Nisa Marckese
English 114 B
Professor Jordan
February 12, 2013
Gangs,
Drugs, and Power
Gang violence and drug abuse has been a huge problem in
Los Angeles, CA for years. The United States have been dealing with the Bloods,
Crips, MS-13, 18th Street Gang, and even little smaller street gangs
that have now become problems nationwide. A gang is a group of people who take part in
an internally run organization that involves illegal acts of crime and
violence. There are different types of gangs all over the United States
fighting and standing up for all types of issues but the gangs we are most
familiar with are the ones that are affiliated with drug smuggling/ usage,
violence, and even death. Gangs are like countries within themselves usually
with rules and regulations each member must abide by and if they do not comply
with the rules the member must pay the consequences. Gang violence and drug abuse in Los Angeles
can best be prevented by hiring more police officers to patrol and control the
city, motivational extracurricular activities to motivate gang members to
participate in positive group activities, more rehabilitation centers for drug
abuse and education, and to promote and make people aware of the negativity
that gangs bring into environments.
In
America we have police to help serve and protect us from dangerous things such
as gangs but do we have enough police to control the problem gangs bring to
neighborhoods? If Los Angeles were to increase the number of police that patrol
the areas gangs control then gangs could see that police department is sending
out more patrols which could potentially reduce their violence, and drug
dealing. According to this article, “Baltimore police focus foot patrols on
violent areas” published by Wbaltv.com, Baltimore police have come up with a
strategy to control violence and crime that Los Angeles police should consider
using. Anthony Guglielmi, a police spokesman who was quoted in the article
stated, "You'll see officers
walking on foot in various neighborhoods. You'll see officers driving with
their flashers on,” (Wbaltv.com) which tells me that these men are taking the
extra precautions to make their city a safer environment by patrolling on foot
around neighborhoods where they suspect gang rivalry is the cause of violence
and illegal drug acts. It might not even have to be an everyday routine for
police but once or twice a week would be sustainable enough to make gang
members aware that there are being measures taken to take them down.
Extracurricular activities are usually activities people
do for fun on their free time. However, if Los Angeles created extracurricular
activity programs for gang members to come together and bond in a positive way
doing activities such as, sports, hiking, etc., without including violence and
drugs then Los Angeles’ streets will be free of gangs. This would be helpful
for gang members because it will force them to socialize and be friendly toward
one another despite their past differences. Parks and Recreational sports is a
prime example of a program that includes extracurricular sports, dance classes,
and fitness classes that people can participate in. Los Angeles could create a
program similar to the way cities Parks and Rec’s are run to send these gang
members to so they can potentially learn how to work together, form healthier
relationships and stay off the streets. A program called The V2K Helper
Foundation, which is currently in Los Angeles, is an example of a program that
helps gang members focus on bettering themselves through “counseling,
mentoring, parenting classes, anger management and life-skills training, after
school activities such as sports, art programs and field trips,”(Helperfoundation.org).
This program also helps control problems between gangs and solves rivalry issues
by holding multiple interventions. It will even offer job training if a gang
member is in need of a real job instead of dealing drugs as a form of income.
Drug
rehabilitation is usually for people with serious drug addictions and if most
gangs sell drugs illegally they are most likely consuming them as well. Not
saying each gang member needs serious drug rehabilitation but for some gang
members drug awareness is necessary and they should know the harmful plus the
illegal side of dealing and taking drugs. For gangs, dealing drugs is the
quickest and easiest way to make money but also dangerous. When selling drugs not
only do they have to worry about law enforcement catching them but they also
have to worry about rival gangs coming after them. This website called
TheGoodDrugsGuide.com which talks about gangs and their affiliation with drugs
and alcohol and numerous ways to treat these gang members. According to the
website, “it’s not easy reaching out to a young person involved in a gang and
helping them overcome their dependence on drugs or alcohol. The process is a
challenging one because: image is everything, an acceptance of drug and alcohol
abuse, and retribution” (thegooddrugsguide.com). Having being in a gang comes
with a lot of power. Looking tough and remaining loyal is an important image to
keep when being in a gang and showing any signs of weakness will get them on
bad terms with other members. They always say the only way to fixing an
addiction is first admitting you have one. The acceptance of drug and alcohol
abuse is common in gang members because they think it is okay but once they
hear other perspectives it makes it difficult for them to comply. Retribution
is a very serious thing amongst gang members because there’s usually no way out
of being a part of the gang unless they kill you and that’s usually another
reason why it is hard to give it up. The website also lists the benefits of
going through rehabilitation, “they have a much clearer perspective on life
that shows them how precious life is, and how many options await them outside
of the gang” (thegooddrugsguide.com).
Gang
awareness is not something usually seen on television being promoted. Most
people know that gangs are terrible enough to stay away from and to try not to
get involved with them or to be caught in the cross fire. To be able to control
the problem in Los Angeles promoting gang awareness about the negative effects
it has on members and on neighborhoods should be considered as well. Running
commercials advertising programs that help support gang members through
becoming clean and changing their lives is one route Southern California could
make.
Not
every member of a gang is necessarily trouble. There could potentially be members
of a gang who maybe did not have a choice to join or not and were simply raised
and brought up around people who affiliated themselves with gangs. As soon as these
children were old enough to kill or join they forced and what would be the consequences
of saying no? Could it be death? Or maybe it would be a brutal beating. However,
just because these members were potentially forced into the gang does not make them
as bad as those who join for the wrong reasons.
Gangs
and their affiliation with drugs and violence in Los Angeles is a very serious
problem and have been for many years. Most gangs which started off small in Los
Angeles have now spread throughout the United States. By increasing police,
introducing more ways to promote gang awareness, offer extracurricular
activities, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation are all ways to eliminate gangs
and make the streets of Los Angeles a lot safer.
Works
Cited
"Baltimore Police Focus Foot Patrols On Violent Areas."
Editorial. Http://www.wbaltv.com.
N.p., 28 Nov. 2012. Web.
<http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/Baltimore-police-focus-foot-patrols-on-violent-areas/-/10131532/17575448/-/wjuo5a/-/index.html?absolute=true>.
"Gang Affiliated Drug and Alcohol Treatment." Gang Affiliated Drug and Alcohol Rehab
Centers.
Thegooddrugsguide.com, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/drug-and-alcohol-treatment/population/gang-affiliated-treatment/index.htm>
"V2K H.E.L.P.E.R. Foundation." H.E.L.P.E.R. Foundation Provide Gang Intervention
Prevention Services. Helperfoundation.org, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. <http://helperfoundation.org/programs.html>.
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