot more 'leniency' on more severe crimes and that definitely wouldn't be good!

What do people most fear? (TWITTER POLL)

On my Twitter page, I've been conducting a series of polls - oo don't I sound scientific!? I've been doing so for a couple of months now and will probably carry on indefinitely! Given that I study Journalism and am looking to do things of this nature more in the future.. it wouldn't hurt starting now, on a smaller scale and less formal platform.

One of my first (I think my 4th or 5th) poles was targeted at everyone and posed the question, 'Generally speaking, what do you most fear being..?', the possible answers were; A Victim Of Crime, A Victim of Terror, Poor or Lonely.

I wasn't actually going to post anything on it, but yesterday, I mentioned to my mum that I'd polled this question and her reaction reinforced the significance of these findings.

These were the results..

Of course, there are a huge number of negatives that could be drawn from this data as well as one or two positives. This polls suggests that on average people in the UK fear being 'A Victim of Terror' less than crime, poverty and loneliness. The only positive from that is that people (or at least my Twitter seemingly aren't buying into the shit in the media. People, as you can see, most fear being lonely.. closely followed by poor.

My perrrrsonal opinion is that our 'system' is to blame for such a high number of people fearing for the financial stability. It's purely a reflection of the complete uncertainty surrounding employment for over 18s. Zero-hour contracts, poor wages comparably to the price of life, lack of jobs various reasons, poor education system that doesn't prepare you for 'adult life', discrimination (racial, gender etc), lack of motivation, anxiety, lack of confidence... the list sadly is endless! But all of these are indicators of a failing system. Now obviously a number of people have flourished in the same system but again, in my perrrrsonal opinion, that's a kind of luck of the draw thing. Either you were luckily instilled with the right mentality to help you succeed (upbringing/life xp has resulted in good money management, high motivation, innate dislike for laziness etc) from a young age - whether you were raised poorly or well. Either that, or your from a rich/connected family blah blah blah, you know the story.

Now, people most feared being lonely in the future. That's quite telling. I've found this to be true in life tbh; people aren't too scared about terror unless a bomb goes off, people utter the odd word about being the victim of crime but I don't hear it often, people are alllways talking/worrying about money and people genuinely all want to be accepted. It's just important that we speak to people often and if you see anyone looking like they could potentially need a friend, be the friend!!

Follow my Twitter for more polls!

Happy Sunday!

DIY - PIZZA!

Today I'm doing something different.. I'm going to be blogging about food! I probably won't do this often but I have genuinely been asked by a few people to blog about this specific dish.

Have a look at my about me, you'll see there somewhere that I speak about a certain obsession of mine.. Oh yes. It's pizza. I mean we all do like a bit of this Italian cake but in my life I have met some people who are also just that little bit more .. 'interested' in pizza.

I, personally, can't get enough of it and could probably eat it 6/7 days a week, for the rest of my life, no exaggeration. Pizza can be complimented by a number of sides, contributing to a balanced meal, at the same time as being quit a balanced meal in itself.

Pizza has been around for around 200 years now. The term was first recorded in AD 997, in a Latin manuscript from the southern Italian town of Gaeta, in Lazio, Central Italy. The modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish and its variants have since become popular in many areas of the world.

The modern pizza evolved from early flatbread meals created by the Greeks and the Romans. The ancient Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese. And later, The Romans developed placenta cake, a sheet of dough topped with cheese and honey and flavoured with bay leaves.

Early forms of pizza were actually found in Greece, in an ancient underground cellar, where 1,000,000,000 freshly preserved pizzas were found, 20,000 years old.

Okay, that's not true, I get carried away, if you know me then you know that one of my favourite things to do is telling people something crazy with a straight face, momentarily leaving people shocked, until I gift them with relief. That 2 second look of despair is priceless. 

Anyway, less about my silly ways. Pizza. Yes. Ever since an early age, my family have made pizzas together instead of buying them from stores or take-aways, credit has to be given to my auntie Jennifer who first gave my mum the wonderful recipe and a big thanks is due to the pizza company situated in Viersen, Germany (who gave my auntie there own recipe).

