Terror on the south side

[Mary Krupa]

It is so incredible the number of shootings that go on! I feel, too, that I have to distinguish which part of the south side I live on since I don't want anything to do with living in a bullet-ridden environment. I think the south side is fascinating--all areas of it. It's very sad that some of the oldest areas of town with names honoring the founders (non Native American, that is) of Youngstown are such unhappy places (Hillman, Gibson, etc.). So much heritage here and so much blight.

I am active in my block watch. Sometimes it seems that we don't do much but I think just coming together, united, presenting a "presence" of people that like Youngstown has its own, albeit non-glamorous, value. I firmly believe in every person doing his best within his own atmosphere. I think there is unseen value in this and it needs to be emphasized.

Thanks, Ken, for putting your thoughts down about this. I don't have much to say about security efforts because they really bore me. However, what can we do to help people learn to think through their anger and not be so reactionary and pull out a gun. I think about this every time I read in the paper about all these shootings. Any ideas?  Maybe we can bring this up at the National Night Out celebration on Tuesday, August 6th at Homestead Park  (this event is in honor of all of the nation's block watches and has a parade starting a 5pm at Wilson HS, picnic at Homestead).

[KenneyJoe]

I am glad this topic came up.
  It seems to me that the south side of Youngstown is the largest in terms of territory - encompassing TWO WARDS.  Am I correct in this belief?  Correct or not in terms of size -I know I am correct in knowing that the problems of quality of living in each of these two wards are handled differently because each has a different "elected" person at the helm.  Getting directly to the point - Every time I tell someone that I am "from the south side" then I always qualify my statement by giving a more detailed account of where on the south side I live.  Even more direct to the point - I live in the 7th Ward and I think there is a big difference between 7th and 6th Wards, just as there is a big difference among ALL of Youngstown's Wards.
Thank you for letting me get that clarification out of the way.
  I am fairly sure that what you discribe is not unusual for the other sides (and wards) of Youngstown.  Having a lot of attention focused on the Federal Goverment in the last few days caused me to wonder what happened to the cooperation local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and judges were to have with them.  Does anyone remember - I don't recall exactly how it went - something like - - if a crime was committed and fell within the boundries of a "FEDERAL OFFENCE" then that crime would be turned over to "FEDERAL AUTHORITIES".  The discharge of a firearm in the city is against city law or ordnance and probably has little to do with the FEDS.  However when a house or worse yet a PERSON walking down the street is shot "at" or an "armed" robbery occurs - Thank God I am not a lawyer - but can't local authorities call in the FEDS?  What recourse do we have to "Terror in our neighborhood" - talk about "Homeland Security"?  What about "Neighborhood Security" and what can we do about it?  If you don't have a Block Watch starting one could help - but Block Watch Groups are only as strong as the members themselves wish to become.  You would be surprised how some people DEMAND something be done and never even THINK about coming to a meeting or putting a $ or $$ in the pot.  
  I hope there will be some good posts on this topic because collective discussion and effort are certainly needed to solve the problem.
  Thanks for bring up this post!  
  

  

[Andrew]

Almost every night we hear shots being fired somewhere on the south side.  Most of our neighborhoods live in fear of these local terrorist thugs.  I would like to see the same effort taken to eliminate these terrorists from the south side as the federal government is taking to combat the terrorists around the world.