Long Beach Could Always Follow the Example Of Chief de Werk But They Will Probably Get A Lot of Grief If They Do

There are more gang shootings on a daily basis than you would ever want to know about or guess. However, Thursday there was a gang shooting in Long Beach, Ca that infuriates me not only because a 17 year old boy was brazenly murdered in broad daylight across from a police sub-station but also because I know this is not going to be the last time a mother loses a son to a  bunch of  thugs and the effort of law enforcement  agencies to try and really address this on-going increasing gangster terrorism is likely to be met with grief and distortions from the media and ridiculous groups such as the ACLU.

 

    From A Plea For Peace : 

...A gang injunction against the West Side Longos was revived in December. It bars active gang members of one of Long Beach's oldest and most notorious Latino street gangs from engaging in a host of activities in an area bordered by the Terminal Island (103) and Long Beach (710) freeways, Hill Street and PCH. Since then, the police department has served more than 60 warrants and arrested about eight gang members. A West Side Longo Task Force of four officers patrols the area in addition to the two beats that cover the area 24 hours a day, Kilmer said. Despite those efforts, a cluster of Westside residents gathered Friday at the corner where Williams collapsed and criticized the city for not doing enough to stop the long-standing problem of violence. Parents of Cabrillo High students said they are fed up with their children navigating streets that resemble war zones. "These kids have to walk to school in a certain code," said one parent, who identified herself as Ms. Bey. "They're not in Afghanistan or Iraq, but they may as well be.

...City Council members Tonia Reyes Uranga and Bonnie Lowenthal, whose districts cover the area of the slaying, said a day of dialogue has been scheduled at the high school for Saturday, March 5 at 9 a.m. "I am standing here to say that this community is united," Uranga said at a press conference held at the Police Department's West Division Station. "Latinos, African Americans, Asians, Anglos, we are all united, and we will not let this violence divide us."

    There really is more to quote that is relevant to the point I want to make but I am just a bit distracted right now. So let me jump over to Police Chief Art de Werk of Ceres, California and the gratitude he & his department are getting from the media and ACLU in trying to stymy the domestic terrorism of gangs just as these residents of Long Beach want law enforcement to do.
    First Crystal Gettin' Techy With It ( video of news story ran by local TV-full of misleading distortions). Look who was watching (ACLU Letter to Chief de Werk)and mentions in the letter the request for policies and procedures came from watching the MEDIA REPORTS.

     In Chief de Werk's Op-ed piece in Modesto Bee 2/18/05, he does an exemplary job of politely and appropriately calling the media to task and requesting their assistance. Look at the e-mail forwarded to him (emphasis mine):

From: Fred Herman & Mary Menz [mailto:hermenz@ainet.com]
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 3:00 PM
To: stanaclu@yahoogroups.com
Subject: reaction to Op-Ed from De Werk
Unbelievable! The good Ceres police chief must really believe that  the media are picking on him instead of cheer-leading for him, and he doesn't have a clue that the "anti-establishment" ACLU is not defending The Bad Guys but the American constitution. The good chief is wrong about police being accountable to *any*one  but possibly city officials who sign paychecks. The good chief seems to feel that a kid's choice of companions somehow affects his credibility. He seems to imply we shouldn't believe brutalized youngsters if  or because they hang with gangs. "Finally, our concentration on a certain neighborhood in Ceres is not discriminatory. " Oh hell no. Nor did Hitler necessarily focus on ghettoes; that's just where the Jews lived.

    Ahem...I wouldn't say from reading the op-ed piece Chief de Werk feels the media are "picking on him"...I would say he is  rightfully asking the media to be responsible and accountable for their work the same way the ACLU is asking de Werk and law enforcement agencies to be responsible and accountable for their work in protecting all citizens.
    Ahem...I would say the chief is far from alone in "feeling a kid's choice of companions effects his credibility." In fact, the gangstas I work with and know, live and act on that exact feeling and thought!
    Quite telling isn't it that this:  ADL Applauds the City of Ceres Police Department for Arresting White Supremacist for Hate Crime didn't garnish the well-deserved attention of the ACLU and the media.
    Let me make it Crystal Clear ane please pay attention, media, ACLU, and special interest groups, this blogger, the public and law-abiding citizens want responsibility and accountability from you and we are most definitely watching.

