The Ongoing Effects of Utah and Americas Gang Crisis - Americas Gang Harm Denial Epidemic

The Ongoing Effects of Utah and Americas Gang Crisis -
Americas Gang Harm Denial Epidemic

Dear Elected Politicians, State, County, City Leaders, and School Administration as well as concerned community members;

As a very concerned citizen of the United States,

Please stop denying that we have a crime, gang, drug abuse addiction and overdose problem and other related social problems which stem from gangs and drugs. Denial that you were not aware of kids in public schools who are gang members starting at elementary school. Denial that for some reason we are immune to the effects of criminal gangs and that there cannot be any gang members in our everyday lives. Being that they frequently do exist in our homes, our churches, our neighborhoods, our schools and our workplaces.

First off, I applaud the efforts of the local and national law enforcement community who works with the gang problem daily here in Utah. I thank all of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Community nationwide for doing a much underappreciated difficult job. As a non law enforcement member of the Utah community; and having watched gangs spread successfully since about 1995; that in Utah and Nationwide much more needs to be done. The effects of gangs and the crime they are responsible for is extensive.

People may wonder why gangs are spreading in Utah, one of the best states in the U.S. The reason is very simple; we continue to provide them little resistance as law abiding citizens. The lack of resistance is seen as weak laws, weak enforcement and a lack of public awareness campaigns.

The law enforcement community is poorly staffed and there is little if any funding for gang units, and needed enforcement measures. Even prior to recent down turns in the economy many jurisdictions were lacking in resources to deter gangs. If we prioritized gangs in America as Domestic Terrorist we would be much better off as a society.

Why do I say Domestic Terrorists? They terrorize communities; they traffic in and sell drugs to kids. They continue to recruit kids now in elementary school to sell drugs and use drugs. They generate crime thru drive by shootings, crime to pay for drug habits. They rip apart families with drug related violence and domestic violence, abuse of children because of drug use. They terrorize poor, middle class and even upper class neighborhoods as the drug dealers and thugs become more powerful. There is an extensive gang drug cost to society as we all pay for the health system effects related to abuse and addiction, overdose. We all pay for extra security, graffiti removal, property damage, car theft and burglaries as our insurance rates increase. The property we worked hard for to keep depreciates in value as vandalism scourges our neighborhoods, and crime lessens our property market values.

These terrorist groups politely referred to as criminal gangs are in it for the money, the power grab, the turf control, and they do not care who gets in their way. They are smart and change as law enforcement gets closer to controlling them. They use weak laws to their advantage, as repeat felony level graffiti and vandalism goes without proper prosecution. They drive illegally modified vehicles due to lack of enforcement. They rarely get prosecuted with tough laws like the R.I.C.O. ACT and other harsh federal -like penalties, since many states continue to prosecute individuals and individual crimes only.

The weak enforcement and non enforcement of laws currently on the books is partially due to inadequate staff, but also to lack of adequate support of law enforcement by community leaders and politicians. The street knows that police officers cannot be everywhere always; the lack of community support also helps the gangs spread. Lack of community support sometimes goes on until a serious crime brings awareness.

They effectively spread power and influence in public schools at very young age utilizing basic gang attire and fashion gang related attire. Many schools do not teach required classes in gang deterrence or programs similar to D.A.R.E. or G.R.E.A.T. Many schools continue not to enforce dress codes whether by denial or ignorance of the need. The gangs avoid harsher penalties for gang and organized crime, left by gaps in the current laws. These terrorist criminal organizations spread by using the politically correct faces of church going, middle to upper class, non ethnic children to deal drugs in public schools and elsewhere. An example of the perfect public school drug dealer: If lil Johnny a white kid from well educated white parents living in the finest neighborhoods, who goes to church, is the correct front for their gang (as a politically correct figure head leader) of the gang, then when he is recruited the parents usually are clueless. The neighbors and family are clueless as he dresses in Hip Hop Street fashion styles, and modifies his car and clothing attire, and begins to reap the financial rewards of gang affiliation. Take me to your poorest and wealthiest neighborhoods, I will show you the gang activity. No socio economic group is immune to gang presence.

