‘Can we think of any places like that in the US?’
I can think of many cities in the US that have a higher murder rate than the whole of the UK has. . . .
Murder rate? Well sure. that is true. It has been traditionally so for more than a few centuries. But this story isn't about murder, it's about crime and cowardice.
Let's compare violent and nonviolent crime rates. You will find that Great Britain has changed a bit from the one we were told about in our youth. It is, in fact, up there with many of the most dangerous places to live.
When the law disallows both the means and moral authority to defend one's self and property, crime and violence fill the void between common sense and the hoped for utopia.