The historic Cradock community in Portsmouth has made tremendous strides battling crime in the past year, thanks in part to the revival of a long-dormant neighborhood watch program. But a search warrant, filed in advance of a recent police raid, serves as a powerful reminder that the community's struggles aren't over yet.
This month, Portsmouth officers conducted a quick, early-morning raid of five houses in the neighborhood and, over the course of the day, arrested several alleged gang members. One man, a 20-year-old, was charged with recruiting juveniles for a street gang. Police indicated more arrests are coming.
In the search warrant, the officer in charge of the city's gang task force estimated there are 280 members of rival Blood gangs in Portsmouth, with many of them operating in Cradock. The gangs have divided the neighborhood into two terrorities.
A few months ago, Detective Ken Gavin described the growth of gang activity in Portsmouth to The Pilot's Janie Bryant and warned parents and residents not to dismiss young people who dress like gang members or display gang signs as mere "wannabes" pretending to be tough.
The activity is real, manifesting itself in a rash of burglaries and other crimes, as well as several fights in the past year between rival gang members in public settings, including Cradock's community commons, Afton Square.
The Police Department's aggressive effort to round up gang leaders is an an encouraging sign. With help from observant residents, there's hope the imaginary boundaries drawn up by the Bloods will soon disappear - along with the gangs.
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