Gang Timeline in the HA

[Conveyor Belt]

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061022/NEWS01/610220306/1002

timeline of gang activity/police response

[fuzzis]

My question is this - what happened during the 6 year period from
the year 2000 when there was "Crackdown" to the year 2006 when there was "resurgence?"



QM...isn't it obvious? It's all those no good, rotten scoundrels and thugs that have lighted in the area since Katrina. Our cheif has carried on the crack-down, but he's simply been overwhelmed by the deluge. :roll:

fuzzis

[Conveyor Belt]

The current scapegoat is the work center. It seems it was the answer all along, the lack of police officers was just a distraction.

[IGID]

Last time I checked, drive-by shooting, drug possession and sale of drugs, and aggravated assaults were all felonies and the Billy McGee Bed and Breakfast would take as many as they could bring in. The lack of a place to put the sidewalk spitters, as some call them, for the last year has nothing to do with the crime rate. Just more smoke for the unintelligent.

[nooskye]

Aren't most of the thugs being dragged across the media a bunch of underage delinquents? Shouldn't they go to Juvi Hall? Do we even HAVE a Juvi Hall? Would that even be a possible solution?

[wilebill]

So Wynn is saying that gangs are okay as long as they don't shoot anybody? Aren't gangs in the drug, prostitution, and other illegal businesses? Isn't that what leads to the shootings, when one gang crosses over into the others' territory or steps on another's toes?

I'd always thought that gangs were like the mafia except on a somewhat smaller scale. Maybe we should invite the mafia in and they could clean up the gangs for us. We'd be stuck with the mafia then, but hey?

[Bahlk]

QM, Chief Wynn took control in Late 2000 or early 2001 (if I'm not mistaken). I guess it's taken 6 years for them to get their resurgence organized.

[Maggie-Doodle]

I have to agree with you Bahlk...the gang problem started escalating again AFTER Chief Wynn came on board. I know for a fact that as long as Chief Landers and Sims were at the helm the gangs WERE actively sought out and dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. The N.E.T. was really a force to be reckoned with at that time. Since Mayor Dupree and Wynn took office, the N.E.T. team are the laughing stock of the police dept... just a cush job...it is not the N.E.T. officers fault but that of admin...when they put their foot down and prevent the officers from doing their job...welllll everyone sees now what happens! Gang mania...they tend to run wild! The Burg is terrorized. Although I agree that the problem has probably gotten worse since Katrina. There may be gang members from other areas who moved in and joined forces but if you check the ones who have been arrested...they are local hoodlums, pretty much born and raised around here. As far as I am concerned that excuse don't wash!

I found it very interesting that the gang meeting was held at Mt. Carmel Church! Rev. Fairley hosting and big time into the discussions....I really have to wonder, of all the churches in this town JUST WHY was that particular church picked to host the event? I don't suppose it could be because he might be the gang kingpin...or could it? Drugs found in the church, mortgage schemes....I don't recall any of the other churches in this town having sh** going on in it as Mt. Carmel does... Yep, makes me wonder!

[Maggie-Doodle]

nooskye, YES we have a juvenile detention center...but I will tell you something...it is hard as hell to get a youth court counselor to lock someone up...if it isn't major, major, major...IT WILL NOT HAPPEN most times...I would be willing to bet if you went down there now, asked the kids that are locked up where they live, the biggest percentage of them are being housed for other jurisdictions and are not residents of the Burg.

After having worked with the counselors for almost 10 years, I can tell you for the most part that place is a joke...it is 98% of the time, "turn them over to their parents!" B.S., IF most of the parents were concerned about what their kids were doing, they wouldn't be a need to lock them up in the first place in most instances. They handle the little thugs with kid gloves....after all they don't want to damage their little psyche!

[nooskye]

how much more twisted does things have to get?!?!? No room in the big person lock up and the youngin jail won't hold the children breaking the law either ... *sheesh* ... No wonder our streets are the way they are! :(

[Derrick B]

QM...isn't it obvious? It's all those no good, rotten scoundrels and thugs that have lighted in the area since Katrina. Our cheif has carried on the crack-down, but he's simply been overwhelmed by the deluge. :roll:

fuzzis(cheif) :shock: (chief) rofl

[fuzzis]

(cheif) :shock: (chief) rofl

Would you like a cookie? Or a star for the day?

