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Gang violence a potent issue

One of the most serious issues that plagues Philadelphia and the surrounding state is the issue of gang violence. With poverty stricken neighborhoods and early high school dropouts, Philadelphia is a conducive environment in which gangs grow quickly. But Pennsylvania also has its own gang problems, exacerbated by the particularly problematic Route 222, which runs through the state and connects Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia to Pennsylvania’s major cities.

Although the issue of gun control is often off-limits for many politicians, the problems associated with gangs are not. Gang-related crime and what politicians have done to prevent it is expected to be a hot topic in political campaigns of 2010. Issues relating to gangs will likely be particularly important in the upcoming election, as a deep recession and increasing poverty make Pennsylvania even more vulnerable to violence and gang activity.

Route 222 bisects 7 major cities—Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, Harrisburg, York, Reading and Lancaster—and directly links New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore, has long been known to facilitate the proliferation of gangs in Pennsylvania. It’s central location in the Pennsylvania network of cities makes it a prime conduit for the trafficking of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroine.

One of the major initiatives being taken to prevent gang violence along the highway is the Corridor 222 Anti-Gang initiative, which aims to abate the proliferation of gangs in this area by forging partnerships between local elected officials, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and local faith based groups. The organization hopes to help end the violence that has been burgeoning along Route 222 as members of the Bloods, Cash Money Boys, Latin Kings and others use the highway as a conduit for the trafficking of guns and drugs.

The initiative has seen some dramatic signs of success, which will work to the advantage of former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan, who helped to forge the Corridor 222 initiative. On September 21, 2007, Prince Isaak, Shamek Hynson, and Dwight Williams received guilty verdicts in connection with the operation of a violent Lancaster County drug trafficking gang. The gang’s revenue exceeded $10,000 a day, according to prosecutors.

Other potential political candidates have also made significant contributions in the fight against gangs. By working to help form a county-wide police academy, called the Lehigh County Citizens’ Police Academy, Don Cunningham brought community members and local law enforcement together to strengthen the state’s fight against gang related crime and violence. In the academy, representatives from the Lehigh County Drug Task Force, the Lehigh County Gang Task Force, the Allentown FBI and the District Attorney’s Office taught classes on drug investigation, gang awareness, and other aspects of public safety and crime prevention.

With the unique position and importance of Corridor 222 in Pennsylvania’s geography and its significance in the state’s fight against gang violence, it is expected to be a topic that will come up in 2010′s electoral debates and campaigns. It is a debate that also touches on the sensitive issue of gun control, as lax gun laws in Philadelphia have allowed gangs to traffic firearms to areas where gun control laws are tighter, such as New Jersey and New York. While few politicians have the moral chutzpah to take on the issue of gun control, it will not be surprising if we see, blasted on television in the upcoming campaigns, some significant accomplishments made to end gang-violence in Corridor 222 .

April 23, 2009 at 8:33 pm

--Kenneth Elder

Tags: Corridor 222, Don Cunningham, Gang Violence, Pat Meehan

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