The denial of a gang problem continues to harm us overall as a society. The gangs in Utah are as diverse and varied as the ice cream at your favorite ice cream parlor. Before the Olympics we had most of the gangs, now I can document all of the major gangs of the U.S.A. and many hybrid gangs who dominate areas of Utah.

In Utah when traveling the high speed light rails system: TRAX light rail system on the entire route please notice the many tagger individual and group graffiti artist vandalism incidences. There is as well the gang related frequent graffiti vandalism which coincides with the high visibility area along the TRAX route. These can be prosecuted if the politicians would support the cause. They usually always violate the felony level graffiti vandalism laws on the books. They can be researched and the perpetrator/ perpetrators identified. This is very simple since most have a distinct style, and usually sign for the gang graffiti with a street name (moniker).

And what is the cost to society in graffiti vandalism cleanup. It has to exceed more than $100,000 just in Salt Lake County Utah if you take into consideration the labor and paint cost, fuel to and from the sites etc. What is the actual cost when neighbors have to buy paint and equipment and devote time to vandalism damage?

What I have studied for many years is the overall growth in population of gang members and the related drug crime trends that have spread out across the entire state. The sheer volume of ongoing calls to law enforcement by citizens requesting services that are due to the crime perpetrated by gangs in our communities. These calls frequently are from innocent citizens caught in the middle of gangs who are rivaling over turf. These incidences are paid for ultimately in the loss of innocent lives, property devaluation, and quality of life overall as neighborhoods become blighted. (Gang/Drug crime is typically the majority of the crimes experienced in this state and nationwide.)

This past year we saw the loss of a little angel within our community, an innocent victim. Since then unfortunately more lives have be scarred and lost. At age 7 she was an innocent drive by shooting victim, and I attended her memorial and it was incredibly sad. The reality of many of Utah gangs is the ongoing family disruption that stems from years in the gang. There is also the disruption of families because of drug addiction and crime. Utah has a bad ten year history of drug abuse and addiction, most of the drugs dealt directly by gang members. Salt Lake City has seen huge spikes in specifically in Crack Cocaine, as well as ongoing seizures of Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine Powder, and other drugs. Remembering that Utah was originally one of the highest meth lab seizure states and the epidemic of meth addiction still lingers many years later with record numbers of women on methamphetamine.

Utah gangs spread throughout the state from urban to very rural areas just like in the rest of the United States. The influence of gangs can bee seen in what is considered model areas of conservative society. They are evident in HAPPY VALLEY THE MOVIE, a film about drug addiction in very young children in very conservative non minority areas – Utah County. When kids do not get illegal access to Rx drugs they frequently switch to or co abuse heroin. Street Heroin trafficked in by criminal terrorists groups = gangs.

Thanks also the news media community, without you this would be mostly obscure except for those closest to the impact. Thank you to HBO and History Channel.com, as well as MSNBC, and BET for programs about gangs and the influence of drugs in society. Thank you for continuing to educate society on the harm of criminal gangs.

The gang and subsequent drug crime appears as violent crime, drug addiction/ abuse, as well as property crime such as car prowls/ break ins, smash and grabs, vandalism, and larceny and burglary to fund drug abuse and gangs. We also as a society in Utah fail to address the social problems which stem from the gang intimidation in areas. The aftermath of what happens when children are afraid to go to schools or walk thru neighborhoods etc. The individual and social impact of lower education quality.

For politicians that are playing the denial of any crime problems card, please attend public school with teachers who work with at risk youth. I will personally be willing to tour you around Utah to public schools to see the gang members attending, and the influence of the gang members on the peer pressures at the school. To do so lets go from the wealthiest of neighborhoods to the poorest and from big city to small town and county schools. Please do this for the sake of our kids, and the sake of our beloved state.

Sincerely,

As seen on the websites:
www.Policelink.com, Speforums.com, Firelink.com, ksl.com, Salt Lake Tribune.com, etc

NON LE.O. Always advocating for proper funding and staffing of Public Safety

Utahganggraffitimethresearcher

Tmkjusticestudies