I thought you weren't posting here any more because I'm SO MEAN. (said in my best Eminem voice)

:roll:

fuzzis

[Derrick B]

Would you like a cookie? Or a star for the day?

I thought you weren't posting here any more because I'm SO MEAN. (said in my best Eminem voice)

:roll:

fuzzis
:lolsign: I said mean, but more like rude! You have an Eminem voice? That's a scary thought.

[maxim]

Seems to me that I had heard that up until the last few months NET had been mostly arresting street level drug dealers. No effort was being made to go after gangs per se, just incidental to the drug dealing arrests. Lots of possession arrests, which were post-arrested and released on the spot. Not a lot of felony arrests for the effort.

Could that be indicative of a practice of discouraging gang efforts (which focus on particular persons) in favor of encouraging drug efforts (which focus on illegal behavior)?

Not saying one is better than the other, but seems to me you need both. The consequences of not making life difficult for gangs has been their growing strength. Pretty predictable, I'd think.

[LipsofanAngel]

I apologize, I looked on the HA website, but I can not find the article that I would like to refer to...

Something I found interesting was yesterday in the HA one of the gang focused articles was talking about all the positive things that gangs have done for the area (HA statement, NOT my own!)... So as long as the gangs are serving granny some food on occassion, then they're okay? Maybe if some (Wynn possibly or others) people weren't so accepting of this view then we would actually MAKE a way to crack down on it. Just a thought.

[wallbanger]

Wonder what it would take for some rich bigwig in 'Burg to donate a million dollars for a maximum security juvi pen instead of a new flower garden at USM?

[IGID]

The Juvenile Detention Center always has room to house delinquents. The problem is the Youth Court counselors giving the ok to lock them up in it.. Judge McPhail has a policy that the police must contact the counselor on call before we can transport them to the facility and, more times than not, they say release them to a parent.

[58ford]

If the City is running out of room tho house dangerous criminals, I've got a shovel & a sack of lime I'm willing to donate to the cause.

[cowgirl]

i am quite familiar with the happens in hattiesburg. hattiesburg does not really have gangs as the media and police speak about. we have young criminals. unfortunately, social workers, youth case workers, teachers and police officers accept the labeling of our young criminals as gang members. effective policing can shut all this down in 90 days, if the mayor, chief, preachers and so-called civil rights workers would let police work. they are not gangs! young thugs with some group connections. some drugs and thugery. they are not rooted with strong root systems. real police scare the sh__ out of these youngsters. apply pressure and they will fold. the image of ineffective policing CAUSE these young criminals to act more frequently and stronger. ESPECIALLY since "their mayor is BLACK".

[Maggie-Doodle]

Cowgirl, I wanted to disagree with you but did not want to give you neg. rep. I think you are wrong in your assessement of the kids in the Burg being gang members. I KNOW there are some who are just wannabees but I also KNOW there are some who are full-fledged gang bangers....I have worked with too many of them to believe otherwise...I think IGID would probably tell you the same thing.
Some of the kids want to put on a show but there are some that are very dangerous and would do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals..including kill someone...just maybe 6 years ago we had one gang member kill another one and I thought for sure their would be a gang riot in town...thank goodness it did not happen but you can be assured the funeral home and the area around it (across from the pd) had extra officers on patrol until after the burial and for several days afterwards. It was so bad that the civilain employees were told NOT to park behind the pd in case there was shooting while going to and from their cars to get to work or to go home.

[maxim]

So as long as the gangs are serving granny some food on occassion, then they're okay?

I wonder how Granny would feel about taking food from the hands of drug dealers who are robbing her grandchildren of their innocence?

Maybe the clergy oughta tell all the grannies out there that gang members sell drugs, steal peoples stuff, rob people by sticking guns in their faces and beating them down and maybe the grannies and the clergy should tell them they are NOT WANTED at the Goula festival or anywhere else in HBG.

Hey, Granny - where are your morals and ethics? Would you take a hot plate of food from a child molester?

Disclaimer - as far as I know, my grannies never got served food by any gang members.