Fred Hutchison
The news media awakens to the Franklin County gang problem
By Fred Hutchison
OP-ED Submission: The Columbus Dispatch
Al Capone was beyond the reach of law enforcement in Chicago as long as he had friendly relationships with journalists. Then a gangster killed a reporter. The press turned against Capone with a fury. The people of Chicago demanded action. Then and only then were Eliot Ness and the Untouchables able to make headway in fighting Capone.
The same is true of criminal teen gangs who have spread throughout Franklin County, Ohio. Thousands of people have fled the county to escape the gangs. We are not just talking inner city gangs. We are talking about violent, drug dealing gangs in affluent suburbs. Just as Capone could not be beaten until the press turned against him, the political leaders in Columbus and the suburbs will not have the political courage to act decisively to stop the gangs until the press makes a priority of telling the gang story.
However, I think the tide is turning. Channel 4 reported a robbery in my neighborhood a few days ago. The reporters heard that I am a neighborhood Blockwatch leader. It is a nice neighborhood — which now has a gang. (Blockwatch is a program of the Columbus police.) A beautiful reporter and a scraggly cameraman knocked on my door today (9/6/07). I spoke for 30 minutes before the cameras. I was the lead story on Channel 4 news, but was on the air for thirty seconds.
TV news is quick to get the scoop for new stories, but they only have air time to run snippets. It is up to the print media to tell the in-depth story. I am pleased to report that a very intelligent newspaper reporter has spoken to me several times. I am also pleased that Chanel 4 reported an increased commitment by the police in dealing with the burgeoning gang problem.
Print journalists have reported aspects of the gang story, but have omitted important parts of the story
The untold story
How do criminal gangs get started in affluent neighborhoods in Columbus and the suburbs? Drug dealers move from other parts of the city into apartments with section 8 subsidized rents. The drug dealer, now planted in a suburb, recruits gangs from the teenagers in the local high school. The gangs sells drugs to the students. Students who are addicted become the financial and sexual property of the gang. We are not talking about race. Some of the drug dealers are white. Many of the suburban gangs are of mixed race. White and black kids from unsuspecting affluent families become the property of the gangs.
The worst of all worlds is to live on a street ruled by armed drug gangs. It has all the worst qualities of protection rackets and totalitarian oppression. Combine this with violent crime, crime against property, vandalism and gratuitous intimidation. Probably the worst part of gang rule is the anarchy. You can never predict what crazy whim is going to enter the heads of stoned groups of teens who have guns and who constantly listens to "gangsta rap." This anarchy is way of life in some parts of the inner city but it is rapidly coming to the suburbs.
What does HUD do to deprive rent subsidies to families supporting gang members? Nothing. Does that mean our government is using our tax money to destroy our neighborhoods and ruin our teenagers? Yes. What do the landlords do about it? Nothing.
Do illegal aliens live in section 8 housing? Yes. Does HUD check their citizenship? No. What does ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) do about it? Nothing. Do two or three families of illegal aliens live in one apartment? Sometimes. Is it contrary to the zoning code? Yes. What does the code enforcement unit of the Columbus Department of Development do about it? Nothing.
City Center Mall and Northland Mall became the hangout of obnoxious teen gangs. Did the Mall owners beef up security and drive out the gangs? No. Why? Stupidity and laziness. Their customers stopped coming because of the gangs, the store closed and the malls died — while the snoring owners lost millions. Did the press report the story? The press reported every imaginable aspect of the story about the decline of the malls except the role played by the teen gangs in the destruction of customer traffic in the malls. Columbus, Ohio lost two premier malls partly due to the rampant gang problem in Columbus and the suburbs.
There is no escape from the gang problem in Franklin Country. All the major suburbs have gangs in section 8 apartments. Shall we wait until tens of thousands of families free the county — or demand that our leaders in city hall make a priority of ridding us of gangs?
© Fred Hutchison
OP-ED Submission: The Columbus Dispatch
Al Capone was beyond the reach of law enforcement in Chicago as long as he had friendly relationships with journalists. Then a gangster killed a reporter. The press turned against Capone with a fury. The people of Chicago demanded action. Then and only then were Eliot Ness and the Untouchables able to make headway in fighting Capone.
The same is true of criminal teen gangs who have spread throughout Franklin County, Ohio. Thousands of people have fled the county to escape the gangs. We are not just talking inner city gangs. We are talking about violent, drug dealing gangs in affluent suburbs. Just as Capone could not be beaten until the press turned against him, the political leaders in Columbus and the suburbs will not have the political courage to act decisively to stop the gangs until the press makes a priority of telling the gang story.
However, I think the tide is turning. Channel 4 reported a robbery in my neighborhood a few days ago. The reporters heard that I am a neighborhood Blockwatch leader. It is a nice neighborhood — which now has a gang. (Blockwatch is a program of the Columbus police.) A beautiful reporter and a scraggly cameraman knocked on my door today (9/6/07). I spoke for 30 minutes before the cameras. I was the lead story on Channel 4 news, but was on the air for thirty seconds.
TV news is quick to get the scoop for new stories, but they only have air time to run snippets. It is up to the print media to tell the in-depth story. I am pleased to report that a very intelligent newspaper reporter has spoken to me several times. I am also pleased that Chanel 4 reported an increased commitment by the police in dealing with the burgeoning gang problem.
Print journalists have reported aspects of the gang story, but have omitted important parts of the story
The untold story
How do criminal gangs get started in affluent neighborhoods in Columbus and the suburbs? Drug dealers move from other parts of the city into apartments with section 8 subsidized rents. The drug dealer, now planted in a suburb, recruits gangs from the teenagers in the local high school. The gangs sells drugs to the students. Students who are addicted become the financial and sexual property of the gang. We are not talking about race. Some of the drug dealers are white. Many of the suburban gangs are of mixed race. White and black kids from unsuspecting affluent families become the property of the gangs.
The worst of all worlds is to live on a street ruled by armed drug gangs. It has all the worst qualities of protection rackets and totalitarian oppression. Combine this with violent crime, crime against property, vandalism and gratuitous intimidation. Probably the worst part of gang rule is the anarchy. You can never predict what crazy whim is going to enter the heads of stoned groups of teens who have guns and who constantly listens to "gangsta rap." This anarchy is way of life in some parts of the inner city but it is rapidly coming to the suburbs.
What does HUD do to deprive rent subsidies to families supporting gang members? Nothing. Does that mean our government is using our tax money to destroy our neighborhoods and ruin our teenagers? Yes. What do the landlords do about it? Nothing.
Do illegal aliens live in section 8 housing? Yes. Does HUD check their citizenship? No. What does ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) do about it? Nothing. Do two or three families of illegal aliens live in one apartment? Sometimes. Is it contrary to the zoning code? Yes. What does the code enforcement unit of the Columbus Department of Development do about it? Nothing.
City Center Mall and Northland Mall became the hangout of obnoxious teen gangs. Did the Mall owners beef up security and drive out the gangs? No. Why? Stupidity and laziness. Their customers stopped coming because of the gangs, the store closed and the malls died — while the snoring owners lost millions. Did the press report the story? The press reported every imaginable aspect of the story about the decline of the malls except the role played by the teen gangs in the destruction of customer traffic in the malls. Columbus, Ohio lost two premier malls partly due to the rampant gang problem in Columbus and the suburbs.
There is no escape from the gang problem in Franklin Country. All the major suburbs have gangs in section 8 apartments. Shall we wait until tens of thousands of families free the county — or demand that our leaders in city hall make a priority of ridding us of gangs?
© Fred Hutchison
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