99 How can a survivalist survive in a gang-dominated neighborhood?

Many urban areas are controlled by gangs, who in turn may be soldiers of drug cartels. Most small-town and even rural areas have a growing gang presence within their populations. There are more than fifty gangs with over 68,000 members in Chicago alone. Nationwide gang membership outnumbers the US Army and National Guard. These organizations drain hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy while killing thousands of Americans. Since these gang members are sometimes unwitting employees of uber-wealthy and powerful drug cartels, the gangs can easily arm their street soldiers with weapons, regardless of what prohibitions are imposed on the citizens. Gangs have also infiltrated the military and have the knowledge to use highly potent weaponry if general disorder breaks out. Once law and order breaks down, these gangs will ravage their own communities and spread terror far into adjoining regions. Nascent gangs in smaller towns and rural areas will become aggressive and will be an added challenge to surviving most disasters.

Surviving in a Gang-Controlled Area

If you are unfortunate enough to live in a gang-controlled community, then being a survivalist is a daily challenge rather than just a future possibility. The fact is that the police only control the spot they stand on while they are there, but at all other times the streets, alleys, stores, and homes belong to the gangs. Those who do not do drugs are often considered with suspicion or are treated as outcasts. Residents are frequently unable to disavow gang members and criminals within their families. Talking to the police or reporting criminal activity is an invitation to being injured or even killed. Having a job, money, or nice possessions is often derided and victimized. And perhaps most troubling of all, children are constantly tempted and intimidated by gangs, drugs and viciousness.

You are already living in a disaster zone, and preparedness for additional disasters is extremely challenging. Survival in such communities is a special skill. Compromising and recognition of gangs may be necessary as long as you minimize your actual involvement. Keeping as low a profile as possible is critical. Appear passive and peaceful, but do not become an easy target. You must keep your children away from drugs and gang membership at all costs.

Participate and support any community efforts to end violence and drugs. Avoid direct “anti-gang” confrontations. Gang retaliations can involve violence against you and your family members. Regardless of the laws or what others tell you, you must be armed. Since burglaries are a common gang activity, you should keep the fact that you own a gun or guns confidential. It is especially important that you keep firearms away from children and adolescents. If they don’t know you have them, they will not tell others or be under peer pressure to get hold of them.

If you can escape a gang-controlled area, then do so, but be aware that gangs have a long reach and often follow families to new locations. You will have to detach yourself by abandoning all friendships, affiliations, and even family members who are still involved with gangs. If law and order break down, law-abiding citizens must have a plan to evacuate if possible or fight for survival in place. Families, religious organizations, and other organizations should plan for such situations in advance.

Preventing Gangs from Taking Control

If you live in a suburb, town, or rural area, do not assume that you are safe. Only awareness and preventive action can ensure that you will not find yourself in the grip of gangs. There is no disaster that will be more devastating than allowing gangs to take over your community. Complacency, procrastination, and denial of gang infiltration will breed crime, violence, decay, and destruction in your community.

An increase in graffiti, petty crime, and drug usage in your community are the leading indicators of gang invasion. Immediate removal of graffiti, as well as the active persecution of shoplifting, drug possession, and other crimes must be insisted upon. Community support and involvement is essential. All schools should have DARE antidrug programs and active community crime watch programs that call police at the slightest suspicion; these programs will discourage criminals. Building codes and strict requirements for property maintenance will prevent the development of gang hangouts and drug houses.

Get involved in your community. Insist on strict law enforcement. Support your police and all anti-crime programs. Your safety, property values, future, and loved ones all depend on it. Once in control, these gangs are well-armed, organized, and ruthless. Don’t wait until you have to battle them in your streets.

Survival Challenges Near to Gang-Controlled Areas

As economic conditions worsen, gang-promoted crime tends to spread farther out from urban areas. Street crimes, home invasions, and assaults target the less-prepared residents who have more valuables. Carjacking and robberies are common in gang-controlled areas and nonresidents are more attractive targets. Shopping areas and parking lots become hunting grounds for all kinds of criminals. During a true survival situation, these dangers multiply significantly. Being aware, prepared, and armed is a necessary responsibility for a survivalist in such areas. The ability to stay off the streets and defend your home and family by all necessary means is especially important when looting and lawlessness breaks out in such areas.

Gangs must be considered as terrorists and serious survival threats even during normal times, and must be taken into account in any disaster planning. Serious efforts to eradicate this problem remain politically unacceptable. The existence of gangs and their activities will continue to degrade our society until some situation generates a massive confrontation or until they become the dominant force in our society, as they have in many South American countries. This should be prevented at all costs, as local, regional and federal governments in gang-controlled nations are coerced and bribed into cooperating with them, leaving citizens with no hope.