John, your supposition that there is less gang violence because their is less conflict for territory is correct. Also when the heat of the shoot-ups of 97 brought U.S Attorney David Lillehaug armed with the BATF, DEA, and other Federal Agencies down on Gang leadership then the word went out that it was not alright to shoot to kill. A bunch of those "leaders" went away and the remainder knew what side of the bread their drug butter was coming from. It did not mean that there was that much less drug dealing, it just meant that the leadership exercised more control and dealing and gangs became more organized and effective.
The existence of those (now more organized) Gangs is the reason we continue to need the State's "Gang Task Force". Also, it is why I am glad that Captain Mike Martin is heading that Gang Task Force. Mike Martin is the best of the best cops in Minneapolis, and probably the most effective Police official serving Minneapolis at this time. Under then Inspector Brad Johnson, Captain Martin once cleaned the Whittier Neighborhood of drug dealing, and was directly responsible (with now Deputy Chief Sharon Lubinski) for re-organizing and making effective of the Third Precinct after years of disrepute. While Mike Martin would have made a wonderful Chief of Police, Minneapolis is fortunate to have him where he is. Minneapolis has wonderful police officers, who really do care and who do a great job. They are to be commended for the great job they do given that they are short handed. We just have about 200 to few of them John, your observation about 26th and Bloomington were correct the dealing is very organized and the uniform is correct. I see young Black men walking to work with their uniform shirt over their shoulder. I assume they don it when out of the Franklin area zone. They did make a showing last year, but apparently were warned so they moved back to 26th and Bloomington. The young boy assassinated at the Super America last year, was killed for violating and trespassing on that turf. Word on the street was that "Maniac" carried out the shooting at the order of some one called "Money". Money apparently thought he owned the Bloomington Ave. turf between 25th and Lake Street. While Gregory Reinhardt may be correct about the statistics, statistics only give a very distant snapshot of a City's problems. It is a bit like saying that in 1968 America was fighting a real war with hundreds dieing every day, so in 2004 a few Americans dieing in Iran is not much of a problem. For the families of those few young men that are dieing, statistics will not make them believe that a world shattering catastrophe has not happened. For the young man or woman ducking bullets and "RPG's" in Baghdad it is not much comfort to tell them they should not worry because statistics say they have not nearly the problem that the soldiers in Quang Tri City or Phoc Long experienced in 1968. For the family suddenly caught in the middle of a gunfight (or who have "Thugs" openly selling drugs all night on their corner), Mr. Reinhardt's statistics are not much comfort. For the family who has a child murdered, Mr. Reinhardt's statistics are NO comfort. For them, they have experienced a "World Catastrophe" that affects 100% of their family and 100% of their life. As long as we have even one street or corner in Minneapolis where open dealing is regularly occurring then the only statistic that matters is that our whole City has a drug and crime problem 100% of the time. Anything less is an insult to the concept of "Equal Protection Under the Law"! Until the children in the poor communities of color can enjoy the same safety and freedom from crime as the children in "Better" neighborhoods then using such smug statistics is a mockery. For the family that sits up all night with the fear that someone will be coming to shoot up their house the "SKY IS INDEED FALLING". As I recounted last spring Robert Cook and I spent every night for a week guarding and protecting a family who were being threatened by a drug gang. That family's only fault was being Indian and moving into a former drug house previously occupied by Indian drug dealers. Statistics did not comfort me when I heard a small girl seriously ask her Mother, "Are those bad people really going to come back and kill us tonight?" Imagine the same thing coming from a child of yours, or even one you know, and then tell me if you would comfort that child and that mother with statistics? No, we must all refuse to take ANY comfort from statistics while even ONE person in Minneapolis lives under the conditions that the residents of our "Impacted Neighborhoods" live under every day. For what ever happens to even the least of us happens to all of us. And statistics should not cover our shame for this. By the way those cowardly jerks called Surenos 13 have spray painted their logo on my stucco wall. Anyone have a suggestion of how to remove black spray paint from a stucco wall? I have tried brake cleaner, mineral spirits and even lacquer thinner and they have not worked. Such logos may be hazardous to health, because if I could catch one of these jerks I am sure he would take a lot of effort to restrain until the police arrive! I have heard such violent characters are so violent that they are sometimes injured while violently resisting such restraint. Jim Graham, Not comforted by Statistics in Ventura Village of the Phillips Community Planning District, the Third Precinct of the 6th Ward, in a City that prides itself on the quality of life REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 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