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Gangs in rural Grant County?

29K views 222 replies 74 participants last post by  gearhead 
#1 ·
#28 ·
I was talking with a friend of mine (he's my accountant) in eastern Washington. He is very involved in work interceding with kids in schools trying to get them connected with positive influence activities and people before the get "jumped" into the gangs. He said he carries everywhere and has been for a few years. Farmers are arming themselves now, too, especially when they have to tend frost control machines at night. It ain't safe in Kansas anymore, Todo.
 
#32 ·
I have lived here in Wenatchee for 20+ years and have hunted/fished Grant Co. all of that time.
There are a lot of places I don't go anymore because of the mess (tags, garbage, etc.)
I have not had any problems with gang type people.
I will not be a victim, I will defend myself and you too.
 
#33 ·
never leave home without dirty harry also there also a problem with the res and why do they have control over grant county pud and the shut down my r gate and if the mexicants wanna play they will be back across the border in a pine box where they came from shoot the illegal aliens not give them a shower and food and send them home cause they will be back for the same steak and shower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#51 ·
Wow! Now we're getting enlightened. For someone who's "from here," you have an amazing capacity with the English language.
 
#34 ·
Being from oregon it would be nice to know what the wash. laws are for gun carry !

i know in oregon when ever you go to outdoor functions you can be armed - camping , fishing , hunting ! but also the laws are very strong on concealed carry . so i would suggest carry on hip or back like mentioned above ! i started packing a 44 mag with 7 inch barrel and had to read up on all the laws so i wouldn't get arrested myself ! i have a blonde hair pretty daughter and i also have a short barreled 20 gauge when ever i go camping and the such when she is with me ! that way if its dark in a camp and something happens you don't have to be that good of a shot !

i watch a lot of home defense shows and techniques in carry and protection of home and person , i would suggest the same for others if you are going to carry ! one thing they teach is never point a gun at someone unless you plan on using it to kill them or shoot them .

its also said that there is one sound like no other in the gun world that almost everyone knows , that is the sound of a pump shotgun ! the sound alone will tell someone to get the hell out of their , and not come back ! this would be good in a camp at night before things get to HOT ! thats why i have one in all my camps ! and at home - just the pump sound lets someone make a choice right away , and if they make the wrong choice you have already warned them !

with the epidemic of heroin in the city's and the crack problem and most our jobs going to out of country migrants because they speak two languages the homeless people problem is everywhere and they can get very desperate at times ! my daughter is schooled in martial arts and i had her trap shooting at age 10 by age 12 she owned 3 shotguns and knows very well how to use them ! and she killed her first buck at 12 years old ! people in the city disagree with this concept of arming yourself until something happens to them - then its to late ! be safe and learn the laws !
 
#39 ·
This thread makes me LOL.

No gangster wants a fly rod....

I have encountered gangmembers in the past, and if you are just respectful and treat them like people things will be fine. You think they go out to the lake at night to shoot fisherman?

nope...
It has nothing to do with fisherman or fly rods! It has EVERYTHING to do with being in the wrong place at the wrong time! No, they do not care about us or our equipment. What they care about is moving their shipment, whatever it may be. If you are around when they have cargo to move, you are threat to them. If you see something, you are an even bigger threat. They have ZERO issue with taking you out to get their million dollar plus loads where they need to go. If the load doesn't arrive, they may be the ones who are getting "axed". It is not a game, believe that!

Not trying to attack you personally Dustin, or your posts. I just want to share with others the factual information that I have, to keep other outdoor enthusiasts and their loved ones safe.

As for carrying, it is not about starting a problem, it is about being able to protect yourself and those you love if you are in an unfortunate situation. Carrying is not about advertising that you have a firearm. In fact, those who let others know that they are carrying or try to show it off are looking for trouble. Carrying is also not about just carrying, it is about being responsible and accepting the consequences that may come about IF you need to used it. If you carry and question whether or not you could use it, should you have to, do everyone a favor and don't carry. You MUST be willing to pull the trigger if you have to and accept what comes after you do! Carrying is not a joke and just because the law says you can, doesn't mean everyone should!
 
#42 ·
Last summer i was at Beda with a friend; some strange folks in the parking lot. we watched 'em walk off into the brush and said F it and put our boats in. Later on in the day i started noticing more WDFW officers in the area. When we pulled out they had the guys in hand cuffs and turns out they busted a new grow op out next to the lake. I'm sure its pretty common out there...
 
