Small town gangs symbols?

[Vets Dottir]

Hi.

I don't know a lot about gangs but see some "graffiti" around which I think are called "tags"??? around on buildings and such. When you see graffiti, how can you tell if it means it's a gang symbol? And do small towns have their own independent little groups and they make up their own symbols or???

I checked out the aboriginal policing RCMP website that polices this area to look at their info about gangs but they don't mention or show any photos of symbols or mention any particular gangs that might be around. Just some general info about possible appearances and behaviors to watch out for.

It's hard to know if what I'm seeing is just a creative personal symbol drawing by teenagers or if it maybe means something more serious, like gang connection. Some of the kids/boys who hang out where a couple of symbols were drawn look pretty tough and surly, edgy, if you know what I mean, also openly smoking pot and a screw you defiance about them ... so the combination makes me wonder. I know teenagers CAN go through a normal surly in-your-face phase  ;D but .....

Would like to figure out if this is more serious than just pffffffffft to grownups Thanks for any feedback and if you know of a website that shows images of gamg symbols in the East Kootenays, that would be great.

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Gangs typically aren't small town stuff with a few exceptions.  Hobbema, Alberta, a conglomeration of 4 reserves has 13 of them.

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/460763

I live in a town of about 10,000 people with no commonly known gangs.  A lot of native kids hang out together but a lot don't.  I really don't know that formal gangs are all that much more dangerous than informal groups up to no good.

 

[Kat Stevens]

A stomping is a stomping whether from Cripps, Bloods, Hell's Angels, or the senior boys basketball team.  Pretty funny out here I saw a "Bloods" tag, spelled wrong...  :rofl:

 

[Vets Dottir]

Both kinds do same kinds of damage and problems so no matter organized gang or a group of kids. Same dif. I guess. Some groups of kids are just surly eff you to grownups but not into the crime stuff. Just rude and obnoxious. Just scarey if they're into criminalish stuff around violence, drugs and stuff I figure.

 

[Vets Dottir]

What bugs me most here is wondering who is providing these kids with pot and why ... thats what makes me wonder about gangs along with the symbols and surlyness.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Dealers are the "who" providing the weed and the answer to "why" is because the kids want it and are willing to pay for it.

 

[Vets Dottir]

Dealers are the "who" providing the weed and the answer to "why" is because the kids want it and are willing to pay for it.

Dealers are obviously providing it to someone but maybe not to these kids. Or maybe one of the kids IS a dealer.

I did read in that article about dealers providing drugs to kids for free to try turn them into paying steady customers once addicted (get the kids under their power?). Thats kind of what I was referring to when I said I wondered who was providing and why.

 

[mariomike]

Did you ever watch the movie "Colors"?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEauBVUJKhA

Before Rodney King: "Give no slack and take no shit from anyone.  Confront and command.  Control the streets at all times.  Always be aggressive.  Stop crimes before they happen.  Seek them out.  Shake them down.  Make that arrest.  Never, NEVER, admit that the department has done anything wrong!"

 

[Vets Dottir]

No, have never seen it but I did just watch that youtube. Interesting clip and I always enjoy Robert Duval's acting

I talked to my kid often whe she was a teenager about drugs and asked about what was happening with kids etc and she always told me 'Mom, EVERYBODY does it!!!!! Seriously!" I didn't want to believe her. I know a lot of teens get into the booze too and sounds like a majority of kids at least try or play a bit with drugs, not just the kids with problems either.

I was born in the 50's and booze was the big problem with kids then I guess. Sounds like these days is a whole new and bigger problems thing and new wider levels of problems with drugs and violence, crimes - gangs stuff???? Crazy stuff?

 

[Kat Stevens]

I was a teenager in the 70s, never smoked pot, and was in a very small minority.  There was not one kid I knew that didn't drink, me included.  Ever see the movie "Dazed and Confused"?  I went to high school with every single character in that movie.

