Gang Problems - Dealing with them

[peaceloveunderstanding]

How should a city go about dealing with gangs?

Extermination? Rehabilitation?

[monsoon]

Hold the parents responsible for these Devil Children. It should start there before anywhere else. Often members of gangs are the result of really bad home environments and parents that won't take responsibility for the children they have brought into the world.

[alon504]

Hold the parents responsible for these Devil Children.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's right...hit them in the pocketbook and make them pay $$$ for deviant actions and behavior....

[cmj2k5]

Chicago has installed cameras/sound sensors on a lot of there worst blocks. When a shot goes off, the camera points that way. I guess they are helping big time with shootings.

And, rehabilitation is the obvious answer, they are exterminating themselves.

[hood]

Chicago has installed cameras/sound sensors on a lot of there worst blocks.  When a shot goes off, the camera points that way.  I guess they are helping big time with shootings.

And, rehabilitation is the obvious answer, they are exterminating themselves.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cameras, sound sensors? Thats going too far, there is a fine line between safety and infringing on your privacy. This crosses it, but when it comes to gangs, they will always exist, as long as poverty and unemployment does, so in the meantime just do the best job at keeping the peace and attempt to work with the gangs to keep peace between eachother. Remember gangs are not about harrasing people, other gangs or destroying property, they are about making money, thats it, so when two gangs agree, officially or by default, to keep peace, they can still operate just fine. In my relatively small hometown of Lansing, the two main gangs, GD and VL have been at peace for over 10 years, with very few incedents of violence. The only gang violence now comes from home-grown gangs that pop up and try to cause problems, and they get shutdown, sometimes violently, by one of the two "real" gangs. The last time that happended, that I'm aware of anyways, was about 1 1/2 years ago, no problems since.

[Sleek89]

Theres not much you can do.

People pay cops to stay away in certain areas so they can handle thier business without worrying about cops.

Easy way for cops to make money and they dont get killed.

There are so many crooked cops, maybe 1 or 2 will patrole thru bad areas and they only do it when its still light out.

[cmj2k5]

Cameras, sound sensors? Thats going too far, there is a fine line between safety and infringing on your privacy.

I think they only turn on when the sensors sense there was just a gunshot, then the camera points in that direction. I read the article in the Star Tribune a while ago... so I'm not 100% sure how they work.

[hood]

I think they only turn on when the sensors sense there was just a gunshot, then the camera points in that direction.  I read the article in the Star Tribune a while ago... so I'm not 100% sure how they work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Still a pretty questionable system and wide open for misuse. Officials involved in it should be watched very carefully.

[DetroitBazaar]

Easy way to rid the streets of gangs? Legalize drugs.

[alon504]

We've got the cameras in New Orleans. We have alot of them and they have helped with crime. Citizens in New Orleans are also allowed to be in the camera network with the police...the only catch is you have to purchase the camera yourself...they are around $750 from what I've read. Basically, the cameras are set up on light poles and they look just like street lights, but, they have cameras in them that follow what people are doing in high crime areas. If a crime is committed, the cameras are used for prosecution purposes. However, you can't be arrested because a camera catches you drinking a beer while driving, etc. They are used when I crime occurs. But, with the cameras doing this, they are causing crimes to NOT occur.

[MrSmith]

Still a pretty questionable system and wide open for misuse. Officials involved in it should be watched very carefully.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no problems with the cameras. I see no difference in having a camera on every street corner or a cop on every street corner --except the cameras are cheaper and in fact, I trust the cameras to be honest and truthful more than actual cops.

At least the cameras can prove that you did or did not do something. Certainly, they could be abused, but I prefer the cameras to having to rely on memory or someone elses word.

I and some friends were attacked a couple years ago. Beaten , punched, kicked in the head etc. It happened in an area that now has cameras. If there had been cameras when i was attacked, they would have caught the people.

[MrSmith]

Hold the parents responsible for these Devil Children.  It should start there before anywhere else.  Often members of gangs are the result of really bad home environments and parents that won't take responsibility for the children they have brought into the world.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Many of the parents are in jail or meth heads or crack junkies. Somehow we need to end the cylcle. Holding the parent responsible will do nothing --cause the problem is the parent often are not responsible for themselves.

[GaryP]

Easy way to rid the streets of gangs? Legalize drugs.

This is ridiculous! You believe that there would be less violence if these kids had access to cheap corporate meth and crack there would be less violence? or crime in general?

[hood]

This is ridiculous!

[GaryP]

Yeah, while legalizing drugs is an extreme measure that will not happen, at least not most drugs. In theory it would work great, you romove the criminal element supplying it and producing it, then by de-criminalizing you lower prices by far, that stops people from having to go to such extreme measures to obtain it, and you can regulate it, keeping it pure, not laced. It would still cause problems, but they would be basically identical to alchoholism. Just an idealogical concept though, never gonna happen.

hood, man, you're crazy too! I agree that decriminalizing weed should be done, but other drugs cause incredibly serious problems with addiction. I dont care if your crack is laced or not, cause its gonna screw up your life one way or another.

