State, federal authorities announce gang task force


OKLAHOMA CITY -- State and federal authorities announced the formation of a metropolitan gang task force Tuesday to fight the growing problem of gang-related crime and violence in the city.


U.S. Attorney John Richter said criminal charges have been filed against seven alleged members or associates of the Playboy Gangster Crips who are accused of using houses on the city's southwest side to sell cocaine and marijuana. They face gun and drug charges. Three remain at large.

Richter and Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane said gang members have taken control of streets and neighborhoods in areas of the city and have threatened and tried to intimidate residents of neighborhoods who reported their activities to police.

MY WIFE AND I TRIED TO TELL THEM THIS OVER 3 YEARS AGO ITS NOT JUST IN OKLAHOMA CITY BUT SOME OF THE SMALL TOWNS AS WELL

"They are prisoners in their own homes," Richter said.

SOUND LIKE SOME THING YOU HAVE HEARD BEFORE ABOUT OTHER SMALL TOWNS. THE ELDERLY AFRAID TO GO OUT AT NIGHT

Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty said gang violence has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2000, police received 90 reports of drive-by shootings. Last year, there were 260 reports of drive-by shootings.

THERE BEEN NO UP DATE AT ALL ABOUT THIS SEE BELOW

Wednesday morning. Police said they found a man's body just before 9 p.m. Tuesday near Southwest 15th Street and Anderson Road.

SOUNDS LIKE A DRIVE BY TO ME

Neighbors reported hearing shots fired in the area.

THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN HEARING SHOTS AS WELL


"When you have shots being fired in your neighborhood, you're going to be worried," Citty said. "There is a state of fear going on in that community."

Citty estimated there are about 3,500 gang members in as many as 90 gangs in the Oklahoma City area.

Lane analogized the gang task force as an intervention in communities where gangs have taken root, selling drugs and recruiting area children to become involved in their activities.

"We are not waiting for Oklahoma City to have an out-of-control gang problem," Lane said. Tulsa, with a population smaller than Oklahoma City's, has a homicide rate that is three times larger, much of it gang related, he said.
WES LANE ALREADY HAS WAITED
CRIME RATE COMPARSION

"They have essentially taken over small parts of this city," Lane said. "Our message to gang members is this: We're coming for you."
THIS MESSAGE AND HIS ACTIONS DON'T MATCH MAKING HIS THREATS AS HOLLOW AS HIS ACTIONS HE USED .
IF THREES BEEN ANY MESSAGE PUT OUT ITS BEEN HIS WILLINGNESS TO MAKE PLEA DEALS TO THOSE WHO COMMIT THE CRIMES .
HE HAS ALL MADE THE STATEMENT THAT THEY ARE WALKING THE STREETS OPENLY WITH WEAPONS AND SELLING DRUGS BUT TO DATE I'VE SEEN NO NEWS COVERAGE ON HIM PROSECUTING ANY OF THEM

I THINK THEY HAVE CLAIMED MORE THAN JUST SMALL AREAS *MAYBE MR. LANE SHOULD CHECK THE POLICE BLOTTERS

Richter said the task force will combine state and federal resources to investigate gang activity and crack down on gang violence.

"We want to take back our streets," said Ronnie Carter of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"The fact that we can do this together means we'll have greater success,"
said Sal Hernandez of the FBI.

WES LANES APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THIS AND OTHER ISSUES MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO STAY OUT OF IT SO THE POLICE WHO ARE ALL READY OUT NUMBERED NO LONGER HAVE THE EARS AND EYES OF THE PUBLIC INCREASING THE DANGER OF THE POLICE AND REDUCING THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL

Richter said the task force will work with community and faith-based groups to implement prevention and outreach programs to address the personal, family and community factors that cause young people to join gangs.

CREATING FAITH BASED GROUPS WOULD BE FINE BUT THAT'S LIKE CLOSING THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HOUSE IS ALREADY OUT
AGAIN I SUSPECT WES LANE OF HAVING HIS OWN AGENDA

The task force will also work with the Department of Corrections and the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution to ensure that ex-offenders returning to society do not return to gangs and gang violence.

MAY BE BY RESTRICTING THE AREAS THE GANGS WILL BE ALLOW TO GO INTO OUT OF THE CITY LIMITS OUT OF VIEW OF THE VOTERS. OR JUST GET THE VOTERS TO MOVE THE GANGS HAVE ONLY TAKEN OVER SMALL AREAS
MAYBE OR JUST REQUESTING SOME OF THEM TO JUST LEAVE THE AREA LIKE THE JOHNS TO GO BACK UP AND CLEAN UP THEIR MESS
_________________
THIS IS WHAT THEY WOULD LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE
BRING JUSTICE BACK TO OKLAHOMA





Oklahoma District Attorney Wes Lane says gang members are taking over small parts of communities on the city's southwest side and openly carry firearms and sell drugs.
IF THEY ARE OPENLY CARRYING FIRE ARMS WHICH I DO BELIEVE IN THIS ONE STATEMENT OF HIS.
MY QUESTION IS WHY HAVE WE NOT SEEN ANY ARTICLE ABOUT HIM PROSECUTING ANY OF THEM FOR THIS . ITS APPARENT HE'S AWARE OF THEM.
MAY BE HE SHOULD TRY THE NO GANG ZONE METHOD TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
HE'S USING IT TO TRY AND SOLVE OTHERS.
ITS HIS DE LAY IN TAKING ACTION THAT HAS LET THIS DEVELOP . FIRST NOT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS OF THE HOOKERS OTHER THAN EYE WASH , THAN DRUG PROBLEMS, NOW GANGS WITH WEAPONS AND DRIVE BYS NEXT WILL BE BEATINGS , THEFTS AND MURDER ON THE RISE NEXT

Police Say Inhofe Aide Beaten In Oklahoma City
Wednesday May 31, 2006 7:01am

Oklahoma City (AP) - Oklahoma City police say the top aide in Oklahoma to Senator Jim Inhofe is hospitalized after apparently being beaten.

Police say John Collison of Edmond as a fractured face, pelvis, ribs and wrist plus injuries to his jaw and liver.

Sergeant Paco Palderrama says Collison was found Sunday morning about 4 a-m lying on a loading dock outside Bricktown Ballpark in downtown Oklahoma City.

Collison told police he couldn't remember being attacked or anything that happened after 10:30 Saturday night.

Collison is responsible for managing Inhofe's Oklahoma staff and day-to-day operations in the state.
*TO DAYS NEWS
I MADE MY POINT
_________________
THIS IS WHAT THEY WOULD LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE
BRING JUSTICE BACK TO OKLAHOMA