Looking back on The Security Week That Was, we’ve witnessed Securitas post some tidy financial results, police e-crime hubs established to tackle threats in cyber space and the Government explaining why – during this National Apprenticeships Week – apprenticeships are ‘the way forward’ for Broken Britain.
Importantly, there has also been a major development in terms of efforts to dissuade younger members of our population away from a life of crime that might be kick-started by them dabbling with ‘gang culture’.
In a major crackdown, the Metropolitan Police Service is to be applauded for setting up its Trident Gang Crime Command. No less than 1,000 officers are being tasked with confronting gang criminality in London, and an initial operation was conducted on Wednesday to pursue suspected gang members over a number of crimes including assault, robbery and the supply of drugs.
It’s all in the interpretation
As is the case with so many songs, there have been a fair few interpretations about the lyrics in alternative rock combo Keane’s track Crystal Ball and what they really mean.
The band themselves – comprising lead warbler Tom Chaplin, drummer Richard Hughes, keyboard player Tim Rice-Oxley and bass guitarist Jesse Quin – say it stemmed from being on tour and drifting into a pattern of non-communication.
They ended up arguing among themselves and discovered that all of them were feeling the same sense of numbness. “I lost my heart. I buried it too deep… Under The Iron Sea”.
Fans have interpreted the lyrics slightly differently. Some say Crystal Ball is all about not taking your home life and/or your family for granted as, one day, all that you hold dear could be taken away from you. The ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone’ sort of philosophy.
As you might expect, the video – which was shot in America – pretty much mirrors the band’s take on matters. It’s all about an estate agent who totally loses his identity.
“I don’t know where I am, and I don’t really care. I look myself in the eye… There’s no-one there… All I get is the same old vacant stare.”
Wishing the Met every success
From the words, it would appear Keane want their imaginary Crystal Ball to save them by showing the right way forward. “Oh Crystal Ball… Put me where I belong…”
Our fervent hope here at Info4Security is that the Metropolitan Police Service’s latest project – launched under Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe’s Total Policing concept – will itself help to show impressionable teenagers that sliding into gang culture isn’t likely to do them many favours. We wish this project every success.
Just to salve the fact fans out there, Crystal Ball was the third single to be released from Under The Iron Sea. It made the Top 20 here in the UK.
You never know… It might be a question in your local’s pub quiz this weekend…