And gangs dont form to sell drugs, they form from a lack of leadership in other areas of young peoples lives.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Just an idealogical concept though, never gonna happen.

And that is a good thing. If anything the government is not cracking down on illegal drugs enough. The borders are like swiss cheese and there are some people with a nice amount of money who are obviously drug dealers. If we were truly serious about it, all the leadership would have been exterminated and they would be hunted down like terrorists.

I hear in malaysia drug dealers are given the treat of a public hanging, and they are not having a problem with illegal drugs now. (I am not suggesting we do that )

[rusthebuss]

hood, man, you're crazy too!

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Weed always leds someone to harder drugs, I know I watched most of my friends go that route. Weed is bad for people and it causes people not to care about anything and people loose their drive to exceed at anything but be a weed head and thats it.

I agree with that statement 98%. It does not always lead to harder drugs, but chances are it very well will (I would say almost always). I Especially agree about the part that weed hampers one's drive to succeed and become something.

[MadVlad]

Hartford is starting to add some cameras around the city, let's hope they do the job....

[DetroitBazaar]

Cameras are a waste of money and won't help a thing, IMO. I've been to London BTW. The best way to take turf wars out of the equation is to treat drug problems as medical problems, not law enforcement problems.

[MrSmith]

Legalizing drugs is not the same as alchohol. I can have three drinks and not be very impaired, but one hit of crack or meth and and I am totally impaired. Not to mention the fact this drugs are much much much more addictive than alchohol.

You might get rid of gangs by legalizing drugs, but that only creates a new problem -- lots and lots of drug addicts.

[DetroitBazaar]

Perhaps you are right on the meth and crack angle. However, the plagues of violence and turf wars are a direct result of people fighting over the territory of the trade. At the very least, the prices would come down thus less stealing. As far as anyone willing to put poison of any kind into their own body, that's up to them and I'm willing to wager 95 percent of us wouldn't do that. Alcohol is an extremely dangerous drug- drunk driving aside- in its degrading effects on the body. I've talked with some police officers about it and they readily admit they've lost. Sure swat teams and tanks make good headlines and show the public the "authorities" are doing something but the problem does not stop. All I say for now is that it should be treated as a medical problem rather than wasting Law Enforcement resources on the scourge. DetroitBazaar cleans alleys and streets and witness first hand the hidden nature of drug abuse. It is indeed sad to see someone wanting to inject or smoke a dangerous substance. We have to remember, IMO, most of what is smoked and injected is not pure, is expensive, and the people doing it are medically addicted. A few years in the slammer will do nothing more than create more vicious criminals for when they get out, they will truely have NOTHING and will resort to even more desperate measures including filling their bodies with poison.

I appreciate your comments. Some may say alcohol is not so bad and I'll agree doing meth wouldn't be my choice by a long shot. I only say that if we want to minimize the problems inherent in the drug epidemic we should try a new approach. Remember that no matter what, there will ALWAYS be a certain percentage(low at that) who will get high on whatever drug is available, including alcohol. Do we throw them away and take away any hope they have left, or do we offer treatment. Besides, most drug users are abusing their own bodies, not the community.

Peace to you from DetroitBazaar

[cmj2k5]

Weed always leds someone to harder drugs, I know I watched most of my friends go that route.

The main place where people are expose to hard drugs is probably at there dealers.

I don't ever see "gateway" problem around here with anyone.

Weed is bad for people and it causes people not to care about anything and people loose their drive to exceed at anything but be a weed head and thats it.

Sounds like something from Dr. Phil.

Alcohol and tobacco are good for people.?

Decriminalization of any drug doesn't do any good, if that was the case why do we still have problems with alcohol?

We blow over 7 billion a year on marijuana arrests/prosecution of which about 85% are just a simple possession charge. Take those billions of dollars away and add the billions in tax you would have and spend on something worthwhile like schools or health(or dealing with gang problems) instead of war and you have your self a lot of problems solved.

[GaryP]

^ Agree

I dont really buy the gateway stuff. If pot was legal I think it would be as much of a gate way as alcohol is now, and alcohol isnt a gateway for anyone of age (IMO it may be for those younger). Also if pot were legal, the current distribution system with dealers who buy from dealers would be gone immediately, and corporations would dominate with clean product plus they would contribute tax revenue as well.

I think the biggest impediment to this legalization is the lack of the marijuana equivalent to the breathalyzer. If it could be regulated in the same way as alcohol is currently I believe that in time the nation would eventually find it acceptable. What do guys think about this?

[DetroitBazaar]

Ahh, all we need to do is Wake Up. We'll find the answers. Wake up.