Why not crack down on street gangs like biker gangs?

[jstaylor62]

I dont know how many people have taken notice, but OKC never really experienced a problem with motor cycle gangs in the 70s. The main reason that OKC did not have an issue is becuase the OKC PD cracked down on bikers inside the city limits. They enforced an unwritten law of not allowing bikers to wear their "colors" (their vests with the club name on them) inside the city limits. This law was made known nation wide. Even if a club was riding through OKC on I-35 or I-40, they were expected to stop outside the city limits and remove their colors. If not, they would be stopped and taken to jail for anything possible. The bikes impounded by a wrecker that usually just ran a chain through the front wheel of a few bikes at a time and let them clang together all the way to the wrecker yard. This worked and kept bikers from establishing a foothold in OKC.

The same thing can be done to street gangs. Stop their vehicles at every chance. Check their house for fire codes and health codes. Make "The OKC" an intolerable location to exist. A street gang can not be effective if they have nothing to drive or a place to sleep and eat.

This sounds radical, but it is time to switch from kissing arse and giving names, to kicking arse and taking names!

[fuzzytoad]

The same thing can be done to street gangs. Stop their vehicles at every chance. Check their house for fire codes and health codes. Make "The OKC" an intolerable location to exist. A street gang can not be effective if they have nothing to drive or a place to sleep and eat.

This sounds radical, but it is time to switch from kissing arse and giving names, to kicking arse and taking names!

And we get the manpower to handle this from where?

[andy157]

And we get the manpower to handle this from where?

From the increase in revenue generated by MAPS. Where else?

[jstaylor62]

And we get the manpower to handle this from where?

Why do we always need to fund a "Task Force" to enforce existing laws?

If you are a fugitive in the city, you can only be apprehended by the "Fugitive Task Force". What happened to checking people for warrants on traffic stops and strip clubs?

If you are an aggressive driver, you can only be given a ticket by the "Road Rage Task Force". What happened to just writing people tickets for speeding or following to close?

This is ridiculous! Police officers need to just enforce the laws in the districts they patrol! Period!

They did not use a "Task Force" in the 70s to make an impact. Police officers simply enforced the laws on the books.

[mugofbeer]

IMO, biker gangs are more like armies of WWII. They wore "uniforms" that made them pretty clearly distinguishable, their MO was intimidation and they drew attention to themselves with the Harley noise level. Today's gangs are more "guerilla" gangs who may wear some article or color of clothing to distiguish who they are to one another, but for the most part, they try to blend in with the rest of the public of their generation. Baggy styles and hoodies hide who they might be or what they might carry so they are hard to identify because many of that generation wears those clothes.

[HVAC Instructor]

And we get the manpower to handle this from where?

Borrow it from the traffic fine collection LEO's in Edmond and Norman? There's probably enough cops out writing traffic tickets there to man a brand new gang control unit in OKC.

But that wouldn't fill the municipal coffers very well, would it?

[mugofbeer]

Who needs them when they have dozens of automatic intersection camera's clicking away at innocent driver's every time we have a thunderstorm? LOL

[Spartan]

Knowing that if we gave OCPD a budget increase in the middle of a recession that it would just go towards more speed traps and writing tickets to families who can ill afford necessities in times like this, it makes me almost not even want to bother with spending on law enforcement. We all know OCPD would rather go after normal people who are caught going 5 over the speed limit than on murderous gangs roaming the streets of the south side.

[HVAC Instructor]

Who needs them when they have dozens of automatic intersection camera's clicking away at innocent driver's every time we have a thunderstorm? LOL

There ya go! Mugsy answered the gang problem question. All those LEO's freed up by technology should easily be able to handle it.

[mugofbeer]

((LEO's?))

[HVAC Instructor]

((LEO's?))

Law Enforcement Officers

[Midtowner]

But that wouldn't fill the municipal coffers very well, would it?

I imagine a gang unit could actually break even or do even better. Gangs do two things which law enforcement loves -- possess guns and cash (and other seizable property) at the same time.

In fact, I know that seizures have been a big help to the D.A.

[Fastfwd]

Not sure about the 70s, but we’ve got a pretty large Bandidos population here and the Outlaws are here too. They even setup booths at the motorcycle swap meets at the fairgrounds.

[HVAC Instructor]

I imagine a gang unit could actually break even or do even better. Gangs do two things which law enforcement loves -- possess guns and cash (and other seizable property) at the same time.

In fact, I know that seizures have been a big help to the D.A.

Well, there ya go. Do you think that seizure revenue would be greater per man-hour than traffic violation revenue?