lotzothoughtzpages - Roanoke+Gangs: Maybe

From my point of view:

Gangs do exist in Roanoke.

Gangs do not exist in Roanoke.

This is a problem of semantics, what is a gang? Is it a highly organized group of people (most typically thought to be composed of economically repressed young men) with a hierarchical command structure, very much like the early mob functioned? Or can it also be a group of loosely associated people who unite under a common place name and perform, as individuals, certain acts that they then assoicate with their chosen place name affiliation?

If you believe that it has to be one or the other you probably hold the definition of “gang” to be more in line with the first of those two definitions. Because those are how the big city “gangs” are formed, as ways of creating “safety” to those involved in return for certain acts and unconditional loyalty.

However, if you find the second definition to be true to what a “gang” is, or both definitions as differing types of “gangs“, then yes Virginia, Roanoke has gangs.

I saw them growing up, although most of the ones I was familiar with are only gangs by definition-not by conscious act. It was the Goths and punks and me hanging out by the Persinger steps on the old campus of Patrick Henry High School everyday., the theatre kids (half of which were those same Goths) going out to dinner as a pack and then walking around downtown that way, and the football team hazing new members to “initiate” them, or more classically the kids, often black, from the “inner” city that only hung around with kids from their neighborhoods. I said “inner” city because it’s hard to say Roanoke has an inner city, just economically different parts.

In college I’ve seen gangs at RU in the guise of off-campus fraternities: their members are hazed beyond imagination to join, they pay money to the “organization”, they seek recruits, they do things for each other, and they sometimes clash in physical fights with members of other off-campus frats and school recognized frats.

I personally do not believe that there is a hard and fast rule as to what a gang is. I do believe there are two distinct types of gangs with multiple sub-types, many of which are region specific. Consequently I believe that Roanoke has gangs, although of the lesser, less organized variety. I don’t think that Roanoke has hardcore gangs like MS-13, they might pass through here for some sort of organized crime reason or for some unknown reason.

All gang activity in Roanoke is specific to certain neighborhoods/areas within the city. Sadly most of these places tend to be economically repressed areas and the gang stigma helps to keep these areas thusly repressed, I mean no many people would want to move their businesses or homes to a place thought to be unsafe.

I don’t rule out the possibility of larger, highly organized gangs from forming or moving into Roanoke City, just as of now these mafia-style gangs do not have a great presence, if they have a presence at all, in Roanoke.