Graffiti & Gang Problems:

Here are a few tips if you suspect gang activity in your area. (If gang activity is already heavily established in your area, it is harder, but not impossible, to get rid of).

· Don’t ignore a problem. A problem will get bigger if ignored. If allowed to “hang out”, a gang will quickly claim the area as their turf. It won’t be long before graffiti covers everything and gunshots ring out. If you see people starting to hang out at a location, drinking, gambling, and even illegally parking call the police. You can remain anonymous, and if the problem people get “harassed” by the police enough, they will leave for another location where everyone looks away and allows them to terrorize the neighborhood.

· Don’t be intimidated. Gangs work on intimidation and violence. In most areas, people are afraid to stand up to the gangs. I have been to the scene of a shooting where 40-50 people witnessed the shooting, but not one will talk to the police. (Some will come to the police station or call in a tip anonymously later). This intimidation is what fuels a gang and gang activity. By no means should you stand up to a gang physically; you do it through the police and as a neighborhood group. A gang will not remain in an area if their intimidation does not work, where they are constantly reported, where they can be driven out.

· Call your local police department. In this day and age, almost every police department has a gang task force, or at least a gang expert. Talk to the gang unit; tell them of your observations, any graffiti you see forming. They are the experts in your area, and they can tell you if this might be a kid playing with a spray can, or if it is a serious problem forming that they need to be aware of. Gangs forming in an area are like a health problem. If it is caught early enough, it can be solved rather easily. If allowed to grow and fester, it is harder to get rid of.

· If you see graffiti, report it immediately to the owner of the property, the police, or your local code-enforcement division if you have one in your city. If allowed to stay, it invites more graffiti, rival gangs coming in to tag their names, and a turf war erupts. The police know this and they don’t want gangs infesting neighborhoods either.

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Freeway Violence & Road Rage:

· Control your temper. The angrier you get, the more of a chance of a confrontation. Go ahead and say what you want inside your vehicle, but don’t flip off or confront the other driver. Don’t get into a stare-down or any type of confrontation. Chances are, if you ignore the other driver, they will just pass you by.

· If someone gets behind you, starts flashing lights or tailgating you, pull over to the next lane when possible and let them go by. Don’t get into a stare down or flip off confrontation. Let them go by to get on someone else’s nerves. Chances are, if you let them go by, you’ll forget about them in moments. If you get in a confrontation, it will bug you and have the opportunity to escalate into more if the situation persist.

· Always Remember: Don’t do something out of anger that you will regret later. It’s just not worth the risk nowadays.

· If by chance someone does start following you, whether from a vehicle incident or any type of incident, DON’T drive home. Drive to the nearest Police station. If you don’t know where a police station is, pull into a gas station, store, anywhere there is alot of people around. Usually, the other person will leave because they don’t want to be identified. If they don’t leave, yell for someone or the clerks to call for the police.

· I still get angry if someone tailgates me, especially if I see someone tailgating my wife. It’s human nature to have pride or to defend our families or ourselves. But it’s when pride overrides common sense when we get into trouble. It’s gotten to be a violent world at times and it’s not worth the risk to show our anger over minor traffic altercations. Take a deep breath, pull over, let the idiot go by even if he’s flipping you off. Then you can laugh a few miles up the road when you see him pulled along the side of the road with a police vehicle with flashing red and blue lights behind him. Revenge can be sweet at times.

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