Gangs are Here
On my way to the Frontiers International event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I saw this gang sign spray-painted on a wall on school grounds.Click here for information on an upcoming program on gangs and ways to prevent young people from being drawn or forced into gangs.
Last summer, three young people ran into our yard and said they were being chased by gang members. They were terrified and we were able to get police to respond and get them home safely. But we wondered how they were going to feel about going back to school if they were afraid of gang pressure or attacks.
This is a very serious problem that deserves awareness and action. Gang symbols can be seen all over, and erasing the graffiti is not going to erase the problem.
There were gangs when I went to high school way back in the 1950s, wielding switchblades and zip guns against each other. Now that gang members have automatic weapons, the danger to all has increased.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 4:20 AM
7 Comments:
Don't tell the Mayor or Jerry Green you saw that...
Bernice, that was a great post about the gangs. I am terrified of gangs coming to my school, there has already been gang signs in my school and yesterday some older students, plus one from my school, were throwing ice-balls to younger students and some people got hit like me, the teacher in charge of us at the after-school program had to call the police.
Dr. Gallon shared today at the Parent Workshop which was great i might add that the Plainfield Public Schools is having a community gang symposium on Thursday at the Board Auditorium. Congratulations to the district for taking a proactive role. Also, thanks for the workshops today.I learned a lot about the district and helping my child. A job well done.
Martin Helwig and the police department need to toot their own horn a bit more. Even though there is still gang activity, there has been a decrease and I am betting even a larger decrease this year.
Martin needs to be better at getting the word out about what Plainfield's police department is doing in order to reduce the kind of fear expressed by your reader.
MS-13 is Mara Salvatrucha...the gang from El Salvador...
During interviews with these young men, I am told thay also call themselves the "Army Ants," (Just like the Army Ants of Central America envade the jungle, we will envade your cities)..This gang started in the 1980's in California. Refugees from the El Salvadorian Civil war migrated to the Pico section of California and started their own gang.
PLS in Plainfield means Plainfield Locos Salvatrucha...(The crazy El-Salvadorians from Plainfield).
They are currently at war with the Plainfield Latin Kings. (Lion Tribe).
They wear blue and white, the El-Salvadorian flag colors..they are called the smurfs by the Latin Kings who wear black and gold
Their hand sign is the fore finger and the index finger up.and all ofther fingers folded....El Diablo (The devil).
The remedy...
request gang awarness training from your local Police Department..and recuit attendance heavily within your community.
If you don't know the signs...you will be hit by the signs.
Look through your children's notebooks....this is where you will find out if they are in a gang...
know if your child has a MYSpace or FaceBook Account...look for words like, "What's Poppinm," What's Crackin," "Su Woop," "031."
These are gang terms.
If you have a very young child, their computer should be in a place that is highly traveled by the family, like the den or the dining room...not in their bedroom. This is so that you can see what is going on.
In Plainfield, gang member's ages range from 15 to 22. They are recruiting at ages as young as 10. They are recruited in Hubbard ad Maxson. We also have older gang members ranging within their mid 30's. Imagine the influence.
Gang meetings are usually held on Sundays at area parks. They are called the Woop, Bevins, or Pow Wows..(You may hear this again). Members are usually requested to pay $31.00 or $21.00 depending if you are a west coast or east coast gang affiliate.
Ms. Bernice, if you want me to write more about Plainfield Gang Awareness I will.
You can also go to the New Jersey Gang Investigators Association's web site which is NJGIA.org for more information.
If you have questions about a specific gang, such as Lib Side, 3rd Street, 6th Street, G-Shyne, Bounty Hunters, 7-93, Sex, Money Murder, I will answer those also..
MS-13 tags are up all over the City.
Keep up the good work Ms. Bernice
Thanks to anonymous readers, and writer, for the above information.
Having a child at PPS often brings questions of gang activity and how to help our child differentiate between simple bullying and gang recruiting, both rather worrisome.
Thanks also to Bernice for bringing up subjects that most of us would rather don't talk about.
MP
Thanks for the information. I have also seen BHB (Bounty Hunter Bloods, 6SP, 116 and other signs. Do you know what TBF stands for?
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