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Thanks for the tips. I do carry a small flashlight but it’s no weapon. I’ll look for something bigger to carry. If things continue to deteriorate I’ll ask around to see if there’s interest in a tenants’ association. It’s a big complex and some people have lived here over 10 years. They don’t want to see it go down the drain.
The weird \”symbol\” on my building isn’t really a symbol, but writing that kind of looks like a crossword puzzle. There’s lots more on another building apparently but I didn’t see that before it got removed. I originally thought that the scarecrow was a drawing that I hadn’t seen yet, but it was an actual scarecrow! That supposedly means someone is marked for death. The only other thing I could make out is CMOZ and the f-word. I think the gang they’re attacking is Los Locos, or maybe that’s the individual they’re targeting. They painted over that. There’s also a \”southside\” gang that’s apparently active around here
I kind of hope these are the machete people, because at least machetes don’t penetrate windows and kill little kids!
response to gangs
Unfortunately the environment you are seeing in your neighborhood is one that those of us in law enforcement are seeing to much of.
I would encourage you to contact your local police agency to see if they are \”working \” your area. Hopefully they have some sort of task force that is being as proactive as they are reactive. Unfortunately, task forces such as these are limited in their scope sue to budget restraints, etc.
I do admire what you said about the posiblity of owning a firearm. I fully support the lawful citizens 2nd ammendment rights to keep an bear arms and at the same I want to see someone exercise these rights with common sense. A firearm takes a great deal of time to use to learn correctly, and I’m not just talking about shooting. Proper cleaning, safe storage for when it is not with you and personal weapon retention are just a few of the considerations one must take into account when considering a firearm for defense and/or sporting purposes.
There are many self defense options that have already been presented to you. The ASP batton, knife, kubotan, etc. Whatever you choose for you self-defense, whether empty hand or weapon, take the time needed to become proficient with it. Once you learn the basics, practicing 15 minutes/day for 3 days/week will help your confidence and maintain the basic skils you have required.
With all that being said keep in mind the vicious, violent assaults that are happening today, whether gang-related or not, one needs to practice evironmental self-defense as well. Park in lighted areas, survey the lot before parking your vehicle or before leaving a locked area to go to your vehicle, move in pairs, etc. Predators are looking for helpless victims. As you learn more about situational/environmental self-defense, you will emmit a level of confidence that would-be attackers will think twice about.Re: Are there gangs in your neighborhood?
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quote \”Guerriere\:someone got mugged in the parking lot, and someone got raped in the classic \”wooded area\” across the street…
I live in an area where there is gang activity – actually there are some nearby blocks that might be considered hot spots. For all the crime reports I hear, there is a serious lack of helpful detail for people interested in not being afraid of their neighborhoods. I always want to know, in addition to the \”headline\” facts (number of assailants, time, location): whether or not any weapons were involved and if so, what the weapons were, what was taken from the victim, whether or not the victim escaped unharmed, if the victim was harmed, exactly the extent of the injury, whether or not there was any suspicious activity (people hanging out in alleys or street corners, verbal harassment, cars idling) before the incident, whether or not anybody has been arrested for the crime, and I could go on but I think you get the idea. Knowing that kind of stuff helps residents be prepared and not afraid.
Where I work, there are burglaries and robberies all the time, late at night, when drunk students are wandering around or when people leave their doors unlocked. The campus authorities are constantly telling students not to leave their doors unlocked, not to prop open doors to the dorms, and not to be drunk and alone on the street at 3am. If you just looked at the amount of crime that happens in this neighborhood, you’d think it was a really bad neighborhood. But virtually all of the crime that happens here could be avoided if people would use common sense.
So, in your case, I would ask, what weapon, if any, was involved in the mugging? was the victim injured in any way? Was the rape victim abducted and taken to the wooded area, or was she or he already hanging out there? was it daylight? was it someone she or he knew? that kind of thing. You might have to get involved with a neighborhood organization to get those answers, but it’s probably worth it. You’ve got to get an objective idea of how dangerous your neighborhood really is, and not just give in to fear. Plus, knowing the details about the crime in your neighborhood will help your situational awareness because you’ll learn what to look for.
Dugfoot, thanks for the advice. I’ve always practiced the usual big-city watchfulness, parking in well-lit places, etc. but having gangs move in creeps me out. My city does have a gang unit, but communicating with neighbors of gang members doesn’t seem to be a high priority for them.
Too many things can go seriously wrong with a gun for it to be an easy answer to anybody’s problems, IMHO.
Rosie, I heard about the rape and mugging from our police department’s listserv. I started subscribing to it before I moved to the area, to help me pick out a \”safe\” neighborhood. They send out a report of each day’s felonies. Before I came here I knew where not to rent, where not to go after dark, where not to park my car, what kinds of crimes are common in which neighborhood, etc. Absolutely nothing happened around here until recently. I would love to have the whole scenario of each crime, but all I know are the official facts: the rape occurred in the early morning hours as a woman was \”walking home\” (I don’t know where from) and she was dragged from the sidewalk into the woods by one guy, who let her go when he was finished with her. The mugging was at about 9 p.m. and the victim was getting groceries out of his car when 2 guys approached him saying they had a gun. He gave them the money and they got away.
