Think Gangs Are Only In Memphis' Poorest Neighborhoods? Think Again
From: Candice Ludlow
Series: Gangs in the City
Length: 09:52
This piece examines the gang problem through the eyes of Shelby County Sheriff Sergeant Eldridge, who leads the Street Crimes Unit working to eliminate the presence of gangs and drugs on Memphis’ streets. Eldridge has identified the neighborhoods where particular gangs reside. He discusses the ways that law enforcement obtains information about gangs, and how he goes about working in gang-infested areas.
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Former Traveling Vice Lord talks about how he got involved in gangs to being imprisoned for transporting a couple kilos of marijuana to deciding to "take a break away."
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Bryan and Brandon Mathis got involved in the world of gangs and running drugs when they were very young. They tell their story about how they got in and out of gang life.
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Joe Hunter is a former gang member from the mean streets of Detroit. He's created a non-profit to support his efforts to stop gang violence in Memphis, and he often receives ...
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(05:03)
From: Candice Ludlow
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(04:47)
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Related Pieces
Transcript
The crime rate in Memphis and across the nation has gone down substantially. But violent crime involving young people has not. For Memphis, the persistence of youth violence is directly and indirectly tied to gangs. Memphis, like many cities across America, is struggling with near-chronic gang problems. According to the National Gang Center, many cities started reporting gang problems in the mid-1990s. Memphis is one of those cities. Candice Ludlow reports some gangs were exported from Chicago and Los Angeles while others are more homegrown.
Almost any night, you can turn on the TV news and hear about another shooting in Memphis. Gangs stretch into every corner of Shelby County, not only in some of Memphis’ most gritty and impoverished neighborhoods. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department has ID’d approximately 8,400 gang members and 182 gangs and gang sets in the county.
Shel...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:The crime rate in Memphis and across the nation has gone down substantially. But violent crime involving young people has not. For Memphis, the persistence of youth violence is directly and indirectly tied to gangs. Memphis, like many cities across America, is struggling with near-chronic gang problems. According to the National Gang Center, many cities started reporting gang problems in the mid-1990s. Memphis is one of those cities. Candice Ludlow reports some gangs were exported from Chicago and Los Angeles while others are more homegrown.
OUTRO:Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo Gotti | For the Hood | On My Own. | Explicit | 2011 | 04:50 |