 

[mariomike]

I apoligise for the TV links, but this sums up my opinion on drugs. ( I would rather be flogged than take a dressing down from Jack Webb! ):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Twre6ItGEI

 

[Vets Dottir]

I remember that Dragnet series. Cool  ;D

As a kid and when not having kids dependant on me I did experiment but VERY rare and little because my friends or boyfriend did, but I never liked drugs effects or being around people who are addicted to drugs or heavily into booze so when people in or close to my home environment are doing things like that I get totally anxious. Soial drinking is one thing but if it's to the degree it takes over a life and it's effects hit everything and everyone badly then forget it.

I was 16 in 1970 and later when all the hippy and drugs stuff was happening and it seems like it never quit. Just moved on to more drugs and ways of getting toasted brains and lives. Sometime I drank too much through rough spots in life but not for long and I don't like being drunk either. Maybe having alcoholics and craziness around me as a kid was enough to cure and turn me off those things so I never became a serious drug or long term alcohol addict or stayed involved with people who were/are.

Life is hard enough without destroying brain cells and lives to try and solve problems by self medicating to the point that nothing changes and now addding a whole bunch of other new problems on top of the original ones. Drugs and booze very addictive. Don't go there to begin with is the surest way to avoid hell

I would social drink with dinner or an evening out etc, but can't with the RA meds (more drugs LOL) and I am absolutely addicted to cigarette tobacco and coffee. Thats enough for me. The cigs especially bad, and still a drug, if not a street one and at least the in gredients are regulated, so yeah, I am addictive personality with that! I'm sure if I messed with hard drugs I'd get wired yesterday and I don't need that and neither does my family.

Raising a teen was really scarey for me, worrying constanty about friends hung out with and drugs and booze. The small towns kids so many were playing with drugs and booze ... by my kids comments, lots more than I knew. I'm glad she ended up steering clear and graduating and works steady though I still worry about alcohol. I want better quality of life for her, theres only grief the other routes.

With all the news it sounds like drugs and crime related to them are out of control so yeah, knocking out the dealers and and keep on working on turning off the demand I guess.

 

[Vets Dottir]

I'm thinking those symbols I saw chalked on the sidewalk are just graffiti. Otherwise this property has been marked 

I came here because I had a notification for a new post but don't see any new post  ;D

 

[mariomike]

I came here because I had a notification for a new post but don't see any new post  ;D

That was probably me, Vets Dottir. I removed my post because I am not an expert.
Although born and raised in Toronto, for all I knew, it might as well have been Mayberry.
That naivety ended when I was 18. Carrying violent and ( projectile ) puking drunks and druggies up and down stairs was all I seemed to do after that.  They never wanted to go and were never the ones who called. I can understand why they were resentful towards ambulancemen. They knew it meant their party was over and a shot of Narcan, a gastric lavage or epicac was waiting for them at the end of the ride. Sometimes we had to use straightjackets, leather restraints and wet sheets. That may sound inhumane but, you couldn't trust them. One time a lady asked me to untie her so she could smoke. She seemed trustworthy, so I let her smoke.  We were on the 401 near Bathurst at rush hour. 16 live lanes of traffic. She bailed out and we had to run after her. It would have been my ass had she been hit by a car.

 

[Vets Dottir]

Hi MarioMike.

Thanks for letting me know there was a post ... was wondering if I should talk to my doc about changing some meds dosages (just kidding)

The way you folks have to handle your calls/people does sound really harsh but also sounds very practical reality as the only way to keep everyone safe while trying to save someones life. I can only imagine what sorts of situations and events you folks have to deal with and my impression by now is that emergency workers and cops have a whole lot of calls responding to people where drugs or alcohol, or severe mental health problems is happening. Are those kinds of calls the majority of calls you all respond to?

Living where I live has been one probem after another related to people with alcohol and substance issues and behaviors around that make having a normal peaceful daily life hard to do and any complaints often have the ones complained about pooling together and backing up each others lies so hard to get anywhere and the complainer ends up being the one looking out of line with complaining. Sigh. I give up Things a lot more settled down lately so very nice!