#44 ·
All this is further evidence that if our society had half a brain, we would simply legalize drugs across the board. Gangs and cartels are only interested in drug manufacture and trafficking because of the huge profit potential. Legalize drugs and the profit potential becomes about the same as with tobacco and alcohol. Put the cartels (and DEA) out of work. Still put a shoot on sight tag on all gang members tho, making the world a better place, one dead gangbanger at a time.

Sg
 
#45 ·
I had a very uncomfortable situation at a state park on the west side of Puget Sound my first summer of researching for beaches to fish. There were four non-Hispanics, all adorned with gang tattoos, they were not fishing, crabbing or just out enjoying the splenders of the great Pacific northwest. I don't even like to remember it as I write about it. I have no doubt what so ever that if there hadn't been two other individuals in the immediate area I would have been a victim. I also figured out that I would never bring a fly rod to a possible gun fight again.
 
#47 ·
So do you ask for time out so the over priced fly gear can carefully be placed in a safe area before you pull you gun and shoot a GB, brandishing a weapon will get you killed. Not a good idea for 99% of the people who carry them. Think twice.

No I'm not the other 1% I don't carry a weapon except during hunting season.
 
#50 ·
This is another issue, for another time, but you don't ever brandish a firearm. If you carry, and if you pull it, odds are 99.9% you will have to use it. Just because you have it, doesn't mean you have to pull it. Greatest words that were ever spoken to me with regards to carry, and they are as true today as they were then, "If I ever have to unholster my firearm, my mind has already been made up that I will probably have to pull the trigger and I am prepared to do so." Pulling a firearm in an attempt to scare someone, that will only get you in deeper trouble.
 
#49 ·
Gotta be honest, this all throws me off a bit.

I used to live in South Austin, TX and get my hair cut by a guy named Lalo who had a very obvious gang tattoo in between his thumb and forefinger and would definitely shoot me or anyone else who messed with him. But he was a hell of a barber and always treated me with respect. Plus, he he gave a great haircut at a very reasonable $9.

Also in Austin, I could drive about 10 miles outside the city limit and encounter drunk and amphetamine fueled white folks who would shoot me or anyone else who messed with them. Some of those people would also fix a lawnmower for you (or your truck for that matter) in exchange for a 12-pack
of Lone Star.

I've heard that out in Tahuya, where I frequently drive to go fish, there's more criminal activity than anyone wants to know about.

There are bad people and good people everywhere.

Just my two cents here:

-pack if you want to pack, that's your right.
-fish where you want to fish, that's your right also (provided its on accessible land)
-practice some good judgment (if someone wants to "F" with you, they likely will do so if you perpetuate the hostility), and don't antagonize people.
-protect yourself when necessary-and use the same knowledge and discretion you do when selecting that perfect fly for the situation you find yourself in.

Finally, if you are seeing "quote,unquote," GANG activity in the areas where you go to fish, you probably need to seek out better waters which will prove more productive and grant the solitude which most outdoorsmen/women seek.
 
#52 ·
What is it with Yakima . i've known of big cocaine drug trafficking in that city since the late 80's , its a small town - and the city cant take care of it ??? any other small town would of taken care of the problem years ago!
 
#55 ·
I don't understand why gangbangers would be attracted to a WDFW public access and boat launch as a place to hang out. What's up with that? Is that where their deals go down? Do gangbangers like to fish? (I wouldn't have thought so.)

If police can't gain some control over the gang situation, they seriously need to change the rules of engagement. Of course my suggestions probably seem biased to some even tho they are directed specifically at protecting society.

Sg
 
#56 ·
they seriously need to change the rules of engagement.
Sg
I always like these rules of engagement.

1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional, but, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a "4."
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11. Always win. There is no unfair fight.
12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.
 
#61 ·
Again I'm glad they are prosectuing with longer sentences, but that is the end game. How do we get to the problem before it becomes just that? It seems that we are reactive and not proactive in policing either because funds to do so have dried up or we have fallen so far down the rabbit hole it will take a very long time to correct with the current visions that LE have setup to police gangs.
 
#63 ·
Honestly, I don't have an answer for you. I do know that the gang specific unit in Yakima was successful, but indeed did get disbanded. Not sure of the exact politics, but I DO know that a new unit was formed to do that very thing....proactive policing. Has it been effective? You be the judge. Google Yakima shooting and decide for yourself.

