Off the Wire News - General News Study makes connection, but ink fans say it's not true
By JENNY YUEN, Toronto Sun
Jeff Robertson’s knuckles may say “punk,” but he says he’s as harmless as the tattoo of his baby kitten on his right thigh.
The 28-year-old founder of the Canadian chapter of the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation has more than 20 individual tattoos that meld together to make two “sleeves” covering both his arms. His latest one is of a Samurai panda.
He spends his days devoted to the charity, trying to raise awareness for the disease that severely affects his mom, but a new report has him — and other tattooed folks — pegged as a deviant.
Texas Tech University’s study, which will be published in March in the Social Science Journal, says that people with two or more piercings or tattoos are more prone to deviant behaviour, which includes excess drinking, smoking pot, being promiscuous and being willing to cheat.
“I know dozens of people who are covered in tattoos who have never drank,” Robertson said. “I don’t see this having any clout whatsoever. I see tattoos as an improvement to what we’ve been given. I like to think of the body as a blank canvas and to one’s discretion what they add to it.”
And much of his art has significant meaning — especially the green ribbon, which is the symbol for organ donation.
“The butterfly was for when I found out my mom was having her second liver transplant and butterflies are a universal symbol for organ donations, as well,” he said.
Researchers asked 1,753 students from four American colleges — two state-supported public schools and two highly selective religious institutions — and found 37% reported at least one piercing and 14% were tattooed.
Four per cent reported having seven or more piercings, four or more tattoos, and/or at least one piercing in their nipples or genitals.
Students were asked about parts of their lifestyle, including drug and alcohol use, sexual activity and whether they cheat on tests.
What they found was “sharp differences in the levels of deviant behaviour among those with just one tattoo versus those with four or more, and among those with just one to three piercings versus those with seven or more,” reports sociologist Jerome Koch, the paper’s lead author.
“Results indicate that respondents with four or more tattoos, seven or more body piercings, or piercings located in their nipples or genitals were substantially and significantly more likely to report regular marijuana use, occasional use of other drugs, and a history of being arrested for a crime.”
Well, of course the report is skewed, said Joey Nixon, co-owner of Adrenaline Body Piercing and Tattoos on Queen St. W. The majority of his clientele is in the 16-25 age range — nearly the same demographic the university report focuses on.
“One study I found dictates that 44% of students, attending a four-year college, drink alcohol to binge levels or greater. Maybe it’s the likelihood of hazing that’s contributed to binge drinking and not tattooing,” said Nixon, 39, who opened up his tattoo and piercing establishment two years ago. He also has shops in Montreal, Vancouver and New Jersey.
“In the ’90s, there was an insurgence of yuppie Harley bikers and weekend warriors of doctors, lawyers, businessmen to let the wind run through their hair as they went up the interstate. Are we saying that these people with four- to seven-year degrees are all of a sudden deviants because they’re moving away from the norm? In that context, any minority must be deviant.”
And while the history of tattoos span more than 5,000 years and changed meaning from the time Greeks branded slaves and criminals to today, where reality TV shows such as Miami Ink and celebrities like Kat Von D and Angelina Jolie have made getting skin ink much more mainstream.
“Not that long ago, in the ’40s and ’50s, it was all sailors ... you kind of had to be badass or biker, those were the types of people who got tattoos,” said Joe Pinto, who runs Toronto Ink, an informal tattoo association in the GTA.
“Nowadays, it’s grandmothers, musicians. Some kids these days are just completely covered in tattoos all up their necks. They look like hell, but they’re such nice kids and respectful and polite.”
Pinto, 49, vehemently says even he deviates from the study’s findings. He’s a father of three living in Georgetown, has nine tattoos, works in the hotel industry and books indie rock concerts in his spare time.
“I don’t smoke cigarettes, I don’t do dope,” he said. “I know people who smoke and drink and party their faces off and raise hell and they don’t have any tattoos. I go home and I’m pretty boring.”
But parents remain alarmed.
Helen Jones, of the Association of Parent Support Groups in Ontario, said that while it wouldn’t be most parents’ choice for their child to come home with a single tattoo, they would tolerate it. Still, two is too many.
