cuchulainn
November 11, 2003, 09:09 AM
Sure, it's Virginia's and North Carolina's fault. :rolleyes:
from the New York Post
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/10524.htmMORE GANG THUGS ARE PACKIN' HEAT
By STEPHANIE GASKELL
November 11, 2003 -- Guns have become "standard equipment" for gang members, experts warned the City Council yesterday, but the NYPD says gang violence is on the decline.
"As guns become more available and gangbangers and wannabes have been able to access them more readily, they've become standard equipment as opposed to fists," said Councilman Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn) during a Youth Services Committee hearing on gang violence yesterday.
While NYPD statistics show that gang violence dropped 17.5 percent from 2001 to 2002, guns are increasingly seen as a way to gain instant respect from fellow gang members, experts said.
The NYPD could provide no data on gang members' use of guns, although experts said they believe it's on the rise.
"There is a generalized view that guns are an immediate way to gain respect," said Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, a senior research associate at the Vera Institute of Justice.
Gang members also use guns "as a deterrent to other gangs' potential use of violence," he added.
Gun use is much more prevalent among people who are looking to join a gang, Fidler said, because they need to prove themselves.
"Wannabes are worse because they have something to prove and they're willing to risk more," he said.
"They say, 'I've got a piece,' and even worse, 'I've used it.' They think they're impressing somebody to get them in the gang."
Fidler said part of the problem is that it's too easy to get a gun. "Now unfortunately guns are a commodity," he said. "They are available on the streets to anyone who is of a mind to find out how to get one."
"There needs to be a better understanding in Virginia and North Carolina. They need to know that their gun laws are killing people on the streets of New York," Fidler said.
A former gang member also testified at the hearing to underscore the need for kids to get involved in community activities so they don't get caught up in gangs.
Andre, now 21, joined a gang in Brooklyn when he was 15. He said he was lured to a life of crime and violence because he needed protection - and attention.
"I didn't really get that much attention," he said. "By me being in a gang, I felt like I had all the attention I could possibly have."
Copyright 2003 NYP Holdings, Inc.
from the New York Post
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/10524.htmMORE GANG THUGS ARE PACKIN' HEAT
By STEPHANIE GASKELL
November 11, 2003 -- Guns have become "standard equipment" for gang members, experts warned the City Council yesterday, but the NYPD says gang violence is on the decline.
"As guns become more available and gangbangers and wannabes have been able to access them more readily, they've become standard equipment as opposed to fists," said Councilman Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn) during a Youth Services Committee hearing on gang violence yesterday.
While NYPD statistics show that gang violence dropped 17.5 percent from 2001 to 2002, guns are increasingly seen as a way to gain instant respect from fellow gang members, experts said.
The NYPD could provide no data on gang members' use of guns, although experts said they believe it's on the rise.
"There is a generalized view that guns are an immediate way to gain respect," said Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, a senior research associate at the Vera Institute of Justice.
Gang members also use guns "as a deterrent to other gangs' potential use of violence," he added.
Gun use is much more prevalent among people who are looking to join a gang, Fidler said, because they need to prove themselves.
"Wannabes are worse because they have something to prove and they're willing to risk more," he said.
"They say, 'I've got a piece,' and even worse, 'I've used it.' They think they're impressing somebody to get them in the gang."
Fidler said part of the problem is that it's too easy to get a gun. "Now unfortunately guns are a commodity," he said. "They are available on the streets to anyone who is of a mind to find out how to get one."
"There needs to be a better understanding in Virginia and North Carolina. They need to know that their gun laws are killing people on the streets of New York," Fidler said.
A former gang member also testified at the hearing to underscore the need for kids to get involved in community activities so they don't get caught up in gangs.
Andre, now 21, joined a gang in Brooklyn when he was 15. He said he was lured to a life of crime and violence because he needed protection - and attention.
"I didn't really get that much attention," he said. "By me being in a gang, I felt like I had all the attention I could possibly have."
Copyright 2003 NYP Holdings, Inc.