L
Posted on 02/22/2008 11:00:54 AM PST by AuntB
Two Hispanic gangs, the Nortenos and the Surenos are becoming increasingly active in this region.
Police say they're not just in Medford, but everywhere from Ashland to Grants Pass.
Residents of one West Medford neighborhood say gang activity has completely changed the place they call home. They're worried about the effect it will have on their children, and Medford Police say they will have to change their approach as local gangs are now taking their gang banging to a whole new level.
Residents of this West Medford neighborhood say they've seen the changes.
"There is an increasing gang problem in our neighborhood," said West Medford resident Cody Allen Buchert.
Neighborhood resident Cheri Kezer says it's a big problem that must be addressed.
"Can't let you kids out after dark have to watch them all the time cant send them to the public park event the school is not a place to send them to play after school its hard," Kezer said, and some kids say they're scared of their neighborhood park, Union Park.
"Sometimes at nighttime my friends we live right by each other sometimes its scary we have to run through the park," said Derek Betzold, a sixth grader at Washington Elementary School.
Many neighborhood residents declined an on-camera interview about gang activity out of fear of retaliation but say they know these gangs are in the neighborhoods and police say that influence is spilling into the schools.
Police say gang activity in schools is increasing.
"What's different now Rogue Valley is growing like never grown before more and more families people moving her from larger cities, bringing that big city influence into Medford," said Mike Jackson, a school resource officer at South Medford High School.
As a school resource officer, Jackson says he knows who gang members and their associates are, and says the Medford Police presence on campus can be a deterrent for gang activity but says it's still on the rise.
"If you come from East Los Angeles and look at Medford then you'll say we don't have a gang problem but if they're committing crimes in the name of a gang organization, I definitely think it's a problem," Jackson said.
Jackson says gang clothing is confiscated every week and part of the problem is that parent's aren't involved in their children's lives. He says for many high school students, what their kids wear to school in the morning, isn't necessarily what they will be wearing for the day.
"A lot of them are doing it right under their parents' noses and they have no idea," Jackson said.
Jackson says the gangs have now changed their approach they're net banging displays of weapons, gang memorabilia and hand signs all out for the world to see.
Jackson says the police department hopes to get ahead of the problem before it gets out of hand. But some say, it already has.
"Somebody's gotta do something, there's talk of improving the park, upping the patrols but you don't see it, nothing ever being done. It's all the same thing all the time," Kezer said.
Medford police will soon start a program called Tech Smarts, it's an Internet safety program that will be presented to students at local schools. It is hoping to educate students from the elementary through high school levels about the dangers associated with involvement in gang activity.
Wednesday on News 10 at 6 P.M. find out what the community is being asked to do to combat the gang problem and the programs in place to offer those second chances.
Have you seen an increase in gang activity where you live? What should be done about it? Is increasing the Police presence the only answer? Does there need to be a community response? What will it take to solve this problem? Discuss this issue in our Forums!
And how many of these gang bangers are fatherless or fall into other groups with “sociological problems”?
I think sometimes that our modern, progressive, liberal society doesn’t know how to deal with problems such as gang violence.
I hate rogue gangs. Give me approved gangs any day.
I had the same thought. I know Oregon is a liberal state--have the police been forbidden to approach/apprehend/arrest illegals? Have they caught any of the drive-by shooters?
With the current crop of presidential candidates, the best solution would be to learn Spanish and join the biggest Mexican gang.
“I hate rogue gangs. Give me approved gangs any day.”
Indeed! Actually it’s a ‘local’ thing. Medford is in the Rogue River Valley.
L
Illegal aliens create a great deal of the violent crime in the U.S. When arrested they give false identities and it is impossible to track them. And all these politicians are falling all over themselves trying to give them huge subsidies from taxpayer dollars. And politicians set up sanctuary cities and complicated proceedures to protect illegals.
Put the Second Amendmant back in the Constitution —UNCOINDITIONALLY
Who would have thought we'd see the day. Yet I'm sure the dems will be very, very surprised when American citizens begin to stand up to the gangs ourselves. If the authorities won't or aren't allowed to protect us, are we expected to go like lambs to the slaughter?
Actually they did apprehend one shooter. Yes, it’s not accepted to ‘ask’ immigration status. When I moved away 5 years ago, there were 20 plus living across the street, building plywood/scrap shacks for more ‘occupant’s. The cops called me racist when I suggested someone check their immigration status.
I use to live close to Portland Oregon a long time ago. During the summer, they have the Rose Parade. Use to be there was an organization called The Baseball Team. They would walk the parks during the Rose Parade, around the carnival rides, and take down any gang members with baseball bats. Then the do gooders came in and ran the Baseball Team out......now this is what you get. Cops are afraid to do anything because they may get taken to court. It’s gotten to the point that the general public has to take these gangs down. Look at Los Angeles, 70,000+ gang members up against the LA Cops. They need to bring in the Guard now and wipe the ghettos clean.
If the cops have been suborned, it's time to think about self-defense.
“All the Nortenos and Surenos I know are citizens , usually second generation . They prey upon the new immigrants especially the illegals , whom they regard as walking piggy banks .”
Know many? There is also MS13 all over the area. They grow dope in the national forests/ parks in summer, brew meth in the winter. Many of them have been found with legal green cards. Some aliens are held against their will to tend the crop.
The schools in my area have two gangs, more or less. One is made up of illegals and children of illegals and the other is made up of indigenous Hispanic kids. Things seem to be better now, but for a number of years the two sides had a big clash and gang fight once or twice a year, shutting down some of the schools for a day and sending some kids to the hospital.
Medford police will soon start a program called Tech Smarts, it’s an Internet safety program that will be presented to students at local schools. It is hoping to educate students from the elementary through high school levels about the dangers associated with involvement in gang activity.
Problem solved /s
I agree.
UNCOINDITIONALLY — UNCONDITIONALLY
Three indicted in gang drive-by
A Jackson County grand jury has indicted three men for their suspected roles in a gang-related drive-by shooting Monday night near South Medford High School.
In addition to two Talent men arrested Tuesday — Gerardo Reyes, 20, and German Reyes Real, 18 — the grand jury indicted Jose Javier Laris, 18, of Rogue Valley Mobile Village, 3761 S. Pacific Highway, Medford. Each of the three faces six counts of attempted aggravated murder and an unlawful use of a weapon charge, officials said.
Investigators suspect that Gerardo Reyes was the driver of a sedan from which shots were fired and his brother, German Reyes Real, was the gunman, Medford police Lt. Tim Doney said.They were arrested Tuesday night, one in Medford and one outside their family's home in the Shady Brook Mobile Home Park in Talent.
Excerpt-Mail Tribune
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