Police report says 67 street gangs are active in Norfolk

Tax the gangs at a 50% rate. They will see that being in the gang is not as lucrative then they'll get real jobs and only have 1/3 of their pay taken in taxes.

This is a WIN WIN... The developers get more money to build unneeded developments, city council gets a flood of revenue, and homeowners get their homestead act reduction with no complaints by the city...

Maybe we can just put these guys on the city council so they can see what being a real industrious criminal is like and how they can legally take money from people to line their wallets...

Or we can just enforce the laws, round them up, and throw away the key... then put them on public display so other would be gang members can see what will happen to them if they join a gang...

But I like my first option better ;-)

Where is the leadership from Paul Riddick on this? Not his problem, right? It must be the police's fault!!

The answer to gangs? Beat them with hams!!

to finally admit Norfolk has a gang problem? The writing has been on the wall for years, but at the count of 67 gangs our City Council and police finally want to admit there is a problem. Virginia Beach CC will tell you they don't have a gang problem. Yeah right! It isn't just Norfolk, but since I live here that's my concern. As I recall, and I know I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, isn't Norfolk's PD hurting for officers? With 67 gangs, Norfolk can't afford to have very many PD positions that need to be filled. The Judges are to weak, the laws are not severe enough, and jail seems to be a right of passage. Parents of juvenile gang members should be held responsible for their under-age kids and PUNISHED. Juvenile gang members need to be tried as adults and stop the nonsense of detention with no record. This is a problem for every law abiding citizen, and the police should be called every time we see a potential problem. If the police don't respond, your next call should be to the Major. It's time to be proactive!

"Most of the people commenting over there seem to think the police are the problem with our society and they want to limit their ability to enforce laws. We need to remember the police are in a very dangerous situation these days and we need to support them even when things go wrong, which in that business, is eventually going to happen."

Apples and oranges my friends. The problem with that scenario is that the police appear to have been voilating a persons rights, not protecting them. When the choice comes to it being ok to kick in peoples doors wit hno credible evidence, and me having to ward off gang members myself, my odds of survival are better with the gang members. So when the "gang member" kicks in your door, I assume you will be sitting there calmly asking them if they mean you harm?

These people do not arrive on this planet by magic and join gangs. The problem lies in a large segment of our community that is lost in a vicioius cycle of self defeatism, irresponsibilty and denial. I would say hold parents responsible also but then again parenting is a skill best learned from parents so if you are generation 3 or 4 of this vicious cycle then you have no clue. Society cannot help or stop what is happening to this segment of our population they must learn to help themselves.
I personally am sick and tired of my tax money (as much as 41% on a OT paycheck) being wasted on people who put no effort forth to help themselves. How about fixing the drainage on my street with my tax money!

The majority of gang members are cowards. They can't fight so they're quick to pick up a gun.

I grew up here. Our local brood of gang members are wimps. They are the guys who need someone to watch their back. Most gang related crimes you hear about here are done in groups. This is becasue the are cowards and wimps. They see that that certain groups are scared when the y are called a gang.

I say(for those that are able)to provoke them. When they react, beat them down or kill them. Thy will not come back in numbers. They are only in a gang becasue they cannot stand on their own two feet. Add that and their identity problems and you have wimps. Any surfer will break the nose of a cigarette puffin', malt liquor drinkin', fat girl dating 'gangster.

Those movies that are quoted below take place in LA. Why not take a bus full of these local losers and drop them off in Compton. Heck, why go that far? Let's just drop them off 2 blocks outside of the tourist areas in Philly and watch them scream for their mommies while they are getting their shoes and jackets taken.

It's interesting the different tone that people have with regards to the police depending on the subject. I think some of you should comment on the articles about Ryan Fredrick and Det. Shivers. Most of the people commenting over there seem to think the police are the problem with our society and they want to limit their ability to enforce laws. We need to remember the police are in a very dangerous situation these days and we need to support them even when things go wrong, which in that business, is eventually going to happen.

I live in the Norview/East Norview area and have seen evidence of gang activity for years. Spray paint symbols can be found all along the streets off Norview Ave. - things like "HM" and "Hill Mafia" are quite prevalent these days. From training I received through the school system (I also teach in Norfolk) gang officers said that if graffiti remains up for three days, then the gang depicted in it claim the area as their "territory." Who would be responsible for cleaning it off of street signs and fences?

There are constant reports of violent crimes in the news and often there is little follow-up, which leads me to believe the actions are random and may be gang related. For example, the nice lady that worked at Botanical Gardens and was found dead in her Fox Hall home last month. Police didn't release details about her cause of death other than "there were obvious signs of trauma." Was it a random act of violence, possibly gang related?

The public needs to be informed of when/where these crimes occur so we can better prepare and protect ourselves.

Is that you can charge someone with anything you want, but the legal system fails at every turn. There are too many slick lawyers, too much fear by the witness(es) to prosecute, not enough police to patrol some of these places and still do the job elsewhere, no more room in prisons, and politically correct wishy-washy judges who don't give out the sentences some of these people deserve. There was a time when prison was a place to fear in this country, now it's just another stop on to bigger and more violent crimes.

I am glad to see Norfolk getting tough on these gangs. And I am glad these low-life animals are being charged with serious crimes and will hopefully serve long prison sentances. If they are recruiting those under 18, then they should also be charged with child endangerment as well. To the critics who ask what took so long to cracking down on these gangs: you try and do better! You try and do a quicker investigation and process! I hope the potential gang members and/or those that are in the gangs currently, realize that they will only end up in one of three places: 1. The hospital; 2. Prison; 3. The graveyard. And as an added note: if they are using a "31 second beat-in"(or other form of initiation) to initiate those under 18, then they should be charged with criminal child abuse. The gang uses violence in order to gain respect, yet it's not real respect at all. If they want real respect, the gang members need to get real jobs!