“(Having a single tattoo means) you might be on the road to disaster, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be redirected to make better choices,” Jones said.
“One tattoo or piercing is a good indication of a little rebellion and pushing the envelope. Not enough to create any real damage but enough for satisfaction that you’ve done it. People who get tattoos and piercings — maybe that’s the only thing they think they have control of. They may feel disenfranchised.”
Not only that, parents are concerned about health issues that may arise from getting tattooed or pierced.
Nixon contends that his shop has a number of health and safety procedures, including the use of a modern autoclave to sterilize needles and tools.
“People need to group us with the medical community,” he said. “Automatically, we’re seen as deviants. Every one of my practitioners have updated versions of piercing or tattoo anatomy as well as cross-contamination controls.”
The Texas researchers suggest the traditional subculture of piercing and tattoos associated with deviant behaviour has been “encroached upon from the outside” by the increasing acceptance of body art. So those who feel a part of this subculture “may need to modify or extend their behaviour to maintain social distance,” which could mean we could see more penis or nipple piercings.
While Statistics Canada doesn’t have data on the number of tattoo and piercing jobs done each year, there’s no doubt that body modification is very popular, especially with those age 18 to 22. Health Canada reports between 73% and 83% of women in the U.S. have had their ears pierced. U.S. studies show that the number of women with tattoos quadrupled between 1960 and 1980.
According to the CBC, in 2004, 47% of males and 53% of females in Canadian prisons had tattoos.
The number of tattooing and piercing shops in Canada has increased dramatically in the last few years. Toronto Public Health estimates there are roughly 150 piercing and tattoo shops in Toronto alone, which they inspect annually.
“There are more shops than I’ve ever seen,” Pinto said. “Walking into a shop is like walking into a fast-food place or spa.”
So is it deviant to get tattoos, or do tattoos cause the so-called deviant behaviour?
“It’s the ‘chicken or the egg’ kind of thing,” Robertson said. “It’s such a farce to me that people think that because I have tattoos, I’m any less of a decent person. I have more tattoos now and I’m doing more good in my life. I’m living a healthier, cleaner lifestyle now.”
jenny.yuen@sunmedia.ca This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Original article...
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/01/30/12681221.html
Monday, February 1, 2010
TN- Member of Outlaws motorcycle club says raid violated his rights
www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jan/31/member-outlaws-motorcycle-club-says-ra
id-violated-/
Member of Outlaws motorcycle club says raid violated his rights
Man says SWAT team an overreaction
* By J.J. Stambaugh
* Posted January 31, 2010 at 9:04 p.m.
One of the leaders of Knoxville's chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club
says his rights were violated by a New Years Eve raid on the group's
clubhouse and his subsequent arrest.
Mark Lester, 55, who is the regional Outlaws president, said last week
the allegations lodged against him and other members of the biker club
are false. He also accused the Knox County Sheriff's Office of
overreacting by sending a SWAT team to raid the clubhouse during a
sedate holiday party to search for a leather vest.
"They totally destroyed the house, they took everything out of there,"
said Lester as he described the Dec. 31 raid in a residential
neighborhood off Western Avenue. "They took all our TVs, our microwaves.
. It was just really crazy stuff. All they found was some alcohol and
sandwich platters."
According to Lester, the most painful loss was that of a group of stone
monuments in the clubhouse yard that had been set up to memorialize
fallen Outlaws.
"The stones in the front yard for brothers who have died over the last
15 years, they dug those up and took them," Lester said. "It was just
ridiculous."
Lester and local chapter president Kenneth Foster, 55, have been charged
with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping for a Dec. 23 incident
in which they allegedly detained an undercover Sheriff's Office deputy
who had infiltrated the club and stripped him at gunpoint of his leather
Outlaws vest, which had been given to him when he became a full-fledged
member. Lester and Foster are free on bond.
While the Sheriff's Office declined to comment last week on the case, an
18-page affidavit filed by the undercover officer, Joseph Linger, shows
that police view the Outlaws as a criminal street gang with
international ties and a proven propensity for "large-scale violence."
Outlaws chapters have been tied to crimes such as murder, extortion and
drug trafficking, Linger wrote, and the Knoxville chapter did more than
just flirt with a bad-boy image.