All this does make me wonder just how big a problem alcohol and substance abuse and related problems are in this town or if it's more or less than most towns. Hard to get a clear perspective living where I do because theres been quite a bit in this tiny little corner, especially heavy alcohol abuse and domestic conflicts and violence sometimes. Spirals that rise and falls in proportion to alcohol usually. And disturbances rise in relation to consumption too. Very sad, And very depressing. And sometimes really scarey. Intimidating. How do people get out of these lifetyles when all their friends and all are doing it and thats just how they all do it? I think it would be near impossible to give up the substances and behaviors without distancing from others doing those lifestyles. Just say no? You can give up the booze and drugs but I think it would be really hard to sustain and maintain that if you stay in the lifestyle.

I'm no professional either, but it seems to me that a lot of things need to be done from separate and multiple levels to shift not only the supply and demand but also the lifestyles and ways of handling life and doing things so it's easier to turn to and try things other than booze and drugs or violence to solve problems. I'd like to see community overall more involved because it seems most people still tend to want to just not get involved.

I don't think there is such a thing as Neighborhood watch in this town. I googled before and culd find nothing.

 

[mariomike]

Hi MarioMike.

I can only imagine what sorts of situations and events you folks have to deal with and my impression by now is that emergency workers and cops have a whole lot of calls responding to people where drugs or alcohol, or severe mental health problems is happening. Are those kinds of calls the majority of calls you all respond to?

Hello Vets Dottir:
I guess it depends where you work. My station was at Richmond St. W. and Strachan Ave. I know you live in B.C., but perhaps you have visited the area? I can tell you that there are a lot more stairs than elevators. We didn't get the opportunity to save many lives. But, it's a great feeling when it happens. Mostly, we would simply show up and treat people with respect. After all, we were in their homes, not our own. Even if that happened to be a cardboard box. 
Regards,

 

[Vets Dottir]

Hello Vets Dottir:
I guess it depends where you work. My station was at Richmond St. W. and Strachan Ave. I know you live in B.C., but perhaps you have visited the area? I can tell you that there are a lot more stairs than elevators. We didn't get the opportunity to save many lives. But, it's a great feeling when it happens. Mostly, we would simply show up and treat people with respect. After all, we were in their homes, not our own. Even if that happened to be a cardboard box. 
Regards,

I actually don't know Toronto much at all. I was only there about 13 months in the Queen St East area close to the Beaches area and I didn't wander far from the apartment or drive around in town much. A few blocks and farther towards Toronto center were some rough looking areas. Also a couple of batches of neighbors across the street from the apartment where I lived in TO had extreme dysfunction going on and lots of cops visiting, or ambulances a few times. Booze, drugs, fighting. Kinda similar whats happened around my place here at times, though this place thankfully is less extreme now with the worst moved out (making neighbors happy) but new problems annoying the neighbors moved in LD the block itself is mostly good considerate neighbors behaviors home owners and tenants. Very close to core downtown (and bars I assume) though so there is a mix I guess. Police and ambulance and firetrucks whizzing by almost daily sometimes, sometimes several times in a day for multiple calls I guess (main route for them whizzing by here)

I'm normally like that too, respectful yada yada about peoples situations and lifestyles. When the lifestyles slide over into your homebase area so they effect your life and daily normal stuff, then its a problem if you have to complain just to set reasonable limits and theres a reaction.

One instance, a year or two ago, I was expecting a delivery from medichair and have my own parking spot, so no vehicle, but use my spot for my heathcare workers and other visitors etc. There was always a problem with people parking in it because they figured I had no vehicle so screw you yada yada . One day some guys took off a canopy off a tenants truck and turfed it in the middle of my parking spot and left. I went and put a note on to please remove the canopy as I needed my spot. I noticed there looked like a sleeping bag or something rolled up under the canopy. Strange. Oh well. Later on someone moved the canopy and was peed off. A short whle later I was sitting with the neighbor and could hear and see the tenants brother and a friend through the slits in the high fence but they couldn't see me. The girl (described as a crackhead by the tenant) said to the brother "She doesn't even have a vehicle and never uses it (parking spot) what an effen b----tch/ Want me to come back with a 2X4?" She meant it!!! YIKES! The brother laughed and said no.

