Humpday Happenings...
Whatever happened to OUR GANG?
No, I'm not doing an expose' on the Spanky/Alfalfa crowd from the 1930s, although in retrospect, THEIR antics were a lot more palatable to our society than the recent spate of shooting deaths.

In less than THREE days, we've had SIX homicides (running total is now 9), and that even beats some of the murder capital rates (should this continue unabated). Even the FWPD are astounded that THIS could happen, as no one can seem to recall anything like this in recent history in this city.
It could be worse...it could be Philly, where the homicide rates typically are in the 400+ range. Oh, wait, we're not THAT LARGE a city, are we? We're barely over 250K, and nowhere near anything close to 2 MILLION. Still, if one looks at the per capita rate of homicides, we're closing in on the national averages real fast.
And why the hell IS that, you ask?
1) It could be the lack of boots (police) on the ground, but it's certainly NOT a lack of dedication. More police presence is warranted, that much is certain.
2) It could be the "race dance" that law-enforcement agencies have to ante up to whenever a specific part of the city is "watched" for CRIMINAL activity. The ACLU and the NAACP have seen to that, by allowing the police department to tip-toe on every shift, rather than walk steadfastly and perform good policing.
3 ) It could also be the fact that much of this city has been in denial over drugs and gang activity. If one were to do a lookup on the DOJ website as recently as 2000, one would SEE that gang threat activity (and drug threats) in Indiana has been assessed a LOT more correctly than our HOUSES have been. We're basically playing "catch-up" at this point in time, trying to defray a problem that has been allowed to become firmly entrenched. I guess we can thank Moses and Helmke for much of the societal debacle we currently "enjoy".
4) It could be the lack of motivational involvement by the black community to get their OWN people under control, and chase out the bad elements. NO amount of Prayer can take the place of some good community LEADERS that canvass neighborhoods, handing out literature, and otherwise educating their people to the destructive behavioral patterns exhibited by the youth in those areas (as well as many adults). This is now a multi-generational problem, and it will take as many generations to UNDO this clusterf$ck.
5) It could be the apathy by everyone else in problem areas that either can't be bothered to get involved, or are scared or intimidated into non-involvement by these thugs.
6) Or it could be a combination of ALL of the above.
And most likely IS.
Even Rev. Michael Latham is playing catch up, vowing to go into the neighborhoods and to the families seeking an end to this violence. Prayer alone ain't cutting it, Rev...time to try things differently. Chief York has already mentioned that FWPD intervention was tried at one victim's house (and since he is NOW a victim, we all know how well that was received).
People are all saying how unfortunate this is. Personally,
I think the opposite.
This is quite fortunate.
It's fortunate that these people are killing EACH OTHER at this point. What would be UNFORTUNATE is when they start shooting INNOCENT men, women, and CHILDREN (as occurs in cities with gang populations rivaling small towns). THAT would be very unfortunate.
If the general public had access to criminal records, they would find that (probably) ALL the victims had a "history" in the system. Contrell Brown (he was such a good boy) had a history (guess that open warrant is now closed), as did Adrian Carswell (another "good and loving person") who just happened to have 4 convictions of cocaine possession since 2002. Spare me the sobbing, people.
I said it before in many other posts right here...more drama than mama in their lives. Crocodile tears and homages on YouTube and MySpace...helluva legacy and epitaph for that gravestone, eh?
The FWPD has gone on record saying that 2 shootings WERE gang-related, but I would add that ALL of these killings have "some" tie-in to gangs.
Let's get real here; drugs are at the root of several of the shootings, and gangs are very much into drugs (and guns, cars, money, and women), so logic dictates that there MUST be an ancillary connection.
I recall a former "neighbor" (transient renter) that wore RED and BLACK exclusively, as did his "friends", and they fit all the parameters of what a drug house is. Never saw them busted once. In fact, they moved in the MIDDLE OF THE DAY last year...and they got out in a hurry. Wonder why?
We currently have another house in the area, also displaying signs of drug activity (like smoking blunts boldly out front in broad daylight). They also have people from out of state and Indy frequenting the house (let's say they've had hundreds of DIFFERENT vehicles at the place over the last year or so), and specific days of the month are busier than the rest. They displayed the SAME "MO" as a house occupied by the Thomas brothers (another popular drug name in Fort Wayne as are the Amours and the hardys). At least THAT house was closed down, and THOSE boys were gone from the area (maybe into yours).
You'd THINK when information is provided for FREE (detailed with cars, colors, etc) from CONCERNED citizens, that something would come of it eventually (drug investigations DO take more than the 44 minutes shown in a TV crime show...at least 6 months). Haven't seen anyone from any federal agency or local agency chatting them up for YEARS. Wonder why? On the one hand we have a city that WANTS people to come forward, while on the other hand we have a city that (apparently) summarily dismisses information provided on a regular basis. And that doesn't even include those who actually KNOW things but will not come forward. That's a whole other animal.
Case in point - on the Masterson St. shootings, there were two dead, one wounded, and the 2 killed are "John Does"???
WTF is wrong with that picture? The third guy DIDN'T KNOW them? C'Mon now, people. We're smarter than that, right? You hang with people and DON'T KNOW THEIR DAMN NAMES?
Curiouser and curiouser.
No amount of cajoling, pleading, or even threatening at this point will stop what has transpired in the past 72 hours, and it certainly cannot REVERSE it. If anything, it will steel the resolve of these gang members into doing more of the same. It might "cool down" for a spell, to defray suspicion, but much like the Hydra of Greek mythology, whenever you sever ONE head, another will return to take it's place.

What does amaze me in all of this is Mayor Henry's "Lip service to the populace" speech. Maybe ten years ago this was a fairly nice place to live, but not any longer. The ONLY "nice" thing about MY neighborhood is that my pistol is on my hip, and my shotgun is within reach...and woe to those who decide to screw with me...period!
In South side neighborhoods like mine (and Phil's) we SEE this crap going down regularly, with a blatant arrogance and cavalier attitude shown by these perps. And it will continue to NOT be this "nice" place until the foothold these gangs have in Fort Wayne is all but eradicated. And that will NOT happen overnight, even AT the pace these thugs are killing one another.
THAT is also unfortunate.
Whether it's the D-Boyz, the Eden Green Thugs, the Seven Figs, the KOD (Knights of Destruction), or even the Goon Squad (all local gangs), there is a higher "authority" at work in this city that these people aspire to emulate, and it most likely has affiliations to Chicago and/or L.A. gangs. It could be UBN or the BLOODS, or another of over THIRTY active gangs in Indiana.
And don't think they're limited to the inner city; that's just where all the "action" occurs. These people are moving into the suburbs at an alarming rate. The person living next door with the nice, new car, the "questionable" job and friends is probably into some serious $hit...you just don't know about it yet.
Now you can either be part of the solution, as in doing whatever is needed to get them OUT of YOUR area, OR...you can be part of the problem by doing nothing...or worse, moving away, and letting THEM win (and people ask why I stay here...lol). I will move when I am damn good and ready, and NOT when these thugs decide for me. And I will gladly provide them with a free visit to the nearest funeral home to back that up.
Sooner or later this cycle of violence will end, only to be supplanted with another.
The best that you can hope for is to NOT get in the way when these neophyte marksmen take to the street looking for their next victim, because incoming fire will ALWAYS have the right-of way.

It's not fatalism...it's REALITY.
And we ALL have to spend some time there...like it or not.