Making pizzas at home saves you a BUCKET load, and nothing taste better than the work of your own hands. "The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands." Deuteronomy 28:12.

For the last 5 years, I have been eating pizzas religiously. Working at Pizza Hut was a main factor, I was addicted to all the different pizzas they sold but working there also made my want for homemade pizza greatly increase. I now consider myself a pro pizza maker and a lot of the pies I have made can be viewed on my Instagram!

Here's what you need..

Ingredients

300g Strong Bread Flour

1tsp Salt

1tsp Instant Yeast

1tbsp Olive Oil

200ml Warm Water

Toppings

Toppings do vary dependant on each person. Here are the toppings I go for, for 1 pizza..

4 Slices of Salami

4 Slices of Pepperoni

3 Mushroom

10 Olives (20 halves)

1 Bacon Rasher

Half a small cup of Sweetcorn

Buffalo Mozzarella

Mixed Herbs (as much as you like)

Thyme (as much as you like)

And here's what you've all been waiting for, instructions..

THE DOUGH

1. PREHEAT THE OVEN AT GASMARK 8

2. Measure up everything that you need, use scales for the flour. tsp = teaspoon, tbsp = tablespoon.

3. Get a big bowl, pour the flour into the bowl with the yeast and salt. When you've done that mix them well and consistently.

4. Make a well in the middle and pour in the olive oil and warm water.

5. Mix it all together.

6. Make sure you kneed the dough very well, it seems like a long process but the more attention you pay to the dough, the better your pizza will turn out, take my word for it.

THE SAUCE

1.Chop up half an onion, preferably a white one.
2. Open your tin of chopped tomatoes with your teeth (or a can opener)
3. Heat up about a tbsp of olive oil.
4. Add the onions and any seasoning, but don't go to mad as you don't want to lose the essentially natural tomato taste.
5. After about 4-7 mins with onions on low heat, add the tomatoes.
6. Add some anything else you like, but again.. DON'T GO OVERBOARD.
7. Leave it to cook for another 10 minutes and then leave the pot on the side to stand and get back to rolling out that perfectly kneeded dough.

THE PIZZA

1. Hopefully your dough isn't too tough, if so.. you may need to add some olive, about half a teaspoon and a dash of water.
2. Flour your surface and proceed to roll out the dough.
3. Flour your pizza pan/oven dish.
4. Do most of the stretching outside of the pan, but you may need to stretch it a lil' bit more if it's not touching the sides and you're a perfectionist, comme moi.
5. Apply your sauce and then your cheese.
6. A tip I picked up from Pizza Hut - PMV (Pepperoni, Meat, Veg), this is the order in which you ideally should be topping your pizza.
7. Put it into your pre-heated oven, for about 20-30 minutes, dependant on how brown you want it. I leave it in for just over 20 minutes, my mum pushes the 30s.
8. VOILA, you've just saved yourself about £13! Enjoy the work of your own hands.

Sit back and enjoooooy.

Now, presenting to you some pictures of the process..

The whole process may seem a tad time-consuming but I assure you it doesn't take long at all, about an hour in total, as quickly as 40 minutes for me sometimes. And all for a taste that is unbeatable! Go and make yourself a wholesome homemade Italian pizza pie NOW. 

Stay tuned and stay blessed!

COOL DEALS; WHERE THE HECK DID YOU FIND THAT??

Cool, so I'm back as promised, with some AWESOME new deals. As you all know, I am addicted to buying clothes, especially cheap ones, I am a bargain hunter. If I see a good deal, I'm there. and if I don't have the money at the time, I will borrow it, and then I'm there. Good deals do not wait for anyone. Just like in anything you do in life, you must be an opportunist.

I've mainly sourced my clothing from charity stores, must notably, Iain Rennie, BHF and Cancer Research. Some of the items I am about to show you were also found in sample sales that I have recently attended (search google for 'local sample sales') where I was able to pick up some really nice things for under £2.

Some of the items I will be showing are for sale now too, so if you're lucky enough to have me on a social network, contact me via one of them, for more information. Notepads ready?.. Let's go. 

