Wednesday, June 27, 2007 Nalzaro: Bloods and Crips By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
AFTER the intense rivalry between Tau Gamma Phi and Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho) fraternities that resulted in the loss of lives of their members comes the involvement in street fights of two other youth-based groups, giving our police another headache.
The Bloods and Crips gangs are now in the limelight because of their notoriety. They have figured in several skirmishes already. Good if only their members were killed in the clashes. What is alarming is that innocent people have also been caught in the crossfire.
Unlike Tau Gamma and Akrho, which are classified as Greek-letter societies, Bloods and Crips are gangs whose members are mostly out-of-school youths and hoodlums.
The police's definition of a gang: “group of individuals, juvenile or adult, who associate on a continuous basis, form an allegiance for a common purpose and are involved in delinquent or criminal activity.”
I don't know the history of the local Bloods and Crips. But I understand they are merely adopting the names of gangs in the United States and are not formally affiliated with them. They are not only in Cebu but are all over the country.
Bloods is a Los Angeles, California street gang. Its members are known for their red attires and the gang’s symbol is the word “blood” spelled out with the members’ hands. Bloods is composed of sub-groups known as “sets.”
Since its formation, Bloods has branched out throughout the United States and even influenced youth groups using the same name in Europe and Asia.
Crips, on the other hand, is one of the oldest, largest and most notorious gangs in the US. Raymond Washington, a 15-year old school drop out, founded the group in 1969.
Crips originated in Los Angeles, California and has been involved in murders, robberies and drug dealing activities. It is known for the blue color of the attire worn by its members.
What was once a single gang is now a loose network of individual “sets” around the US and Asia. Most of the gang members are hip-hop boys and rappers.
Now, how will the police stop the criminal activities of these groups? Will the police call for a dialogue with their leaders, like what they did with Tau Gamma and Akrho?
The problem is, we don't even know the leaders of these gangs. But I think the police should immediately do something to neutralize them before it is too late.
