Keepin’ it Gangsta, but not… or, what’s in a name, really? (Aug 08 Crime Maps added)

So I’ve been on this intermittent campaign for the last six months or so, I have been documenting news stories about my community culled from keyword (“South Phoenix”) searches of mainstream media. They have almost exclusively portrayed the area I call home in a manner that would have people believe that the violence in my neighborhood could rival that of the most gang infested areas of LA. They’ve had some of my readers wondering why I don’t move.

The gang war in south Phoenix

The gang war in south Phoenix
The Arizona Republic Sat, 11 Oct 2008 9:37 PM PDT
Richard de Uriarte: South Phoenix residents are resolved to continue their battle against street violence, despite last week’s fatal shooting of a 16-year-old girl.

2 bodies found inside car in South Phoenix
KTVK 3TV Phoenix Fri, 10 Oct 2008 4:14 PM PDT
PHOENIX — Police say two bodies were found inside a car in a South Phoenix parking lot around 2 a.m. Friday.

Demand for action made at S. PHX townhall meeting
KTAR 92.3 Phoenix Fri, 10 Oct 2008 6:24 AM PDT
During a town hall meeting, dozens of south Phoenix residents have demanded police clean up their neighborhood. The meeting was coordinated by Phoenix police after 16-year-old Melissa vigil was shot and killed this week.

South Phoenix to get money from hazardous-waste suit
The Arizona Republic Thu, 09 Oct 2008 1:43 AM PDT
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has reached an agreement with South Phoenix residents, legislators and concerned officials who were upset that money recently received in a major hazardous-waste settlement wasn’t being funneled to their neighborhoods

the party never stops

so my house was broken into Monday morning. And no, I did not leave a window open, nor did I leave a door unlocked.  As I have said to the SSRB on many occasions… if they want in, they’re gonna get in one way or another.

And they definitely wanted in… so when they didn’t find any windows or doors unlocked, they kicked in the back door.

Keepin It Gangsta – White Girl Style May 17-June 16

When I drove home from the airport Sunday morning via the route I take between work and home each day, I saw my friends from the Phoenix PD Mobile Command unit parked behind the crime scene tape of the last story.

Considering I live right next to two of the neighborhoods marked in red, I was surprised I didn’t get one of the flyers featured in the “Taking Back the Neighborhood” story.  And in response to a comment about people not wanting to get involved?  When this crap first started, I called.  And called. About the gunfire, about the graffiti.  For two months I called about the graffitti.  Y’all finally made it out to clean up my wall after the first woman was killed in the crossfire of a gang shootout. 

Too little, too late… and half the time I don’t bother to call y’all now.