Linger, who at one time worked as a police officer in rural Alaska and
was employed at the Sheriff's Office as a jailer from 2004 to 2005, was
working as a bouncer at a Gatlinburg nightclub when he was approached by
Lester in August 2008, according to the affidavit.
Over the following months, Linger was gradually brought into the club's
inner circle and allegedly saw Outlaws smoking marijuana, snorting
cocaine and carrying weapons, the affidavit says. Linger also recounted
several violent anecdotes of the Outlaws' encounters with other bikers
and the public, most of them secondhand.
Linger wrote that one of the men he met - a prospective Outlaw who has
not been charged - bragged about having illegal weapons and explosives.
That same biker was the only one that Linger accused in the affidavit of
actually dealing drugs, and the officer wrote that the man sold him $160
worth of cocaine but an attempt to buy plastic explosives and hand
grenades from him didn't pan out.
Linger said he was supposed to carry weapons and be prepared to fight
with other biker clubs. He said that Outlaws were encouraged to obtain
permits to legally carry handguns, and Linger said he was "given a list
of items that should be carried at all times, including a large knife,
for protection."
The affidavit goes into great detail on the various aspects of the
Outlaws' alleged operations, including factors meant to illustrate that
they meet the legal definition of a criminal street gang. Lester,
however, maintains the allegations are ridiculous.
"We are not a gang," he said. "Our club is actually incorporated, so
we're a corporation recognized by the U.S. government. . The sheriff
said we're all criminals, but there's never been any problems here in
Knoxville. We've been here for 30 years, and there's never been any
criminal activity.
"When they came in, they found nothing more than a couple of vegetable
platters and shrimp cocktails. . We have a right to associate just like
everyone else, we have a right to wear patches."
Lester said Linger was a problematic club member who "caused
controversy." While Lester was vague about providing details when asked
what made the other Outlaws distrust Linger, he did say that no armed
robbery took place when he and Foster asked Linger to return his club
vest.
For one thing, Lester said, vests belong to the club, not to individual
members. He said he didn't understand how he could be charged with
robbery when the property didn't belong to the officer in the first
place.
He declined to discuss the incident in further detail under the advice
of his attorney, Phil Lamonaco.
"You couldn't really believe a whole lot of things he was saying,"
Lester said. "We'd go on motorcycle runs and bike shows, but he would
miss them. Or there were rumors that he was working someplace and then
we'd find out he wasn't. There were a lot of lies. We asked him to go
straighten his life out."
Lester said the Outlaws had no idea that Linger was a police officer
until he showed up at the raid wearing a uniform. Lester also said he
was disturbed to learn that Linger wasn't employed as a deputy when they
first met.
"This person was a club member first, and then he joined the sheriff's
department because he could not find a job, using our club membership to
gain employment," Lester said.
During the raid, deputies allegedly found small amounts of drugs on
three of the partygoers and charged them with misdemeanors. Some
firearms were also recovered, but no charges were filed because their
owners had handgun permits, according to Foster's attorney, Mike Whalen.
Whalen said it doesn't appear that the undercover probe turned up much
more than misdemeanors occurring behind closed doors.
"While at the clubhouse (Linger) saw members smoking pot or snorting
cocaine," Whalen said. "I can look out my window on any Saturday in the
fall on tailgate parties where there's more than that going on, and with
a larger gang - over 100,000."
Whalen said the raid was reminiscent of the 1980s, when local police and
bikers routinely clashed in Knox County. But the defendants in this
case, he said, are gainfully employed and have relatively clean records.
Lester, who works at Aqua-Chem Inc., has only three criminal convictions
on his record: an unspecified misdemeanor "public order" crime from
1984, a failure to obey a stop sign citation in 1994 and a reckless
driving charge from 1995, records show.
Court records show that Foster's only criminal convictions were both in
1984, when he was charged with two misdemeanor drug offenses. According
to Whalen, Foster drives a bus for senior citizens.
"I think the Sheriff's Office is still living in the days of old, and
from looking at their affidavit they didn't bother to verify whether
those days are over," Whalen said. "Sheriff (J.J.) Jones talked about
murder, white slavery and prostitution at a press conference, but
there's nothing about that in the affidavit. . Somebody might surprise
us all, but if this is what they've got, it like the Bard said - 'It's
much ado about nothing.' "
Sheriff Jones said he doesn't want to comment on the case until after
the defendants' preliminary hearings, which are set for Feb. 18.
