NO GANGS IN IRVINE---WONDER WHY?
In a short answer to a reader's question, the OC REGISTER reports that there are no territorial gangs in Irvine. LINK
WHAT IT MEANS
Quick answer
1. Irvine hasn't let itself become an illegal alien sanctuary city with many non-profits providing free medical and dental care, free groceries, free clothes and all the rest of the things that some non-profits in Costa Mesa supply to illegal aliens and which draws even more here
2. Irvine doesn't have dense concentrations of barracks style apartment buildings that become the habitats and safe havens for gang members.
Verbose answer
As we've previously reported, most Latino gangs are territorial. Note how the Register was very specific in saying that there are no territorial gangs in Irvine. This is critical and tells the tale.
The whole raison d'etre for territorial gangs is to protect their territory where they live from gangs who live in other neighborhoods. That's why most Latino gangs have their neighborhood or street name in their gang name. They then get involved in various crimes with an economic base--drugs, burglaries, robberies, etc.
This business of protecting a neighborhood may sound silly to some, but the psychological roots of this type of jingoism are the same as those leading some other (and sometimes more nerdy) people to go overboard in supporting their school or a particular sports team.
IMPLICATIONS FOR COSTA MESA
As we've written many times, there are two main reasons why Costa Mesa has gangs: 1. We're too much of an illegal alien sanctuary city and we have many magnets drawing illegal aliens here. They,either directly or indirectly, provide the human fodder for gangs. 2. We have too many barracks style apartment buildings that are overly concentrated and which provide the habitat for gangs and safe places where they can reach the concentrated critical mass of potential gang members to be a gang.
THE WAY TO GET RID OF GANGS IN COSTA MESA
1. Stop being a sanctuary city. Stop concentrating non-profits in one or two neighborhoods.
2. Get rid of, or thin out, the low income barracks style apartments. Replace them with more scattered and modern low income housing in different neighborhoods so that a critical mass is not reached in any neighborhood.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
