Info on Gangs, please....

[beautybelle]

Sorry I dropped the thread and ran but I went out of town for a few days.

Hubby doesnt want to leave because we have a really good job and those are pretty scarce right now. That and ALL our family is here and we have finally, after years of searching, found a great home church that we truly love.

All those are good reasons to stay I know, but Id leave tomorrow.

 

[Boo'sMom]

blue gang v. red gang usually means bloods v. crips

 

[wvjules]

I can handle the bloods and the crips but Ms-13 scares the crap out of me. Last year my DD started hanging out with the girls that lived in the apartment below us. Their older brother (I think) was a part of the enemy gang to MS-13. (MS-18 I believe) (there are several things that led me to believe this.) Anyway, I ended up sending my DD to NC to live with her dad to get her away from it before she really got in it. After I sent her away my car tires were slashed and a few days later it was stolen. I think it was retaliation for sending her away.

I started reading up on MS-13 and am confident that I made the right decison regarding moving my DD. They scare the crap out of me.

Gangs are scarey. If they are that bad in your area I would hightail it out of there. I moved and DD is back home with me now but the "what if" is scarey enough.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Thanks for the info, Kathi.

I love watching that show "Gangland" on The History Channel because I find the history behind why the gang got started, etc so fascinating.

It's all interesting until you see your house and car on the show. Our friends were watching an episode about some Chicago gangs and saw their car and apartment. That was the night they decided it really was time to move. Although they were well aware of all the gang activity there, it wasn't until they saw their stuff on the show that the went off.

 

[phorsenuf]

Can you see any kind of identifying marks? Tattoos, colors, numbers, patches? Anything like that that could be looked up.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

also juggalos are the guys that are routinely getting beaten up by real gang members... i havent seen a "juggalo" in years, i thought they all got tired of getting beat up every other day, but i might be wrong. And if you live in Oklahoma, you dont have gangs. you might have people that proclaim to be a gang, but believe me, a real gang they are not. take that same group to Long beach, or Compton, watts, Chicago, or NYC and see how long they last!

That doesn't mean they aren't just as dangerous to the community of which they are a part. Wherever the OP is from, she certainly can be scared of any group claiming to be or that is a gang.

Unfortunately, there is very real gang activity in this state (Oklahoma). Location is not a prerequisite when it comes to this.

Here is some info I got today. Its not much and I dont know anything about it but I was told that there is 2 gangs in the area now and they are the "blue gang and a red gang" whatever that is supposed to mean.

Someone said that I shouldnt carry a gun if I wasnt going to use it, well I can honestly say that if I have my kids with me then heck yes I would use it in a minute if I thought for one nanosecond that my kids were in danger.

Just bear in mind that if you are in a situation where someone can get the gun from you, it will not end well. I hope you are trained well before you decide to carry one.

 

[manning]

It really is interesting. According to their PR, most gangs started as "community service organizations" in order to make a better way of life for those who were living in harsh conditions in certain neighborhoods or to provide protection from others who were destroying the neighborhood.

Oh OH

 

[yoopermom]

Before we moved here to the hinterlands, I taught for a few years at an innercity middle school, and what finally broke me and made me leave was seeing the face of a middle school sp. ed. girl who was "initiated" into one of the local gangs. This girl had a low I.Q., no family life, and was raped (IMHO) by numerous guys in order to feel part of a gang. Having the boys show up all beaten up, but proud of having "passed" into a gang was bad enough, but what they did to those girls (shudder). I would not be as worried, as an adult, about living in that area, but, if I had kids, I'd be getting the heck out of Dodge...

Terri

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

been all over oklahoma, wasnt scared for a second. Maybe there are groups of people who claim to be a gang, but i didnt see one that posed a threat to me, they were laughable. Walk down the street at 1am in ANY city in oklahoma, then go do the same thing in watts, or harlem. You will realize very quickly what the difference is.

Really...you're going to be "gangier than thou?" I'd love to know how you judge an entire state. Please elaborate.