 

This simple ASOS Black Bucket Hat was picked up at a sample sale for 25p.

You can't go wrong with the classic, Nike swoosh design. Copped this at the Islington Car Boot Sale for £2.

Now for some bottoms.. These high-rise Levi's 505's, have quickly become my life. Slightly different from the original 501's, these beauties cost me £10 (50%) from Beyond Retro, Dalston. Get yourself down to your closest BR if you're looking for a solid pair of jeans.

For those who don't know, Carhartt, is my favourite brand. I actually got these Carhartt Sid Chinos, from EBAY for a £10. Have a look yourself, these babies retail at 85.00GBP!

Now for some of my hot finds in sportswear..

This 80s LA Sharks Ice Hockey jersey was bought aaaages ago now, I couldn't resist it at the time and still absolutely love it. One of the best things I've ever picked up for £1. 

We all know how sort after Adidas Firebird Tracksuits are.. Retailing at a mean £50. I felt like the heavens were smiling on me when I found this on an Algerian man's rack at the wonderful Dalston Car Boot Sale. He charged me £4! 

Again, another blessing. This was sourced a lot closer to home than my previous buys. I picked this Adidas Original Brasil World Cup edition shirt from my local favourite, Iain Rennie Hospice for £4.50. Again, that's almost 90% I saved myself on the retail price. This hobby takes a lot of patience, don't guy buying anything or crying because you didn't find something mind-blowingly cheap, that just defeats the whole object of bargain hunting.

D'you know a stylist? Luckily I know a few! They're fab because they're always looking to offload spare clothes. I actually picked up the next three items you're about to see, for free!

From my lovely friend Grace. That's a link to this cool chick's instagram.. Take a look at what she's about!

 

FOR SALE - Add me on Facebook (Zachary Ekpe) or contact me on a social network (@ZachEkpe).

 Alternatively, you can email me at zacharyekpe@gmail.com or text me, if you're lucky enough to have my number.

This bad boy bomber is also for sale, again, hit me up.

Now for some slightly more upmarket finds..

To keep myself out of the trap of becoming

This FCUK top, as seen in my 'profile pics' all over the web, cost me £2, from an ASOS sample sale, just outside London. This shirt is loud and screams 60s!!! So I'll have to be in a certain mood or going to a certain event to wear this one.

To add to the classy buys I nabbed myself this ZARA jumper for men. This probably retailed at around £25-50 and I got it from Age UK, in Hemel Hempstead's town centre for £4.

And finally, to ensure that I can look smart with regardless of the bottoms I choose. I had to get this, a lovely North Face fleece that was only £6, from Cancer Research. 

This was bought by a friend of mine, for me, as he knew it'd be right down my street, thank you Ross!

 

  ..

I trust that the items you have seen have given you all hope, but, I'm not done yet! I still have the shoes to show y'all.

First up, we have these beauts. These are classic Timberland walking boots, they are around 20-30 years old now, but knowing Timberland and they're high quality/prices, these would retail nowadays at somewhere near £80. You want to know how much I paid? £2, from Dalston Car Boot Sale. The lady really wanted to shift her ex-husband's old walking boots and as it was the end of the boot day, she was looking to get ANYTHING for them. I almost felt bad buying these. Admittedly, these needed abit of mending as the inner soles had holes in them! Not anymore though, I put some Supra insoles in them, making them clouds for my feet to rest in.

The Reebok Classic Workouts were also bought at the car boot sale in Dalston and they set me back £4, which again, is a really good price. Especially considering the condition the shoes are in and the way in which they've kept their value over the last decade.

 

So guys, this is the end. I've got many more items to show you in the near future, I just hope that this is evidence enough that good deals are accessible to all of us. The proof is in the post. Go out there and search for local sample and car boot sales. And pop into the odd charity shop, you'll DEFINITELY find something. If you're weirdly embarrassed by charity shopping, glance into them at the very least, when you walk past, something may catch your eye.

Remember, some of these items are for sale so please do not shy away from getting in touch with me.

Have a great day, stay tuned and stay blessed!