 

 

Comments

"Parents of Cabrillo High students said they are fed up with their children navigating streets that resemble war zones. "These kids have to walk to school in a certain code,"

Although High School is almost like ancient history to me I remember the start of gang violence at Channel Islands High School many years ago when my brother was assaulted by four hispanic young men for not helping one of their number cheat on a test. Lucky for my brother that they did not have weapons and that his older brother (yours truly) was there to stop them. My parents reacted by moving us out of that school district. Nowadays there is no place to run to. Violence is everywhere and with the weak disipline of both today's parents and authority I see the results damaging this generation, maybe beyond repair.

[Alnot]

That last post was me. I hit the post button and realized my info was not there. Alnot

[Maddie Dog]

Geesh - so glad I moved away from that zone. How any of those groups address violent gangs like that can be summed up in three states: (1) you support violent gangs, or (2) you are against violent gangs, or (3) you don't care since they don't effect you.

Groups like the ADL and ACLU could just as easily direct their constitutional efforts against these thugs as they do for them.

When will the good people get control back? When will the good people be able to walk along their residential streets down there without fear? Don't the good people have constitutional rights? Where is the ACLU to protect those constitutional rights?

[Ferdinand T. Cat]

Unfortunately, Maddie, I'm afraid that physically, the ACLU live far from the blighted areas where gangs rule, and mentally, they're still living in the Fifties.

[Alnot]

LOL The last time they had an orginal thought was in the fifties, unfortunately they are still trying to 'progressive' us back to being Goths and Vandals.

[D Brooks]

I guess I have a difficult time understanding how everything got so turned around. The police are the bad guys because they chase down criminals, but we as citizens and they as police aren't allowed to think there is a problem with being a ganstah?

Sounds to me like the inmates are starting to run the asylum.

DB

[Gregory Nashif]

Hey

Nice site, your picture album is full of cutie pies, eh? Love the articles as well. Saw you on Traffic Pods, keep up the good work...Man, your blog is looking better all the time.

One suggestion, change the font color in the left sidebar as black is difficult to read against the dark blue, use the neon blue, (that is the real bright one), or white. Or change the sidebar color to a lighter blue.

Blessings Always

Gregory

["chito"]

you know, im from the west side of LB and i grew up with the WSL and am family to one of the "shot callers" i lived on the corner of Canal st and 19th. ive seen plenty but if it wasnt for my family gang member i would have never left. they know what they do but its a culture to them. its a way of life and acceptance. he accepted me but he taught me that you make your way of life. im not fighting a war on the streets of long beach, but i do fight a war here in the United States Air Force. i made that my way of life because someone who was killed taught me i could.

[J Wilson]

It's plain to me the gangs are part of what's ruined Long Beach. One reason why I left my home town, and won't go back. After the developer greedheads crapped out the city and the beach the gangs moved in. Much of Long Beach is so bad that sensible folks wouldn't live there. Or even drive through except with doors locked and something in the car.Use the conspiracy laws against the gangs & toss them all in jail.

[Witness]

I have seen too much stuff that goes on in Long Beach and I can say that the "17-year old innocent boy" was not so innocent. He was a member of the West Coast Crips and it was a gang related shooting not just an innocent kid caught in the crossfire. He was claiming his gang and things happen when you want to do that.

[serio]

i am indeed a gang member of WSL i had lost everything but i made it through every day by my family always being there for me my girlfriend elena always lookedout for me and the homies wich i cant forget about good lookin out to all the homies stay west up to all the mothers that had a past away kid well its just that LONGO life.