ETA: Just for good measure, I've lived in California and went to school in NYC. While the gang violence and crime may be higher in those locales, it by no means negates any violence in less populated areas of the country. Violence is violence.

 

[DalGal]

Their older brother (I think) was a part of the enemy gang to MS-13. (MS-18 I believe) (there are several things that led me to believe this.) ...
Gangs are scarey. If they are that bad in your area I would hightail it out of there. I moved and DD is back home with me now but the "what if" is scarey enough.

18th St. gang is the big rivalry with MS-13 in Central America. They are more hardcore but not necessarily as prevalent in some areas. I work at an inner city middle school in TN and there are many more Crips, Bloods, etc. than Hispanic gangs. Here, students aren't allowed to wear red or blue as part of their uniform.

The issues we have are the off-shoots. Many locals "divisions" have their own colors (orange, green, purple) depending on where they are located within the city. They don't generally follow the procedures/structures of the original organization. Each have their own hand signals, hand-shakes.

It probably would do no good to ask the police for info. They are usually very tight lipped as they don't generally want to acknowledge a gang problem. Our gang unit is called the "Crime Suppression Unit".

We have to be real careful about watching what the kids wear, say and write. Some things we look for besides colors: clothing (flags, suspenders), language ("wat's poppin'", "wat's crackin'", O.G.), what they write (BK, Piru, drawings of faces with tears). The sad thing is most of our kids know very little about the history of the gangs they claim. Most are just followers at this age.

 

[Shelton123]

18th St. gang is the big rivalry with MS-13 in Central America. They are more hardcore but not necessarily as prevalent in some areas. I work at an inner city middle school in TN and there are many more Crips, Bloods, etc. than Hispanic gangs. Here, students aren't allowed to wear red or blue as part of their uniform.

The issues we have are the off-shoots. Many locals "divisions" have their own colors (orange, green, purple) depending on where they are located within the city. They don't generally follow the procedures/structures of the original organization. Each have their own hand signals, hand-shakes.

It probably would do no good to ask the police for info. They are usually very tight lipped as they don't generally want to acknowledge a gang problem. Our gang unit is called the "Crime Suppression Unit".

We have to be real careful about watching what the kids wear, say and write. Some things we look for besides colors: clothing (flags, suspenders), language ("wat's poppin'", "wat's crackin'", O.G.), what they write (BK, Piru, drawings of faces with tears). The sad thing is most of our kids know very little about the history of the gangs they claim. Most are just followers at this age.

What's Poppin and What's Crackin does not tell you someone is in a gang... even if the phrases evolved from gangs, it doesn't tell you anything. It's common slang used among plenty of teenagers who I know aren't in gangs.

 

[imabrat]

What's Poppin and What's Crackin does not tell you someone is in a gang... even if the phrases evolved from gangs, it doesn't tell you anything. It's common slang used among plenty of teenagers who I know aren't in gangs.

I agree. Sorry but that's total bull. I say what's poppin' to my friends. Trust me - I'm about as white as they come. It's a joke.
That's kinda like saying anyone who uses the word "ya'll" is always from the South. I've used that word before and I've never lived more than 7 days in the South, and by the South I mean Florida.

 

[CathrynRose]

18th St. gang is the big rivalry with MS-13 in Central America. They are more hardcore but not necessarily as prevalent in some areas. I work at an inner city middle school in TN and there are many more Crips, Bloods, etc. than Hispanic gangs. Here, students aren't allowed to wear red or blue as part of their uniform.

The issues we have are the off-shoots. Many locals "divisions" have their own colors (orange, green, purple) depending on where they are located within the city. They don't generally follow the procedures/structures of the original organization. Each have their own hand signals, hand-shakes.

It probably would do no good to ask the police for info. They are usually very tight lipped as they don't generally want to acknowledge a gang problem. Our gang unit is called the "Crime Suppression Unit".

