Any significance to orange as gang color?

[rubyrose]

Yep.

While sometimes it can get really scary, a lot of times it's just plain fun.

I did the Citizens Police Academy last fall, and we got one night of firearms training: 12 rounds with their standard issue .45s.

I'd never held a gun in my hand before. This is my paper:



Instructor said I would have done even better if I hadn't kept looking to see how well I'd done. That would push me off a bit.

A few days later I was showing the paper to one of my street friends. We were on the sidewalk. Bad Boy w/saggy pants/red underwear was sitting on HIS porch. Curiosity got the better of him. He came up to us and asked, "You did that?"

I said, "Yeah. First time I ever even held a gun."

His eyes got really wide and he sort of hung his head low. He said, "Wow. That's good."

I said, "Yep."

And he slunk away.

That could be why he's so scared of me.

The younger ones are easy to psych out. It's the older ones -- the ones who've spent some time in prison already -- they are the ones that I really need to watch out for. Fortunately most of what we have around here are young. Every once in a while the older ones poke their noses into things -- so I knew trouble was afoot when I saw the older faces last week.

I had a nice bike ride this afternoon -- gorgeous evening, along the river path. On my way back I did another pass on their side of the street. Got home, put my bike away, sat back down on my porch, and no sooner had I sat down than two cruisers came by, real slow. Had absolutely nothing to do with me. But the boyz don't know that. Poof. The boyz disappear. Like magic!

Nothin' on tv that's more entertaining than this.

Cleaning up the neighborhood and having fun while doing it...what else could one ask for?

[exComptonCop]

Now THAT was REALLY funny.

Cleaning up the neighborhood and having fun while doing it...what else could one ask for?

[rubyrose]

Oh, I'm sure there are a few.

Which is why I took down the real photo I had of myself and try to disguise as much as possible. I'm sure some enterprising person could figure out where I am and who I am, but it would take a lot of work. Thugs don't like to work.

Thank God there aren't too many thugs reading O.com...

[rubyrose]

Yeah, I know there's a difference.

One thing I know is when they are hanging their bandana out of a pocket as a flag, that's for sure representing.

I've seen a lot of red today, but probably a good deal of it is just coincidence. Heck, I wear red -- and was wearing it yesterday when I was riding my bike around.

Can't always assume what the colors are about.

But I am feeling a lot more relaxed and comfortable with the situation right now.

The saga continues...

Kinda funny today.

I was on my porch having my breakfast & coffee (it's a lovely place to do that -- beautiful morning, too). Last week's Bad Boy who did the walk by with the saggy pants and his butt flashing red underwear came by, dressed nicely, no saggy pants.

The funny thing is that he crossed to the OTHER side of the street instead of walking in front of me.

On his return, he did the same thing. A few minutes later he came back up the sidewalk with a friend and this time passed on my side. I thought, hmmm. Guess at least THAT one is afraid of ME. Couldn't even walk the walk without being accompanied. LOL.

Maybe my little performance yesterday DID have some effect.

Maybe can't imagine why this old lady would feel so brave she can ride her bike right past them unless i am armed.

I startled them a couple times yesterday when they passed in front of me in a large group and I got up just as they passed to go pick up trash on the walk. When I made my move in their direction they started high tailing it away. Well, I had my hand in my pocket, holding my cell phone. Ha. Maybe they thought it was a gun. If cops can make that mistake, why not thugs?

I got off to my court watch duties this morning without incident. Then later in the afternoon I had to head out for my physical therapy. There were some older thug types who had pulled their car in behind mine, got out just to hang around, and they were acting stupid. Well I just glared at them and kept heading straight for my car.

They scrambled to get back into their car so fast I almost burst out laughing. Of course I took note of the plate # & wrote it down when I got into my car. Because of the heavy traffic on the street they weren't able to pull out in time.

Now THAT was REALLY funny.

A little while ago (I'm on the porch with my laptop) a whole bunch of them did their slow pass...and they actually said hello to me. They've NEVER done that before, not in all the two years I've been here. Usually they glare at me. Of course I said hello right back.

Who knows what that's about. Anyway, I think my best bet for now is to simply ignore the intimidation tactics, at least as far as I let on to them.

I've got a new thing now. When they pass, I just smile.

