LA has gang war fears - PhillyBlog

Hospitalitygirl · #1 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 10:05 PM

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n3927389.shtml

Apparently there are 80,000 gang members in LA!

Quote:

(CBS) It was an emotional farewell to a stand-out high school football star killed in broad daylight when he had no answer to the dreaded question: "What gang are you from?"

Sgt. Anita Shaw returned from her second tour in Iraq to bury her 17-year-old son, Jamiel, who was never involved in a gang.

"I really don't see a difference, because to me, gangs are nothing but terrorism," Shaw said.

Even in gang-hardened L.A., Jamiel's death is shocking - and it is just one in a string of recent shootings of innocent children, reports Sandra Hughes.

Thirteen-year-old Anthony Escobar was shot and killed picking lemons for dinner. "I tried to pick him up, and I was just yelling for help," his uncle, John Aguilar, said.

Six-year-old Lavareay Elzy is in critical condition - shot in the head while riding in his family's SUV. And five kids were wounded in a gang shootout at a bus stop.

"Our children are being shot down every damn day!" one mother said.

Officials are trying to calm fears that black and Latino gang wars are heating up - but admit that with 80,000 gang members in the city, the police need help.

"You can't just arrest your way out of this problem," Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa said. "We've got to support families. We've got to mentor kids."

To tackle the problem, the mayor appointed the city's first so-called Gang Czar - and his choice is somewhat surprising.

A soft-spoken, white Evangelical minister named Jeff Carr.

"Every single kid ought to know somebody believes in them," said Carr. "They think they can make it. I'm going to work my tail off to make sure that happens in this city."

Before this job, Carr built a mentoring center next to his church, where kids earn credits for doing homework, get tutored and learn computer skills.

Aspiring musician Mark Lopez knows where he'd be without this center.

"I don't want to be corny, but I'd be dead," Lopez said.

Carr's goal? More places for L.A.'s kids, and fewer innocent victims.

MayfairMeat · #2 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n3927389.shtml

Apparently there are 80,000 gang members in LA!

Not a shocker.

The city I grew up in had a similar problem (smaller population). Gangs are a huge problem in all the sunbelt cities from LA to San Antonio to Houston to Atlanta and Miami.

There are gangs here in Philly too, but no where on a massive scale as LA these days. The big cartel gangs that used to be in Philly have mostly died out and now you got smaller packs of punks (Master Street, etc).

How'd a problem that used to be huge here in Philly in the 50s, 60s and 70s disappear in scope and pop up down South?

Tannhauser · #3 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastChestnut

How'd a problem that used to be huge here in Philly in the 50s, 60s and 70s disappear in scope and pop up down South?

It was never that big here to begin with.
The JBM was broken apart by the Police, and there really weren't any other large gangs.
The sunbelt cities are inundated with illegals from mexico and central America whom funnel drugs into the U.S. and have a direct economic life line as well as a pipeline for endless new members.
Due to the incredible influx of illegals in Philadelphia, we'll have our own gang problems in a year or two, if not months. Groups of unattached young men milling around in the evenings, isolated from society aren't a recipe for civic good works.

bernie25 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 01:54 AM

everyoen should move out of LA

let the gangs kill each other off

then we can move back in

pretty easy solution!

random · #5 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 07:53 AM

The solution is pretty simple.

Ban gangs and ignore the right to assemble using public safety as the justification. Same as how the gov't solves most similar issues. Oh, well yeah, only two people will be allowed to go to mass at a time 'cause technically church would be a "gang."

Next, classify gang activity as "terrorism" and allow warrantless wiretaps of suspected gangmembers' phones.

These are common sense laws, sure that might at times affect honest people -- But if it saves even one child it's worth it.

Problem solved.

random · #6 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 08:01 AM

Quote:

"You can't just arrest your way out of this problem," Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa said.

Yes you can.

KByrd · #7 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastChestnut

Not a shocker.

The city I grew up in had a similar problem (smaller population). Gangs are a huge problem in all the sunbelt cities from LA to San Antonio to Houston to Atlanta and Miami.

But it NEVER affects the reputation of those cities, now, does it.

Here we're getting the "Killadelphia" label going nationwide and then it's gonna take years to
get rid of that label if we ever do.

It all just make me shake in total frustration.

Hospitalitygirl · #8 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KByrd

But it NEVER affects the reputation of those cities, now, does it.

Here we're getting the "Killadelphia" label going nationwide and then it's gonna take years to
get rid of that label if we ever do.

It all just make me shake in total frustration.

Thank you!!! Someone gets it. *80,000* freaking gang members in ONE city, and WE'RE "Killadelphia"? Some idiot rhymed Philadelphia for entertainment purposes, and our really not that bad of a city gets trashed. To the point that people write in the city database that killbillrain posted a thread about, where they fear for their lives or are ridiculed by friends for coming here, and then they're here, realize that it's really rather nice. But, no, we're the ones with a major problem, no one else!

Our local media outlet is no better. I was watching Channel 29, (it's time to stop!), and the idiot guy they got to replace Clayton Morris was interviewing the new ASAC of the FBI office here, a woman from California, and made a point of saying "we have an out-of-control crime problem here, how will you help?", in his dumb-assed anchor-voice, just driving that point home yet again that we are more troubled than we are.

It's time to step back and reassess issues in this country; it isn't one city only--there are lots of them.

guzzijason · #9 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 04:26 PM

FWIW, here's a comparison for 2006:

http://losangeles.areaconnect.com/cr...adelphia&s2=PA

__Jason

Hospitalitygirl · #10 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guzzijason

FWIW, here's a comparison for 2006:

http://losangeles.areaconnect.com/cr...adelphia&s2=PA

__Jason

You do realize that 2006 was the highest year of several for us? 2005 was lower, as was 2007, and 2008 is already nearly 28% lower than at the same point last year.