We have to be real careful about watching what the kids wear, say and write. Some things we look for besides colors: clothing (flags, suspenders), language ("wat's poppin'", "wat's crackin'", O.G.), what they write (BK, Piru, drawings of faces with tears). The sad thing is most of our kids know very little about the history of the gangs they claim. Most are just followers at this age.

My son calls Olive Garden the O.G. He's not in a Pasta Gang.

I don't know about the 'signs' youre looking for.

Quite frankly the OP's mention of Black Jacket's and piercing's made me roll my eyes, too. When I was in HS I wore lots and lots of black, red lipstick, my head was shaved.... and I hung with pierced pals. We were about as harmless as they came.

My son has hair longer than mine, an industrial ear piercing, an eyebrow ring...him and his friends are the 'good' group. The bad group (one of which died of a drug overdose a year ago December ) looks like the clean cut boys next door.

BUT - I think if youre a good parent, and keep a major thumb on your kids forehead's, you'll know everything they are or are not involved in.

Thats JMHO.

 

[RLccweems]

been all over oklahoma, wasnt scared for a second. Maybe there are groups of people who claim to be a gang, but i didnt see one that posed a threat to me, they were laughable. Walk down the street at 1am in ANY city in oklahoma, then go do the same thing in watts, or harlem. You will realize very quickly what the difference is.

Oh....OKC has gangs here...my DH is on the police department gang unit and trust me the gang members are not something to laugh about.

 

[Quacktatty]

Really...you're going to be "gangier than thou?" I'd love to know how you judge an entire state. Please elaborate.

ETA: Just for good measure, I've lived in California and went to school in NYC. While the gang violence and crime may be higher in those locales, it by no means negates any violence in less populated areas of the country. Violence is violence.

I'm totally going to start using the phrase 'gangier than thou' - awesome!

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

I'm totally going to start using the phrase 'gangier than thou' - awesome!

Thanks! That's definitely one for the urban dictionary.

 

[Kathi OD]

Hubby doesnt want to leave because we have a really good job and those are pretty scarce right now. That and ALL our family is here and we have finally, after years of searching, found a great home church that we truly love.

All those are good reasons to stay I know, but Id leave tomorrow.

To be honest, I don't think those are especially good reasons to stay exactly where you are. There has to be some neighborhood or community within a reasonable distance of where you are now that would allow you to keep your jobs, stay near family and church, and is not overrun with gang activity. Not being able to afford to move is one thing, but IMO, none of the reasons you gave should trump the safety of your children.

 

[castleview]

Oh....OKC has gangs here...my DH is on the police department gang unit and trust me the gang members are not something to laugh about.

God Bless him! We have a friend on the gang unit in Boca (yes, Boca) and I don't know how his wife sleeps at night.

It doesn't surprise me that gangs started as community groups. That's how the mafia got started in America...according to my grandfather whose dad was in it.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

according to the Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association they have an estimated 8,000 gang members in Central Oklahoma. how cute !

Wonder why you're so insistent on downplaying gang violence in non-coastal locations. Do you feel more important if you have more gang activity in your area? Does it make you feel better to scoff at "small town" violence? How does anyone's view of gangs in their hometown, home state, etc. effect you? I've told you why your comments bother me, but why do mine bother you?

 

[OK!]

Don't tell that to the gangs in Chicago (mid-America)! They would certainly give those NY and LA gangs a run for their money, and maybe even come out on top.

If you have a gang problem in your area, it's a problem, regardless of how much worse it is somewhere else. Gangs are notorious for doing exactly what you don't expect. If they don't try and control the 8,000 gang members they have in central OK now, before you know it there will be 100,000!

Saying that the problem isn't bad in OK because it is worse in NY or LA is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard.

MTE. The PP's "argument" is preposterous. As far as I'm concerned, if the gang activity is enough to cause someone to fear for the safety of himself or his family, then it's a problem. End of story. How much worse the gang activity may be somewhere else has absolutely squat to do with the situation.