I'm sure a lot of the escalation of intimidation tactics last week had to do with my own anxiety over them. They pick up on that.
*****

Listen Orange Is Used As A Color. Throughout The Various Gangland Units Deployed And Intelligence Gathered Other Colors Come Into Play With Major Gang Members To Throw Officers Back. A Lot Of Sets
That Display These Colors Are Not Also Fully Connected To The Major Network Of Gangmembers Nationall And Internationall. Also The Possibility That Many Foreign Gangs(just As Many Of Them As There Are Usa Only Gangs Believe That) Use Colors For Thier Own Identies.

You Should Know How To Defer The Difference Between Someone Wearing A Bandanna For Clothing Or Repping A Criminal Activity Regardless Of The Color Worn.

[Grummin]

I have only one question, Why dont you move. And dont blame it on money, you have the internet

[Bpayne101]

Listen Orange Is Used As A Color. Throughout The Various Gangland Units Deployed And Intelligence Gathered Other Colors Come Into Play With Major Gang Members To Throw Officers Back. A Lot Of Sets
That Display These Colors Are Not Also Fully Connected To The Major Network Of Gangmembers Nationall And Internationall. Also The Possibility That Many Foreign Gangs(just As Many Of Them As There Are Usa Only Gangs Believe That) Use Colors For Thier Own Identies.

You Should Know How To Defer The Difference Between Someone Wearing A Bandanna For Clothing Or Repping A Criminal Activity Regardless Of The Color Worn.

[InfiniteTeach]

Thank God there aren't too many thugs reading O.com...

[rubyrose]

Well that's you, Hoosier.

Me -- I'm a community activist who has been publicly challenging people to stand up to the thugs and not let them scare them out of doing the right thing. Just exactly how would it look and what would it do if I packed up and headed out of town? That would make me a total hypocrite.

Not to mention this is MY city, my BEAUTIFUL city, and I refuse to surrender it to thugs. There are many good people fighting to take it back. I am NOT alone.

There are things you don't know about this neighborhood. My street is a bad one, but the Ward itself has many good streets, starting just a few blocks over. I've posted pics of some of that

This is mostly psychological warfare. Our gangs, while no stranger to homicide and other violence, still are not any where near the levels that they are in other cities. The national gangs (Bloods, Crips) are only beginning to make minor inroads. If we don't stand up now, we will be overrun.

Right now, the risk of activism is considerably less than it will be if nobody has the courage to lead the way.

At the end of August I'm going to have my own little "gang reconnaissance" walking slowly up and down my street. That will be the Mayor, the police chief, the fire chief, and every other top departmental administrator, along with numerous community folk. I will be leading the "flock" and pointing out the problem spots. Things get done after these little neighborhood visits.

****

BTW, there is a night and day difference tonight. There are only five cars in the lot right now, and no one is hanging out.

This morning I got out to go to church. Before I left I came out to the porch and took my extra chairs in — forgot them last night. So my wonderful neighbors across the street I’m sure saw me come out, so they knew I was up. Then when I went back out to leave, all of a sudden there are a whole lot of people. They cross from pizza shop lot and then go over to the house on the other side of the vacant house next to me. [They know better than to take over the vacant house -- I've gotten trespassers arrested.] They all stand INSIDE the fence and turn to stare at me. Of course, since they are on private property there’s nothing that can be done.

I pulled out my phone and called myself, leaving a detailed description on my own voice mail. Then I left. But I circled around and came back by to see if they were still there. If they were still there then it was likely that the gathering wasn't for my benefit. Well, they were gone. Poof.

When I came back from church & sat on the porch for a while it was business as usual. So I decided to try a change-up.

I went out and did some yard work. The boyz would come by and I wouldn’t budge and wouldn’t even look up.

I saw the owner of the pizza shop (FM) out doing some of his own clean up and decided to take him into my confidence. I told him about what was going on at night in his parking lot and all up and down the street in the daytime.

He said he’d been trying to get the police to take action about the dealing in his lot and told me to call 911 on it any time. So I figured from that he was on the up and up.

After that I got my bike out & rode up C Ave., turned a few streets up. The boyz were a bit startled, to say the least. Then I realized my front tire needed air and I didn’t have any coins with me (we have to pay for air here!) so I turned around and came back home.

This time I rode on the sidewalk on THEIR side of the street. Right past them, like this is my street, what are YOU doing here? You should have seen the looks on their faces!