Some of my neighbors are head-in-the-sand types. When I tried to spread the word about the gangs they acted like I was nuts for wanting them to call security if they see anything unusual. Others are totally into taking an active role. Our complex has a security guard, so getting together enough people for a neighborhood watch could be tough. On the other hand, there are a lot of little kids and concerned parents.
Speaking of having your head in the sand, that is the scariest thing I’ve done in my neighborhood so far – getting groceries out of the car. Where I live there is no parking so I frequently park in the only place where there are spaces, which is a very sketchy block. It’s badly lit, deserted after dark, and there are lots of spots that are great to hide in. The whole neighborhood recognizes this area as one of the main contributing factors to muggings and purse snatchings throughout the surrounding blocks. But sometimes it’s the only place to park, so you park and get the hell out of there.
Recently I parked there after dark around 7pm, I had to get groceries out and I realized how dangerous it can be on this particular block. You really cannot stick your head in the car while you fish around for stuff that rolled under a seat. You have to grab something, and come back out and look around. Next time, I’m just going to double park on my street, which is considerably safer, to get everything out of the car and then look for a place to park.
Crime Reports
Rosie, et. al.,
If you’re interested in more detailed crime report information, you might want to check out http://crimereports.com/ I used to check this regularly when I lived in Northeast DC for four years.
The site provides summary crime reports for each PSA (which I think stands for Police Service Area) with dates, times, street address, crime type, and a brief summary of each incident.
Don Bruns
Instructor,
Krav Maga DCWhy leave your gun in your apartment.? If you can get a permit to carry concealed you can keep it on you. I am not familiar with virginia gun laws, but in some states you can carry out in the open…most people dont because it may cause a chaos if you are walking around in walmart. yOu know? Its true that concealed carry will not deter someone from seeing you as a target, but you would be able to defend yourself if you had to. But you can get holsters that are easy to hide and comfortable to wear. Much better than trying to carry it in a purse or something. I had considered getting a dog for security. A trained police canine is like $30,000.HA The thing I would be concerned about NOT having a gun is how effective will a baton or flashlight be against multiple attackers like the possibility of that in a gang.?
One more thing. I didnt see page 2 when I posted . duh. But I agree with Dugfoot about having to be proficient with safety and cleaning the weapon, etc. The concealed carry class is one day and they test shooting abilities,but ongoing practice would be necessary. I know you said you did not have time to learn how to use a gun…but would it be something to consider while you are living there>
VA gun laws are actually pretty decent. It is a \”shall issue\” state. Meaning that the state has to issue a concealed carry permit unless they have compelling reason not to (you are convicted felon, any convictions for domestic violence, determined to be mentally incompetent, etc). Also, it is perfectly legal for a person to carry unconcealed. One does not need a permit for this. You can actually carry more places unconcealed (any place that serves alcohol) than concealed. Police get freaked out by this and do hassle, but they are learning that it is perfectly legal to carry open.
Getting a concealed permit is something I would recommend. Take the class. Take more classes until you feel comfortable with a firearm. Learn saftey and legal realities of carrying.Then as Tommy Lee Jones said, \”get yourself a Glock\”
pax urbana
Rosie — YIKES! I hate double-parking but what can you do? My biggest fear is being forced into my own trunk and driven off somewhere for god-knows-what. I try to buy only enough groceries for a few days and put it in the back seat but sometimes I put it in the trunk. If they want the car, they can have it
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And now that the subject of dogs has been raised…. My 20-lb dog has scared the crap out of several men. She’s just at the right height that when she lunges for a guy with her teeth bared…. 😉 You don’t really need to train a dog for protection. If they consider you part of their pack they’ll defend you. She’s elderly now, so she’s not much of a defender anymore. *sniff*
I just had an idea for a new poll! Dog or gun?
So this is my first post.
I’m from sweden so my spelling might not be the best.Soon I am to graduate to p2 in krav.
Do you realy have gangs?
In sweden theres like no gangs at all. And even thinking about carrying a gun, yikes.Is the situations realy that bad?
Welcome, pizzapie! Cute name!
Yes, there are gangs in the U.S., but also other countries. They tend to want to control certain territories, and when two gangs fight over the same neighborhood things get quite violent. I think the problem in my area is just one individual who is being targeted. A lot of disputes are ethnic or regional, so where different groups come together it can be a problem. My neighborhood is very diverse, with people from every continent living here (except antarctica!) and every race, but this is our first instance of serious trouble. I hope it’s the last!
Get in good…..
My best advice to you, as a former gangmember, is become friends with this gang. I know this may sound totally ignorant, but it will help you if you can not break your lease and move. If you are stuck in that area, you want this gang as you friends, not foes. Trust me, it may work. You said you don’t want a handgun, so I think this is a better idea than trying to brawl with some gangbangers……good luck…..METH.
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