J.J. Stambaugh may be reached at 865-342-6307.
id-violated-/
Member of Outlaws motorcycle club says raid violated his rights
Man says SWAT team an overreaction
* By J.J. Stambaugh
* Posted January 31, 2010 at 9:04 p.m.
One of the leaders of Knoxville's chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club
says his rights were violated by a New Years Eve raid on the group's
clubhouse and his subsequent arrest.
Mark Lester, 55, who is the regional Outlaws president, said last week
the allegations lodged against him and other members of the biker club
are false. He also accused the Knox County Sheriff's Office of
overreacting by sending a SWAT team to raid the clubhouse during a
sedate holiday party to search for a leather vest.
"They totally destroyed the house, they took everything out of there,"
said Lester as he described the Dec. 31 raid in a residential
neighborhood off Western Avenue. "They took all our TVs, our microwaves.
. It was just really crazy stuff. All they found was some alcohol and
sandwich platters."
According to Lester, the most painful loss was that of a group of stone
monuments in the clubhouse yard that had been set up to memorialize
fallen Outlaws.
"The stones in the front yard for brothers who have died over the last
15 years, they dug those up and took them," Lester said. "It was just
ridiculous."
Lester and local chapter president Kenneth Foster, 55, have been charged
with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping for a Dec. 23 incident
in which they allegedly detained an undercover Sheriff's Office deputy
who had infiltrated the club and stripped him at gunpoint of his leather
Outlaws vest, which had been given to him when he became a full-fledged
member. Lester and Foster are free on bond.
While the Sheriff's Office declined to comment last week on the case, an
18-page affidavit filed by the undercover officer, Joseph Linger, shows
that police view the Outlaws as a criminal street gang with
international ties and a proven propensity for "large-scale violence."
Outlaws chapters have been tied to crimes such as murder, extortion and
drug trafficking, Linger wrote, and the Knoxville chapter did more than
just flirt with a bad-boy image.
Linger, who at one time worked as a police officer in rural Alaska and
was employed at the Sheriff's Office as a jailer from 2004 to 2005, was
working as a bouncer at a Gatlinburg nightclub when he was approached by
Lester in August 2008, according to the affidavit.
Over the following months, Linger was gradually brought into the club's
inner circle and allegedly saw Outlaws smoking marijuana, snorting
cocaine and carrying weapons, the affidavit says. Linger also recounted
several violent anecdotes of the Outlaws' encounters with other bikers
and the public, most of them secondhand.
Linger wrote that one of the men he met - a prospective Outlaw who has
not been charged - bragged about having illegal weapons and explosives.
That same biker was the only one that Linger accused in the affidavit of
actually dealing drugs, and the officer wrote that the man sold him $160
worth of cocaine but an attempt to buy plastic explosives and hand
grenades from him didn't pan out.
Linger said he was supposed to carry weapons and be prepared to fight
with other biker clubs. He said that Outlaws were encouraged to obtain
permits to legally carry handguns, and Linger said he was "given a list
of items that should be carried at all times, including a large knife,
for protection."
The affidavit goes into great detail on the various aspects of the
Outlaws' alleged operations, including factors meant to illustrate that
they meet the legal definition of a criminal street gang. Lester,
however, maintains the allegations are ridiculous.
"We are not a gang," he said. "Our club is actually incorporated, so
we're a corporation recognized by the U.S. government. . The sheriff
said we're all criminals, but there's never been any problems here in
Knoxville. We've been here for 30 years, and there's never been any
criminal activity.
"When they came in, they found nothing more than a couple of vegetable
platters and shrimp cocktails. . We have a right to associate just like
everyone else, we have a right to wear patches."
Lester said Linger was a problematic club member who "caused
controversy." While Lester was vague about providing details when asked
what made the other Outlaws distrust Linger, he did say that no armed
robbery took place when he and Foster asked Linger to return his club
vest.