Then I went riding down T Road (rival gang territory) and around the interior streets (not gang territory) & went to a friend’s house on R Street. She is moving and giving away stuff, so I picked out some things, planning to go back with the car later.

When I came back on the bike I did the same thing, riding on the sidewalk on their side of the street. Again, shock.

One way to get control is to do the unexpected.

Later I went and got a pizza. Not the best thing for me (suffering some of the effects right now!). But again it was “this is my territory too — don’t you forget that!"

Then I went to pick up the stuff at my friends. Very interesting events on my return. As I drove down the street it was completely clear. Then I parked and got out, and suddenly a whole bunch of people appear and start walking toward me from both directions. I just unloaded, completely nonchalant, as if nothing was going on. Some new guy (white!) came by on a bike and gave me a dirty stare the whole time. I returned the stare.

I figure I need to show them I’m not afraid.

Then all of a sudden the street was quiet and clear again.

Telling FM what I did may or may not have been a mistake. But the street is unbelievably clear right now and has been all evening.

I’ve been resting this evening and haven’t been on my porch. But despite that, the street is still clear. Night and day difference from the last week, and especially last night.

I doubt my little performances did the work. More likely the emails with detailed information and photos sent to key people inspired some police action while I was gone.

So, Hoosier, I appreciate your concern, but I have to live my life the way I believe life should be lived. From the time in high school when I established the "Human Relations Society" to deal with the rampant racism in the school (it was the early 60s) until now I have always been one to see problems and want to work to solve them.

drama for your momma... I'm not real knowledgeable of gangs, but I'm guessing if they have killed people already, they probably do not care who you "hang out" with or what kind of "street cred" you have with the "right color" guy sitting on your porch.

This is my honest advice, Do yourself a favor and GTFOutta town.
No need to try to be brave... Killers do not care if you are brave and unarmed,
or if you are armed for that matter just look at how many fallen brothers and sisters we have in Law Enforcement due to killers who don't care... What makes you different?

Just my 2 cents Ruby.

[Hoosier_Boy]

drama for your momma... I'm not real knowledgeable of gangs, but I'm guessing if they have killed people already, they probably do not care who you "hang out" with or what kind of "street cred" you have with the "right color" guy sitting on your porch.

This is my honest advice, Do yourself a favor and GTFOutta town.
No need to try to be brave... Killers do not care if you are brave and unarmed,
or if you are armed for that matter just look at how many fallen brothers and sisters we have in Law Enforcement due to killers who don't care... What makes you different?

Just my 2 cents Ruby.

[exComptonCop]

Wow. Lots of issues going on here.

Yes indeed!

[Looker]

Wow. Lots of issues going on here.

[madchiken]

Sounds exciting... Personally, I would just move.

[rubyrose]

Uh Oh. I made a big boo boo...

I was on my porch tonight. Around 11 p.m. I noticed a pair I had seen last night around the same time come up and stand at a certain spot near the sidewalk in front of the pizza shop. They stand there and call out to cars as they pass by. When a car responds to their call out and pulls into the lot, they go up to it and start talking.

Tonight a particular car with several people in it pulled up and they went over to it. They were talking with these people a long time. Then the occupants got out of the car. They were clearly all partying. NOTE: not one of them ever once went into the pizza shop.

I have noticed that somewhere along this time (last night it lasted until about 1:30 a.m.), the parking lot is jammed full, lots of people milling about, cars sitting there with their lights on (perhaps signaling that they are drug customers?) These cars sit there far longer than is reasonable if waiting for a pizza. (It's just a take-out; no restaurant.) It is definitely a party atmosphere. I also noticed last night that every time I got up and went inside, cars would tear out of the parking lot. It's a safe assumption on their part that if I go inside the house I am probably calling 911.

After a while tonight I went inside and turned off my lights. I took a flashlight (which I keep pointed to the floor to avoid it being seen from outside) and went up to the attic where I have a good view of the parking lot. I figured I could take pics up there unnoticed. My camera (terrific zoom lens) can do low light conditions without a flash. The main problem is holding it steady enough.

I got some pretty good stuff.

However...uh...uh oh...

Since I’ve never been on the OTHER side of this new camera I did not realize it had a green light that turns on when you press the shutter button.

I figured this out when all of a sudden everybody just took off. I thought maybe there was a cop car in the vicinity, but I never saw one. Anyway, I turned my camera around to check it and then I saw that green light.

