"Gang presence" in Clayton?

While interviewing for teaching jobs a couple of weeks ago in Clayton, a couple of the principals mentioned that there is a "gang presence" in the school system. Can anyone shed any light on the subject for me?

My wife and I were sold on the area when we came home. Over the past couple of weeks, this gang thing keeps coming up in conversation and is quite a concern. We are leaving the Detroit/Ypsilanti area in Michigan, in part because we want our daughters to grow up in a safe, economically viable place. Might the urban sprawl of Raleigh have created just a warmer version of where we are in MI now just outside of Detroit? I've had about all I can stand in the way of "gangstas".

Anyone?

 

Never heard of "gangs" in Clayton.........

 

I've heard of gangs in the schools but I don't know how serious they are. Are they wanna be gang member kids or are they really acting out... that I don't know. Maybe someone who works in the schools can answer that better for you.

I do know, however, that this is a serious concern for this area and something that you might want to consider before moving here. :neutral: http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

 

I think the majority of gang activity around here is the mexican gangs, and its not as big a problem as it would be in a big city, it does exist. The local authorities are aware of it and I thought I read recently (within the last year) that the local police depts have investigators that track the gang related activities and try to nip of much off the problem as they can.

 

You might want to give a call to the Clayton police station. Last spring we had a field trip to the station. The officer we met with mentioned, to the adults, the increasing presence of gangs in our county. The Clayton police station web site has a page about gangs and says "For more information contact Investigator Jason Linder @ 919.553.4611" If someone calls, report back what he tells you, please.

http://www.claytonpolice.org/nc/Default.aspx?tabid=63

 

:ack::ack:

 

Good assessment

Ken,

You are right. The wanna-bes are terrible because they don't understand the "rules".

 

Hispanic gangs are here, and they are some of the worst commiters of violent acts.

 

I was told years ago by my friend that worked in the Durham County Sherriff's department that there were indeed gangs in Clayton and they were growing. I had never known. Not well publicized and it is everywhere in the nation unfortunately. I don't think there is "escaping" it by moving. BUT, since there aren't reports on the news maybe it is on the decline. Any policemen/ women want to shed some light on the gang violence in the area or if there is any???

Stephanie--mom to 7

 

Not a policeman, nor a police woman, but I did stay @ a Holiday Inn Express last night

Seriously tho, I deal with Hispanic gangs DAILY. What would you like to know?

Anything with 13 in it such as....MS-13 or Tereros 13, serenos 13, etc. Align themselves with the "Mexican Mafia" out of LA area. The 13th letter of the alphabet is M for "Mexican". MK spiders, and the latin kings are other ones I see in this area. Also there is a new "tag" that has been going up that no-one has info on yet "n59ns" or something close to that.

I am sure I will find out more on that one soon.

 

So how much activity is actually going on? Do you mind me asking how you deal with gangs daily? I am sincerely curious, because I have no first hand knowledge, and if I'm walking around in a naive bubble, I'd like to know. DS goes to Riverwood and I've heard nothing of the sort up there. What about the middle school? I'm sure there is some at the high school level, but just how serious is it?

 

I knew you were in a gang . lol

 

Don't let anyone tell you gangs aren't here. THEY ARE!! Maybe not in full force as in you bigger inner cities, but the most certainly are here. They come in many forms and many different types, as mentioned the hispanics (mostly MS-13's), you also have some juv gangs that go by many names, and lets not forget the bloods (really strong in Raleigh, but closing in fast)

 

1) ALOT

2) You may ask, but I reserve the right to my privacy. I will say that I work in a largely Hispanic area in Raleigh. Dealing with Graphitti, Gangs, etc just happens to be one of my passions. I like to know as much as possible to keep aware of my surroundings. I am the "front line" on this problem ALOT more than I like. Typically persons are scared and dont want to deal with the problem, so they call me and I have to deal with it until the appropriate LEO's (Law enforcement officers) arrive. Several times I have walked around a corner into a problem, such as having guns pulled on me, threatened, fist fights, etc. Luckily I happen to be a very large man and look 100 times tougher than I really am. My wife calls it "the look". Strangers will go out of their way to leave me alone (such as beggars, wierdo's in the stores that talk her to death, etc).

In addition to myself, I hang out with ALOT of LEO's, and they give me info, people to be on the lookout for, etc.

3) I wouldnt say "Naive" bubble, but more like a protected bubble you are in. There is little info on the news til its too late. Arm yourself with knowledge and you will never be unarmed.

4) Definately in the high schools, less so in the middle schools, but still there.

 

Now that was funny!

You know me Ken, I can pick out a car 10 miles away and tell you all about it. All the cars I see here @ work (for obvious reasons you can keep where I work on the DL), I see out there "in the country". Take a ride through Angier and I guarantee I know 50% of the people there from my work.

Yeah, maybe they are just "taggers", but I choose to err on the side of caution. The first time I had kids in their pre-teens flash guns @ me, I realised they might not be fake gangsters.

 

let me crawl out from under my rock and see what the heck is going on!!!!
I had no idea..... I don't have any kids in High School or Middle school, it comes as very shocking and scarey news to me.

 

Trust and believe some of these so called victims, that you think don't have a clue have a better understanding than what you think. Of course their family is going to portray them as being "good, caring, fun loving kids". What a bunch of crap Well these kids as well as grown adults are causing problems such as robberies, rapes, and murders daily maybe not in clayton, but certainly other places close by.

 

I appreciate the honest answer, and certainly respect your privacy. But I guess my real question is, how much gang activity is right here in Clayton, not Raleigh, not Durham, good ol Clayton. Does local law enforcement have a good handle on it? Because I am concerned about how little is reported in the local news. Is it turning a blind eye? Or is there nothing to report?

 

The only mention I made of Raleigh was that was where I work & gained my FIRST HAND knowledge of Hispanic gangs.

LISTEN CAREFULLY..... Of the Hispanic gangs that I know of, several...
A) Have members that live in...
B) Spend time in
c) Are active in,

Clayton, NC


OK, about the law enforcement.....

1) Law enforcement is only beginning to admit there is a gang problem.
2) Cops are working their rears off to catch these guys and the justice system does nothing, or sends them back to whatever country they came from-They just sneak back-
3) Most are underage and there is NOTHING the police can do. They cant even talk to them without their parents present. They actively recruit at schools where police arent.


The gang culture is by its own nature secretive, therefor hidden from plain sight. As I stated earlier, by the time the problem is obvious, its too late. If you are seeing "tagging" as I described earlier, its too late, they are already here. Ken and I have a different opinion on this, please either listen to him, or me, but not both or you will continue to become more confused.

As Ken said, "there may be wanna be's", but for every one of those there are 50 real gang members. Who do you think they are trying to impress by tagging? (Hint: its the kids down the street- They arent going to Raleigh, seeing a MS-13 Tag and saying "Wow, I'll be cool if I drive back to Clayton and put that on my stopsign"). I have several swords as well Ken, but I dont hang them on stopsigns to mark my turf


My best guess from FIRST HAND is that 80% of gang related incidents go unreported. You have to remember that in Hispanic cultures they dont trust the police because over in their countries alot of the police are on the take from the gangs. I have personally watched families that were terrified by the gangsters lie to the police, then tell me they lied because the gangsters threatened to come back.

 

Working in the school system, we go to gang awareness training offered by the police department. There is definitely gang activity in Johnston Co.