For one thing, Lester said, vests belong to the club, not to individual
members. He said he didn't understand how he could be charged with
robbery when the property didn't belong to the officer in the first
place.
He declined to discuss the incident in further detail under the advice
of his attorney, Phil Lamonaco.
"You couldn't really believe a whole lot of things he was saying,"
Lester said. "We'd go on motorcycle runs and bike shows, but he would
miss them. Or there were rumors that he was working someplace and then
we'd find out he wasn't. There were a lot of lies. We asked him to go
straighten his life out."
Lester said the Outlaws had no idea that Linger was a police officer
until he showed up at the raid wearing a uniform. Lester also said he
was disturbed to learn that Linger wasn't employed as a deputy when they
first met.
"This person was a club member first, and then he joined the sheriff's
department because he could not find a job, using our club membership to
gain employment," Lester said.
During the raid, deputies allegedly found small amounts of drugs on
three of the partygoers and charged them with misdemeanors. Some
firearms were also recovered, but no charges were filed because their
owners had handgun permits, according to Foster's attorney, Mike Whalen.
Whalen said it doesn't appear that the undercover probe turned up much
more than misdemeanors occurring behind closed doors.
"While at the clubhouse (Linger) saw members smoking pot or snorting
cocaine," Whalen said. "I can look out my window on any Saturday in the
fall on tailgate parties where there's more than that going on, and with
a larger gang - over 100,000."
Whalen said the raid was reminiscent of the 1980s, when local police and
bikers routinely clashed in Knox County. But the defendants in this
case, he said, are gainfully employed and have relatively clean records.
Lester, who works at Aqua-Chem Inc., has only three criminal convictions
on his record: an unspecified misdemeanor "public order" crime from
1984, a failure to obey a stop sign citation in 1994 and a reckless
driving charge from 1995, records show.
Court records show that Foster's only criminal convictions were both in
1984, when he was charged with two misdemeanor drug offenses. According
to Whalen, Foster drives a bus for senior citizens.
"I think the Sheriff's Office is still living in the days of old, and
from looking at their affidavit they didn't bother to verify whether
those days are over," Whalen said. "Sheriff (J.J.) Jones talked about
murder, white slavery and prostitution at a press conference, but
there's nothing about that in the affidavit. . Somebody might surprise
us all, but if this is what they've got, it like the Bard said - 'It's
much ado about nothing.' "
Sheriff Jones said he doesn't want to comment on the case until after
the defendants' preliminary hearings, which are set for Feb. 18.
J.J. Stambaugh may be reached at 865-342-6307.
Heads up….California needs money, so pay close attention to the rules of the road!
Traffic Tickets Fines (01/06/2010) Amount next to dollar signs is fine amount
Violation Total Fine Due
VC 12814.6 $214
Failure to obey license provisions.
VC 14600(A) $214
Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 days
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 16028(A) $796
Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (insurance)
Note: This fine may be reduced with proof of insurance on or after the violation date.
VC 21453(A) $436
Failure to stop at a red signal.
VC 22350 $214
VC 22349
Unsafe Speed, 1 to 15 miles over the limit.
VC 22350 $328
VC 22349
Unsafe Speed, 16 to 25 miles over the limit.
VC 22450 $214
Failure to stop at a stop sign.
VC 22454(A) $616
Passing a school bus with flashing red signals.
VC 23123(A) $148
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, First offense
VC 23123(A) $256
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, For each subsequent offense.
VC 23123.5(A) $148
Drive while wireless device to send, read or write text.
VC 23124(B) $148
Minor drive using wireless phone.
VC 22500(I) $976
Parking in a bus loading area.
VC 22507.8(A through C) $976
Violation of disabled parking provisions, first offense.
VC 22507.8(A through C) $1876
Violation of disabled parking provisions, second offense.
VC 26708(A) $178
Unlawful material on vehicle windows.
VC 27150(A and B) $178
Adequate muffler required
VC 27315(D and E) $148
Mandatory use of seat belts.
VC 27360(A and B) $436
Mandatory use of child passenger restraints
Note: This fine may be reduced by completing a court authorized child seat diversion program.
VC 27400 $178
Headsets/Earplugs over both ears. $178
Violation Total Fine Due
VC 12814.6 $214
Failure to obey license provisions.