OMG. So when I thought I couldn’t be observed, my camera was betraying me.

O what frickin BAD LUCK. Ok, not bad luck. Stupidity.

Geez. I had decided to “lay low” and look what I ended up doing. ARRGGHHHH.

Well, one good effect. Ever since they "closed up shop" around quarter till midnight, the street has been exceptionally quiet. Gonna be hard for me to sleep tonight tho. I am so totally wired.

[rubyrose]

Thank you for your cautionary advice.

I do think things are a bit different here. We have yet to have the kind of gang violence you see in many other cities. Here it is essentially confined to gang rivalries and revenge killings of gang members (or people trying to leave a gang). Homicides of persons of my color happen maybe once a year, and that's "wrong place, wrong time" or DV related. The color breakdown of homicide in this city -- of both victims and killers -- is glaringly obvious. Sad. But that's reality.

While I agree that going to prison for my murder would probably be something certain among them would do with pride, my point about the PD and the Mayor was that I have my own "gang" behind me, and it's bigger than theirs. I am confident that everything that CAN be done to protect me WILL be done.

Also, there are grown ups involved with this who are aware that bringing heat down on the business just isn't smart. The costliness isn't just in having one or two go to prison. The costliness is in the dent that the heat would make in their profits. While it would blow over eventually, why lose money if you don't have to?

Nonetheless, I do intend to be very cautious, even more so than I have been.

One of the things I plan to start up doing again (I've done it before) is filing a daily itinerary by email with a couple of people I know I can trust (not anyone on these streets) and then calling them when I am home & in for the night.

I will give them the cell # of a captain I know. If they haven't heard from me by a certain time (after calling ME to make sure I haven't just forgotten), they are to call that captain. That captain has all my important contact information (including friends/family I'm likely to have been in contact with) and all the locations I am likely to be found if I'm somewhere I'm supposed to be. I don't get out a lot after dark because of my health conditions, so tracking me down if I'm where I'm supposed to be should be pretty quick and easy. Especially if I have filed an itinerary.

I am always very cautious when I leave the house. With my current location it would be impossible for anyone to surprise me either coming home or going. I am also very good at noticing and dodging a follow. (I went through this a couple of years ago at my previous location.)

One place I am vulnerable is in the pass through to get to the back of the building so I can get to the basement to do laundry. I won't be doing any of that after dark. As it is, I always have my cell with me. I need to replace the pepper spray I lost.

Last night one of my street friends asked me for a ride someplace she needed to be. I could have turned her down but I also don't want to arouse suspicion with me suddenly being unfriendly when I've been so helpful before. So before I left I called my ex-C.O. friend, told him where I was going and who I was with. Told him if he didn't hear back from me in 20 minutes, there was a problem.

Well it was all uneventful. I suspect it was a ruse to get me away from my porch. Which is ok. I can't be watching the street all the time anyway.

Right now I am backing away from being the obvious watcher and 911 caller. What I've seen going down across the street from me in the pizza shop parking lot as well as a house directly across from me is going to take a well-planned effort, including some UC, to shut it down. Suddenly there is a very hot drug business where there was never anything before -- at least not obvious. Occasional transaction, but that's about it. Most of the activity was further up, out of my sight.

It's clear they've moved to that location because it hides them from the surveillance camera farther up.

Anyway, now when they see me go inside from my porch watch or stay outside and pick up my phone (calling friends)... no police will come. I am hoping this will lull them into a bit of complacency about me. So, while we are working out something more effective, I will be giving them a false sense of security. They will be thinking it won't be worth messing with me, cuz I'm going to appear to be fairly harmless.

I'm also going to have more people over to keep me company on my porch. I even have an O.com volunteer!

If these are 'hard core' gang members then that statement is correct......they could care less about any fallout from the police......some will take it as a point of PRIDE to go to state prison for your murder......

you need to be very very careful......

I realize that you care for your community, and you are attempting to do what is right......but, be more careful doing so......

[LA DEP]

Something happens to me, that intensive policing effort will be called into serious question. If you can't protect a person who so significantly volunteers on public safety issues, who has all the right connections, then nobody is safe.

If these are 'hard core' gang members then that statement is correct......they could care less about any fallout from the police......some will take it as a point of PRIDE to go to state prison for your murder......

you need to be very very careful......

I realize that you care for your community, and you are attempting to do what is right......but, be more careful doing so......