Vittum Park

It was good to finally see the huge 'DMS' gang grafitti removed from the wall of a building near 51st and Kolmar...

This info link re: DMS, refers to this gang's 'philosophy'
(originating in NY (as far as Australia!) and now here too in the 23rd ward?--you find t'DMS' along fences, street posts, buildings, along Archer Avenue. (a few interpretations of this acronym, but the more current is: "Drugs, Money, Sex"):

http://pauaprincess.wordpress.com/2007/06/24/youth-gangs-scourge-of-society-or-family-substitute/

Secondly, for anyone who wants to educate themselves about the number of gangs in Chicago, who they are (down to photos, gang symbols, police district maps of where they are) you can take borrow the book through your local library:

http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-where-the-gangs-are,0,2185751.story

For all those who really want to "get to know your neighbors", start here; because these gangs ARE here (though this book
has data through 2011 [copyright of 2012], I believe the district mapping isn't accurate, because it shows the Archer Heights area as having NO gang presence...Heh! NOT!

They ARE present, if not accounted for....as the still gang grafitti shows, the increasing organized crime shows, the rise of gold stores, tattoo parlors and now, pawn shops, shows-- what next, porn shops?). And if this data WAS accurate at the time, then we've really got to worry because gangs are blooming faster than the Spring flowers! Are gangs fighting for THIS turf or east AH? Are we going to have to see their formal presence on future maps of this area of the 23rd ward?

All the more reason to stay on top of the grafitti removal, keep up the police patrolling (and again, many thanks to the police for doing so!), and getting yourself involved as a community resident in reporting any grafitti, any suspicious activity you see. This can't be stated enough....