VC 14600(A) $214
Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 days
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 16028(A) $796
Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (insurance)
Note: This fine may be reduced with proof of insurance on or after the violation date.
VC 21453(A) $436
Failure to stop at a red signal.
VC 22350 $214
VC 22349
Unsafe Speed, 1 to 15 miles over the limit.
VC 22350 $328
VC 22349
Unsafe Speed, 16 to 25 miles over the limit.
VC 22450 $214
Failure to stop at a stop sign.
VC 22454(A) $616
Passing a school bus with flashing red signals.
VC 23123(A) $148
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, First offense
VC 23123(A) $256
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, For each subsequent offense.
VC 23123.5(A) $148
Drive while wireless device to send, read or write text.
VC 23124(B) $148
Minor drive using wireless phone.
VC 22500(I) $976
Parking in a bus loading area.
VC 22507.8(A through C) $976
Violation of disabled parking provisions, first offense.
VC 22507.8(A through C) $1876
Violation of disabled parking provisions, second offense.
VC 26708(A) $178
Unlawful material on vehicle windows.
VC 27150(A and B) $178
Adequate muffler required
VC 27315(D and E) $148
Mandatory use of seat belts.
VC 27360(A and B) $436
Mandatory use of child passenger restraints
Note: This fine may be reduced by completing a court authorized child seat diversion program.
VC 27400 $178
Headsets/Earplugs over both ears. $178
FL- Gangs boost their local profile, deputies say
www.pnj.com/article/20100201/NEWS01/2010310/1006/NEWS01/Gangs-boost-thei
> r-local-profile--deputies-say>
> February 1, 2010>
> Gangs boost their local profile, deputies say>
> Thyrie Bland
> tbland@pnj.com>
> Escambia County sheriff's investigators are taking a hard look at what
> they believe is an increasingly serious gang problem locally.>
> What they know so far is some 200 gang members and associates of gangs
> have committed crimes from drug-dealing to drive-by shootings, five
> gangs have adopted the names of local streets or neighborhoods and
> members of the national Outlaws Motorcycle Club have recruited here.>
> But Sheriff's Office Sgt. Rick Vinson, who began working as a gang unit
> supervisor in April, said that's only what's been proven. Investigators
> suspect there are another 15 local gangs and five national gangs here,
> he said.>
> "I knew we had a large street-level crime problem," Vinson said. "But
> when I started looking into it and doing the investigations, the numbers
> were very, very surprising to me. I mean it's astonishing to me that we
> have that large of a problem in Escambia County.">
> It has been nearly a year since Sheriff David Morgan first expressed
> concerns about a significant gang problem.>
> To learn more, Morgan formed a gang unit, consisting of Vinson, another
> sergeant and an investigator. The deputies work with two Florida
> Department of Law Enforcement agents to investigate gangs.>
> In next few months, more deputies will be assigned to the unit, Vinson
> said.>
> During the unit's first year, investigators have spent a good bit of
> time trying to confirm what they believed to be true about gangs here.>
> "As street officers, we knew some of them were out there," Vinson said.
> "We all believed it, but we had to go out there and find the facts to be
> able to prove what we as street officers knew.">
> Homegrown problem>
> The unit is finding that the gangs causing the most trouble are those
> homegrown gangs that have adopted the names of local streets and
> neighborhoods, Vinson said.>
> Law enforcement and prosecutors are reluctant to name the gangs
> committing crimes here.>
> "We truly believe that these gangs are dangerous," Assistant State
> Attorney Jeff Gaddy said. "The more notoriety you give them, the more
> power you give them.">
> Like national gangs, the neighborhood gangs sell drugs and commit
> violent crimes, including drive-by shootings, Vinson said.>
> "They say we have these neighborhood groups, but these neighborhood
> groups are shooting at people," he said. "They are doing home invasions.
> Each individual in that group has a rap sheet that's is as long as my
> arm."
> In at least one high-profile case, investigators discovered such a
> neighborhood gang connection.>
> On Oct. 23, the Oakcrest Lounge on West Fairfield Drive was robbed.
