10 — Wecnesday. January 20, 1999 — North Suore News

Anna Marie D'Angelo

News Reports
dangnelo@nsnews.com

THERE is no such
thing as a gang
wannabe.

Vhe correct ward
- affthare

borer Houston Poles
dercoove and gang expert Mike
Knew save that voung people
become gang members betore
they join.

“Yhey become commited
to the gang before they get
jumped 1p qoinl” said: Knox.

Know recent spoke about
“Secrets Gangs Never TP? at
the North Vancouver ROMP
detachment office.

About 70 people, many ot
whom were teachers or police
officers, were present at the
Northy Van talk. The alk was
one of several Lower Mainland
stops tor Knox spensered: by
First Memorial Funeral
Services.

Anybody uat_ participants
in wang activities is a gang
member, emphasized Knox.

He said every gang has core
members and outside of that
are the potential recruits which
are sometimes called wannabes.
The general public thinks
wannabes are OK and “cute”
said Knox. But gang affiliates
contribute to the gang through
their time and criminal efforts.
The only thing the affiliates

ng with the gang

Former Houston detective describes U.S. crime culture

NEWS photy Mike Wakefield

GANG expert Mike Knox says an affiliate is an integial pari of a criminal qang.

don’t have isa say on how the
gang is run.

Knox said a youth gang
affiliate typically starts out with
discipline problems at school

and at heme. He or she will
shopliti, take drugs, abuse alco
hol and maybe do some “light”
burglaries while skipping
school.

Lies your gang always tells you

THE big three gang
promises which are real-
ly lies involve:

Gsafety, .
@belonging or family;
Grespect.

Gang expert Mike Knox
said that once a young person
joins a gang, Le “instantly”
becomes a target of enemies of
that gang. The young person
may not know his new ene-
mies. Knox said it is mathemat-
ically impossible for a gang to
protect its members from all
the passive and active enemies
of the gang.

Gang use intimidation and
retaliation affera gang member

ATTENTION!

is injured or killed.

“Ifa gang says thac they've
got you're back. Where am P |
am in front where the danger is
coming... Who is protecting
whom,” said Knox.

As far as belonging or fami-
ly, Knox detined a family as
people who sacrifice for one
another in personal and finan-
cial ways. Individuals. sacrifice
for the family and the family
sacrifices for the individual.

Knox said gangs are not
frnilies because gang sacrifice
is one way.

The individual sacrifices his
freedom and fiaure for the
gang. Individual gang mem-
bers are “expendable or throw-

aways” unlike the situation in
real families.

Concerning respect, Knox
said a gang member mistakenly
thinks that fear means respect.

“To cannot make anybody
Tespect me... f can make you
afraid,” said Knox.

Knox used the example of'a
two-year-old child pointing a
loaded) gan, something that
would make people tearful.

“You require ao talent or
skill or honour to make some-
one afraid,” said Knox.

Fear is also a survival tool
which should not be ignored.
Knox said gang miembers and
atiiliates die because they don't
want ta show fear.

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vA Tite of this a tittle of

that... Maybe in about a year or
so we get jumped inie dom)
the gang.” said Knox,

“Now all of a sudden, we
are a problem, but before that
we were just a wannabe,” he
said.

“Americans like te think
that we contnbute a lot to the
word around us and often we
do very positive things for our
neighbours.” said Knox, with a
sight southern United States

‘Sa Andrew WS. Donald
President

accent,

“Occasionally though, we
do things that are not very nice
and one or those not so nice
things is that we have been very
happy to send vou many of our
gangsters up this way,” he said.

Knox said a gang uses asso-
chte-members (affiliates) as a
baffer between itself’ and
authorities in sactety.

“Thev use the proceeds of
all these kids who commit all
these crimes for the beneiit of

CANADIAN

is not ‘cute’

the game The sang 1 never
held responsible” sud Knov,

Kno vniminal
SUrceT pam, as:

@ having a swmbol or sign and
leaderstap:

B having turf or territory they
claim as their own:

@ conducting revular aeet-
Wis,

@ cncoundging, supporting and
promoung crinnnad or dehin
qprent behaviour.

Knox peinted ut thar
hanging out ina street gang is
not egal because that would
contravene the Us,
Constunen that ensures the
treedam iG associate with
whomever vou choose, The
Canadian Bill of Rights: also
protects the treedam ta associ:
ate and assembly,

Knox said: gang members
may wear the same colour, shitt
their belts in one direction or
have hats tied one wav.

“We can often identity them
{zang mentbers) when they are
in a group because of the statis-
tical imprebability (of 3 specific
dress mode) happening is pret-
tv low unless it’s an organized
effort,” said Knox.

Knox said police usually
focus on gang problems associ-
ated with illegal drugs, giving
the public the “distorted view”
that gangs are simply drug
organizations.

Knox said that gangs are
much bigger than chat as far as
criminal behaviour goes. They
steal cars, do burglaries, con-
duct robberies and do many
other crimes.

Knox said a gang can't be
“killed” unless “you get rid” of
the care members (leadership).

During the talk, Knox

denned a

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