The sleeping bag, I found out it was a homeless guy, friend of the tenant, had planned on sleeping under the canopy. This guy, also described as a crackhead by same tenant, very rough looking shape and a huge temper. I was in my apt and heard super loud yelling F -F -F and Effen B---tch while extremely hard and loud punding on my entrance. It was him in a rage about the canopy being moved I guess. YIKES again.

The other day I took a walk along the creek running through town to enjoy a little nature on my way to my docs appointment. I rarely get out, let alone get to enjoy nature walks. He was sitting on some benches with some friends in there and too late for me to turn back when I spotted him/them, and I overheard the woman saying "She's going to get a bonus walking through here " ha ha ha ha ... I just kinda cringed and tried to act calm and like I hadn't overheard. Had to walk right by them and its pretty isolated there. Don't think I'll be walking that way anymore, especially since I can't run and I sure probably couldn't defend myself against a group like this. Am I intimidated? Absolutely and all I can do is try and avoid confrontation and stay cool when one happens.

As I said, that group moved on from this building itself  but new stuff moved in with different and similar sets of worries and there are connections with the new lot and the last so kind of a hangover cloud of issues I think. For the most part its much better than last group, but very hard to see and hear stuff I do, at all hours sometimes. I hate hearing and seeing and hearing extreme drunkeness and loud disturbances (music at all hours etc) and raging or fighting. of which I hear a lot of that sometimes. Music loudness has settled down lots, thank god! (I complained and got a lot of raging tossed at me)

I have seen other neighborhoods, more residential actually, that look nice and like they don't get the kinds of problems like this location in town does. You can expect a mix. I know I don't feel safe being out alone after dark. Last town I lived in I did feel safe and enjoyed walks on my insomniac nights Wouldn't do that here at all.

Yes, different working with lifestyles like that than it is to live around them. At least with work you can go home to a safe and quiet home if you're in a good place to live.

 

[Vets Dottir]

FYI ... I'm pretty convinced those "symbols" things were just a case of the teens goofing around, and no big deal

 

[mariomike]

Hello Vets Dottir! Did you see the movie "Gran Torino" with Clint Eastwood? I think every neighbourhood could use one of those guys. Some more than others!

 

[Vets Dottir]

Hello MarioMike

Nope. Never saw it. I'll remember to check it out if I ever spot it in the TV programs when surfing channels though!

Interesting event today, and in keeping with some of this conversation. I was at Giant Tiger store checkout today and heard a "splat" behind me and people intaking breaths. Turned around to see a young very overweight woman flat on her back, arms and legs spread out. She just collapsed, said her legs just folded or something and she couldn't feel her legs. Manager wanted to move her to sit her up or something. I think her upper back hurt from her flat position is all and he was wanting to make her more comfy I think BUT I immediately jumped in and said loudly NO DON'T DO THAT and stopped him, explaining she couldn't feel her legs and wait for the paramedics to get here. I was worried about spine stuff (I've never had training but have heard enough do not move them especially if they can't feel) I left after the paramedics arrived but did see them loading her in the ambulance on a stretcher. She had just come to the store from the doctor etc and it was mentioned she had been to emerg etc recently. Hopefully she'll be ok. Her mom was out in her van and I went to get her to come to her daughter and she looked annoyed and impatient to have to be disturbed and was very blase, even after seeing her daughter on the floor layed out. Some people really exchanged unbelieving looks by some of the moms attitude. Amazing. Her daughter wasn't feeling her legs at all but was in a lot of pain in other spots. Sounds pretty serious when the girl can't feel her legs at all.

I could seriously kick the moms hienie, as I think so could some other witnesses, I don't care what issues you and your kids have, that was pretty cold on moms part, don't you think? Hard for me to not sit in judgement even when it's obvious that mom-daughter relationship is not good and I haven't a clue why not.

Question on another issue: What can I do about mary wanna fumes coming through the vents into my apartment so it stinks and I can taste the stuff it's so heavy sometimes??? A woman downstairs also claims she is allergic to the stuff and I know sometimes when I get whiffs I will get an immediate headache. I don';t want this crap fuming into my place ... argh!!!!!!!!!!!