Councilman Anthony L. Burfoot said the city seems to be waking up to its gang problem. What has taken so long to wake up? I applaud the police agencies joining forces to get some positive results. Our police departments should be fully funded to handle the "BIG" problems within cities. Gangs, drug trafficking, gun running and all violent crime should become a main focus. Here in Chesapeake, if our city council gave as much attention to the crime in South Norfolk as it does new Economic Development projects, I am quite sure we could reduce the amount of shootings that have occurred. Crime is like a disease, if you take too long to "wake up" in preventing it, it will spread to other communities. Thank you to all the brave men and women who put their lives on the line everyday to keep us safe, I am hoping that you will become more compensated for your valiant efforts.

Thanks, Steven, for further devaluing the word "terrorist." A terrorists is someone who attacks civilians to create fear to further political or idealogical goals.

Since 2001 the trend has been to label as terrorists nearly everyone we don't like. When gang members murder, assault or steal, their motivations are far more mundane than political change - they steal from you because they want your stuff, they kill you because they want you dead.

I'm sure we can sit and coin new phrases all day long - neighborhood terrorists for gangs, tax terrorists for tax evaders, highway terrorists for speeders, and so on - but Virginia has perfectly good murder, rape, assault, robbery, etc. laws. How about we save the terrorism laws for the terrorists?

A friend called the police due to 5 young baggy pants fellows congregating recently late at night on the corner near his house in Bay View. It turned out one of the guys didn't want to talk to the police who came by to check them out and he got a little mouthy and they all ended up being detained and frisked. 4 of the 5 had illegal guns on them and were arrested.

If we don't report suspicious behavior, they will multiply. I asked a cop recently if we, as concerned citizens, should report guys hanging out, not doing anything in particular besides looking shady and perhaps standing in the street staring down the odd passing motorist. His response was, "Absolutely. If you inconvenience them, they will go somewhere else."

Take charge fellow citizens and if you're afraid of retribution, don't tell anyone you're the one calling the cops! Just do it and keep your mouth shut. Things used to be settled in OV with fists but fists can't stop the bullets the thugs/cowards are using now.

illicit

Poverty, Parenting, and Peer Pressure are the reasons that people/kids join gangs. The War on Drugs is what supplies these gangs with the largest flow of cash. Just as with Prohibition of Alcohol, a black market for illegal drugs is dominated by thugs that are getting wealthier by the second, for every one we lock up two are ready to replace him. We need to treat addiction as a medical condition, legalize and regulate illcit drugs, and put an end to this DESTRUCTIVE War.

What the gangs need is a little street justice from the police.
In the past a little street justice served as a great deterrent to criminal activity. Sometimes you just need to cross that politically correct line. Let the street officers use their own creative enforcement.

Sometimes being proper has to be overlooked for the greater good of the community then when the problem is solved return to normal proceedures.

Boyz N Da Hood
Menace II Society
South Central
Colors

Just a few movies from the late 80s and early 90s that centered around gang activity in the inner-cities. One way to combat gang violence is to understand the source of the activity. Why do young kids get involved in gangs?

As soon as that question is answered, then you can begin to combat it and stomp it out.

An unoccupied mind. Lack of ambition. Lack of goals. Lack of morals. Are all primary traits in the ideal gang recruit.

unreal. How many are in each city? No WONDER people are shooting each other every day and night. No wonder there's so much violence on the streets. No wonder the youths are looking like they do -- they're prepping for their gang entry, if they're not in one already. Hampton Roads is just one big project.

A delegate could introduce a bill that increases the 31 second beating time to a full six minutes, or until the prospective member taps out. If getting a 31 second beating is all it takes to be a gang member, then, by default, I have been a gang member since I was a child, thanks to my brothers. I lived in Los Angeles for over a year and know the signs of gang activity only too well. "If you want to know if there is gang activity in your neighborhood, then read the writing on the wall....that you can't read." author unknown

The fact here is that to change this situation, it will take a combination of social change and law enforcement. Police have a role to play, certainly, but cannot solve this problem alone. It will take a determined effort by the communities and families where these gangs come from. I work everyday with teens and I can tell you first hand that many, not the majority, but many of our young people think gangs and guns are cool. They get that impression from the many forms of media that are getting rich on their blood, but also from so-called adults in their neighborhoods and families who feed them that image. And just to be clear, it may be seen as more prevelant among certain races, but it runs through all races and classes.

The danger is there for all of us and we must all get together to solve it.

Most black gangs are not gangs , just a small group of confused attention hungry blacks that need a real family.

These gang members are no more than neighborhood terrorist and should be prosecuted using the terrorist laws that are available. Send them to prison for the entire length of their sentence. The police should be terrorizing the terrorist. If they have a name, they should be going to their home and notifying them, their parents if they are juveniles and enlightening them to the penalties for their participation. They should also be told of the determination of the police to stomp out gang activities and let them know that a file, and an investigation has begun on them to determine their involvement. Confront and intimidate these hoods. Do unto them as they do unto the community! If you have intelligence about one of their meetings, attend it, with force. Make them go somewhere else, or to prison. If they are prosecuted, NO PLEA DEALS! Get tough and hard.