Shots break the gang truce
I attended the news conference Monday following the shooting Sunday of Latin Kings leader Jorge Cornell,
On June 30, Cornell was calling for peace among the city's street gangs.
On Aug. 10, he was being shot multiple times by as-yet-unknown assailants in front of a Boulevard Street apartment.
What this means for his appeal for peace is unclear. But friends and fellow gang members say they intend to carry through on his calls not to retaliate for the attack.
Less hopeful is the friction between the gang members and Greensboro police.One officer complained publicly at Monday's news conference that Cornell was not cooperating with them on the investigation of his shooting.
Some gang members and clergy say the police are overzealous in investigating suspected gang members to the point of harrassment. They say that breeds mistrust and makes a bad situation worse.
It's certainly understandable that police would want to make life uncomfortable for street gangs. But it also stands to reason that they might want to build ties and sources within that community as well, especially among gang members who appear to be trying to reform.
After all, prevention and intervention are supposed to be key weapons in combating gangs.
Update: Ryan Seals from our News Department tells me that Cornell is cooperating with police in the investigation.
Comments (12)
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Can't get rid of too many of them as far as
I'm concerned -
Posted on August 11, 2008 8:41 PM
Let me understand this...
When police actions to control gangs make the gangbangers "angry" then you suggest the police should back down and surrender??
With all due respect, thinking like this is what led us to this sorry state of affairs in the first place.
Posted on August 11, 2008 10:01 PM
Trying to reform, mistrust?
Please explain.
Is this like getting off drugs?
The statement is incredulous
"clergy say" ah the clergy. They have been a big help through out history. Just look at the middle east.
Northern Ireland. Great brokers of peace.
Thank god I am old. I will be dead soon and not have
to listen to this nonsense.
Posted on August 11, 2008 10:46 PM
Although I can't endorse Allen's call for more cooperation between the police and criminal organizations, I think I've hit on a solution that we can all agree on. Instead of "investigating" and "harrassing" the gangs (the terms preferred by the gangsters and their holy friends), the police should instead "regulate" and "tax" the gangs. Conservatives will be happy because the police will be bothering the gangs and making their lives miserable. Liberals like Allen will be happy because a governmental agency is regulating and taxing somebody.
Posted on August 11, 2008 11:53 PM
You guys are giving me a hard time about intervention and prevention but I'm only repeating what I've been told ... by Greensboro police gang specialists.
Posted on August 12, 2008 8:46 AM
Since when does a criminal organization become a "community"?
Gang members are always going to be distrustful of police -- because they are criminals! All the appeasement in the world won't change that fact. The gangs will never meet civilized society halfway. They'll just continue to prey upon the innocent, no matter how much slack we give them.
Posted on August 12, 2008 9:19 AM
in light of it all on thursday 3 known latin kings members were arrested by greensboro police ,,,,, so much for bringing peace to the streets ,,, as the leader of the latin kings jorge cornell should have known what was going on ,,, he claims that he is the leader of the latin kings .. how is he going to explain this one ? i think this "self claim leader" is a joke look at what his members are doing he has no control over his own members " what a leader""
Posted on August 23, 2008 11:06 AM
Those arrests clearly hurt Cornell's cause. But I don't think the harm is irreparable.
I'll address this issue in Sunday's column, which will be posted on this blog as well.
Posted on August 23, 2008 11:41 AM
To answer "just saying" question of "since when does a criminal organization become a community?" Since the beginnging of their era. Bloods and Crips were formed in LA to protect their communities in a time when police were looking in the other direction of black people's problems. They did not start off as "criminals".
I personally believe the gang truce can have no negative effect on the community. If it works, great. If not, things go back to the way they were and we can try and leave it up to the police to continue to try and fail at ending gang violence as they always have.
People want to complian that gang memebers can only be helped if they want to help themselves. Now when one steps up to do just that, we are skeptical?
Posted on August 27, 2008 1:38 PM
To answer "just saying" question of "since when does a criminal organization become a community?" Since the beginnging of their era. Bloods and Crips were formed in LA to protect their communities in a time when police were looking in the other direction of black people's problems. They did not start off as "criminals".
I personally believe the gang truce can have no negative effect on the community. If it works, great. If not, things go back to the way they were and we can try and leave it up to the police to continue to try and fail at ending gang violence as they always have.
People want to complian that gang memebers can only be helped if they want to help themselves. Now when one steps up to do just that, we are skeptical?
Posted on August 27, 2008 1:39 PM
To answer "just saying" question of "since when does a criminal organization become a community?" Since the beginnging of their era. Bloods and Crips were formed in LA to protect their communities in a time when police were looking in the other direction of black people's problems. They did not start off as "criminals".
I personally believe the gang truce can have no negative effect on the community. If it works, great. If not, things go back to the way they were and we can try and leave it up to the police to continue to try and fail at ending gang violence as they always have.
People want to complian that gang memebers can only be helped if they want to help themselves. Now when one steps up to do just that, we are skeptical?
Posted on August 27, 2008 1:39 PM
Gang violence has been around for years , and many people in the community have tried to make this change. Being that this gang member is wanting to better himself and the community By putting a stop to this gang violence , is a bold and brave step.
We as a community need to stand behind (Corrnel) him , and help make this change happen. Nothing will change in 24 hours it takes time , and teamwork.
Posted on August 28, 2008 10:49 AM