Posted on 11/12/2005 11:10:36 AM PST by Graybeard58
WINSTED -- It was like walking into a war zone when police arrived to investigate the report of a fight late Thursday night at the Batcheller Elementary School.
Police found dozens of young men poised to do battle and a cache of weapons left behind when they fled, police Sgt. Brian Fox said.
As many as 50 young people thought to be members of opposing gangs scattered into a nearby wooded area, Fox said. A few were later found and questioned by police but haven't been charged, he said.
The cause of the confrontation remains under investigation. Drugs are thought to be involved. Secreted around the school grounds were two large machetes, baseball bats, knives, a coil of rope and a hammer. An unloaded handgun was found on the roof of the school, Fox said.
A key to the investigation are the letters "3NI" inscribed on the machete blades. The gun's serial numbers are being traced with help from federal authorities.
Police said the letters might have been reversed from "INE," a habit among gang members recently. Gang related graffiti has been found around town lately.
"People don't realize that this community is changing, in some ways for the worse," Sgt. Kevin Kinahan said. "We have a serious problem with drugs and now we are seeing a resurgence in gang type activity."
Kinahan said a manpower shortage is making it difficult to unravel complex gang related connections and crimes. The 22-member uniformed police department is down about three officers. State gang task force experts will be tapped to assist.
The investigation is continuing and police expect to make more arrests. Anyone with information is asked to call Winchester police at (860) 379-2721.
I've never seen the wisdom in breaking up a gang fight.
Working Moms, absent dads and permissive child rearing philosophies lead to young men with nothing to do but get in trouble.
Working moms have NOTHING do it with it! Lay off guilting all working women. My mother worked all the while I was growing up. We had our evening meal together with my mom and dad. I did my homework while they read or watched a little tv. My mother was very instrumental in our family values and spirituality. Quality time and enough time is still available to mothers who work. What is important is that both parents care and are very involved in bringing up their children.
I agree...just give them more amo and let them at each other..then call in the cleaning crew!
No it isn’t just working moms. It takes more than that.
A missing or negligent father a divorce maybe added with a mother not at home when the kids get home from school. But more than anything a teenage boy needs a father to teach him how to be a responsible man.
But with these kids it was probably both parents not caring where they are or what they were doing.
My reaction was for both parents. It is very upsetting to me that today parents very often don't care, or are so self absorbed, or on drugs or into partying that society is then left to deal with the aftermath of their "parenting".
It's ironic that Hitlery's "it takes a village to raise a child" is sooo true....a Welfare village!
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