Gangs, Violent Crime, Illegal Immigrants And Sanctuary Police Departments

     It is easier to blame illegal immigrants for the violence and crime in the United States then look into a mirror and face ourselves. There are millions of people that have been living inside of the United States for decades, hoping for one small chance to become legitimate citizens of the country that many of them truly love.

     No matter how much this population is demonized, including by one major news magazine that asserts they are more prone to breaking the law because they broke the law by violating immigration laws, the facts do not support this opinion. Most people that have entered the United States illegally, or overstayed their legal entry, are hypervigilant about not breaking laws because they do not want to jeopardize their already vulnerable status, and also because most of these people are conscientious, honest, hardworking and exactly the kind of people that are helping this country to prosper. Despite the lies certain radio personalities, pundits and others promote, illegal immigrants are not receiving special benefits and privileges. In fact, it is the opposite. They work at some of the hardest jobs often without protections and benefits. It may have an appeal to some to promote untruths, but it is dishonest.

      The news magazine that want to create their own facts, the radio talking heads and pundits at their easy, overpaid jobs, and others may want to demonize this population of some of the most honest, hard worker laborers inside of the United States, but the facts are that they are not the cause of America's violent crime. 

       If tomorrow every single one of the millions of illegal immigrants are removed from the United States - destroying their families, communities, their lives, in addition to the harm that comes from removing a hard working reliable labor force that have been doing, usually without benefits, the jobs few Americans are willing to do - there will not be a decrease in the level of violent crime in the United States. There will be no decrease in drug dealing, drug use, or in gang and criminal activity. 

       The gang culture in the United states is wholly American owned. It is time we face up to this and stop blaming foreigners for our problems. In fact, gangs and gang culture have spread to other countries from the United States.

        Instead of blaming falsely illegal immigrants, if this country wants to be serious about addressing violent crimes and gangs, it had better start looking inward.

         Here is a simple start....... start with the reform of police departments. Too many have become clout laden, inefficient enterprises that are draining law enforcement resources. Cops belong on the streets in patrol. Police departments must stop being sanctuaries for the politically connected, for multi layers of lazy people that do everything other than patrol. Papers pushers are abundant, as are multitudes of worthless jobs, including layers upon layers of many do nothing supervisors and brass, much of which can be eliminated.

          Eliminate the numbers game in police work. End community policing as the fictitious entity it has become and start real community policing, which means returning cops to neighborhood patrols on foot, supplemented by cops patrolling in vehicles, and at times on bicycles. Unless cops are on the ground, on foot, they will never really understand the community in which they work, and never become an effective crime deterrent and crime fighting force.

           Reconsider the war on drugs, which has done nothing but enrich gangs, criminals, terrorist organizations, destabilizes other nations, and contributes to corruption, including in law enforcement. Focusing on illegal immigrants is an easy way to never focus on the inefficiencies and failures of law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and the social, political and economic reasons that have given rise to a violent American gang culture.

            Focus immigration efforts on illegal immigrants that commit crimes, including drunk driving. This is long overdue, and has caused harm that could have been prevented. But demonizing an already vulnerable, often taken advantage of population of honest, hardworking people that are not criminals, detracts from any serious effort to go after real criminals and terrorists.

             Focusing on  illegal immigrants must not be the diversion that allows for continued lawlessness and criminality, including in the white collar ranks.

            A serious effort to weaken gangs and hate groups must include not allowing gangs and hate groups, including religious groups that promote hate and intolerance, to run jails and prisons and to recruit new members there.

              The United States, not gangs, not hate groups, should be in control of the jails and prisons. Yet we are not in control of most of our jails and prisons. We are not in control of vast neighborhoods and communities in the United States, which are now controlled by gangs.

                 Go after illegal immigrants that commit crimes. But do not pretend, or delude others into thinking, they are the source of the uniquely American, home grown vast gang, drug and criminal problem that exists in the United States.