It's easy to sit on a soap box and talk about what WE'D do, but it's a very different thing to put it to practical use. Add in the fact the leadership in Yakima is a joke at the moment, makes for very little motivation from the line guys. It's too bad really. Oh, and lets not even start talking about the County. I don't even know if they get paid a check anymore. :(
 
#64 ·
Interesting variety of responses. The biggest numbers of Nortenos and Surenos I've met are from the Yakima Valley, with the Skagit Valley second. But they're everywhere. It's no mystery that they've grown where there's a demand for migrant workers. I've met plenty from central WA towns like Moses Lake, Othello, and Ephrata. A lot of them respond well to a little respect. A few are bat shit crazy and looking to prove it. Put them in large groups and the boldness goes up. Add a little booze and you know where that goes.
 
#65 ·
The east side of the state has introduced legislation more than once the past few years to help fight gangs. The W side reps always vote it down.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013981150_apwaxgrgangs1stldwritethru.html

Suggested that we as outdoorsmen should go elsewhere if there is gang activity. WHere should we go?
Are Lenice, Beda, Lenore, Dry Falls, Dusty, Coffee, Burke, parts of Columbia River, all of Crab Creek, Yak River all off limits now becasue of gang activity?
 
#67 ·
I'll do an intake on a kid who is lets say not suppose to be here, call ICE, formally INS and let them know we are holding an illegal alien. I book him on the crime he committed, he goes to court and gets sentanced for say 30 days. ICE is notified of his release date a couple days early. they come pick him up, fly him or her to usually San Deigo,, ship them across the border. Sometimes it only takes the kid a matter of 1 day or even hours to get themselves back here in Vancouver Clark County. Nost of the time we know the kid by first name since he has done this so many times. The bad thing is it's all on our dime!

I deal with gangs on a daily basis and can honastly say they're all over don't kid yourself. It's shitty but as Evan said that's the way it is.
 
#69 ·
If gangs are as pervasive as described in this thread, perhaps I was a bit too soft in my shoot on sight suggestion. But I'm not sure how to prosecute an even more aggressive way to deal with gangs. But being an open minded sort, I'm certainly open to suggestions.

As much of a pacifist as I am, I draw a hard line that society's first obligation is to protect itself. Clearly failing on this gang shit. If someone's wearing a tattoo (as described elsewhere in this thread) that symbolizes gang membership, that seems like a good starting point for instant shoot on sight.

Sg
 
#70 ·
You cannot tell from tattoos and most times. The gang affiliation tats on on stomachs, necks and backs. Most people do not know the difference from LVL tats from a BGL from an F 13 tats. Look for red( Norteno) and blue( Sureneo) clothing. (Jersey, coats, belts, hats, bandanas). As long as you stay in groups in publics areas you are generally ok. Would not freak out but would certainly be aware when in E WA.
 
#73 ·
If we really want to rid the earth of this type of behavior, we have to quit waiting for the problem to arise before we do something about it; we need to be proactive. The real reason any of these guys become gang members is because they come from poverty and have had very little parenting, if any. In fact, most of these gang members are actually victims themselves and they became that way the second they were born. If we really want to stop this, we figure out a way to restrict having them being born in the first place. In this country you need a license to drive, a license to fish, a license to carry a gun, a license to hunt (heck, I just took an 18 hour hunter's safety course with my son), but any two people with an ovum and some sperm can create a kid. Why is it that we are willing to control fishing and hunting rights with a license, but not the birth of a child? Why is it that we believe it is a God given right to procreate? Isn't it really a privilege? As far as I am concerned, it should be required that anyone who is planning on having a kid first and foremost, demonstrate they have the means to take care of one. If you can't take care of a child at a certain financial level, sorry you can't have one. If you have a felony, sorry, no kids. If you are mentally unstable, sorry no kids. If you can't pass a test designed to assess your readiness as a parent, sorry, no kids. Have a drug or alcohol problem? Sorry, no kids! If you look up "population control" on google and read some opinions, most people freak out at any mention of controlled procreation. I actually think it is a good idea and it is something we need to consider in America. As soon as we stop letting people have children who can't take care of themselves, you will see a HUGE change in crime and in our success as a country when compared to other countries like China, Japan, and European nations. My two cents. Some people think it's a crazy, lunatic, fanatical idea. I just think it makes sense. Now, how would I propose to enforce such a thing? I don't have a clue. Mandatory, permanent, but reversible birth control? Now that does sound a little fanatical, but I still think it makes sense in theory.
 
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