> Jared Ortiz, 24 was shot and killed during the robbery as he sat on a
> bar stool.>
> When Brandon Davis, 20, one of the suspects, was arrested on a murder
> charge, he was asked about being part of the Wedgewood Boys. The gang is
> named for the area west of Pensacola Boulevard and between Oakfield Road
> and Olive Heights.>
> "I ain't gonna put on this tape that I'm a Wedgewood boy," Davis said
> during the Oct. 29 interview.>
> "Yeah, you're gonna have to," the investigator told Davis>
> "Yeah, I am from Wedgewood," Davis responded.
> "Do you claim to be (in) a ... Wedgewood gang?" the investigator asked.>
> "Yeah," Davis admitted.>
> Vinson called the robbery and shooting gang-related because of Davis'
> suspected involvement. But he said he couldn't answer whether the crime
> was gang-motivated.>
> He said he does not understand why there is a reluctance among some to
> acknowledge neighborhood gangs as real gangs.>
> "They are tattooing themselves with the same name," he said. "They are
> throwing the hand signs up representing a criminal street gang. I ask
> people, 'What are they doing that's any different from a national gang?>
> Gang members often commit crimes to further their standing within their
> gang or in furtherance of the gang's name, Vinson said. The motivation
> is almost always money, he said.>
> "They have tattoos on themselves, and the wording depicts money over
> everything," he said.
> Long list
> The sheriff's gang unit maintains a list that includes the names of gang
> members and their associates, Vinson said.
> To be added to the list, the person must meet the criteria set by state
> law to be considered a gang member or associate, he said.
> The list is shared with the State Attorney's Office to ensure that those
> on it face stiff penalties when prosecuted for crimes involving guns,
> officials said.
> "None of these cases are plea bargained without permission from a
> supervisor," said Gaddy, who handles gang and gun-related cases.
> Gang members and associates are being added to the list through the
> efforts of investigators and patrol officers and tips from informants
> that are verified through investigative work, Vinson said.
> Some gang members and associates are in jail or prison, and their status
> is verified through corrections officials, Vinson said.
> Investigators are tracking gangs, too, but more work is needed to
> determine whether the 20 suspected gangs meet the state definition of a
> gang, Vinson said.
> State law defines a gang as a formal or informal organization of three
> or more people who have a common name or identifying signs, colors or
> symbols and whose primary activities are criminal or delinquent acts.
> The gang unit doesn't label a group as a gang unless it fits that
> definition, Vinson said.>
> Additional Facts
> Florida gang law>
> State law defines a gang as a formal or informal organization of three
> or more people who have a common name or identifying signs, colors or
> symbols and whose primary activities are criminal or delinquent acts.
> Under Florida law, a gang member is someone who meets two or more of the
> following criteria:
> Admits to gang membership.
> Is identified as a gang member by a parent or guardian.
Is identified as a gang member by a reliable informant.
> n Adopts the style of dress of a gang. Uses a hand sign used by a gang.
Has a tattoo used by a gang.
Associates with one or more known gang members.
Is identified as a gang member by an informant whose reliability is
not known and when the identification can be corroborated.
Is identified as a gang member by physical evidence.
Has been seen in the company of one or more known gang members four or
more times.
Authors communication indicating responsibility for the commission of
any crimes by a gang.
Under Florida law, a gang associate is someone who:
Admits to gang association.
Meet any of the criteria for being a gang member.
> r-local-profile--deputies-say>
> February 1, 2010>
> Gangs boost their local profile, deputies say>
> Thyrie Bland
> tbland@pnj.com>
> Escambia County sheriff's investigators are taking a hard look at what
> they believe is an increasingly serious gang problem locally.>
> What they know so far is some 200 gang members and associates of gangs
> have committed crimes from drug-dealing to drive-by shootings, five
> gangs have adopted the names of local streets or neighborhoods and
> members of the national Outlaws Motorcycle Club have recruited here.>
> But Sheriff's Office Sgt. Rick Vinson, who began working as a gang unit
> supervisor in April, said that's only what's been proven. Investigators
> suspect there are another 15 local gangs and five national gangs here,
> he said.>
> "I knew we had a large street-level crime problem," Vinson said. "But
> when I started looking into it and doing the investigations, the numbers
> were very, very surprising to me. I mean it's astonishing to me that we
> have that large of a problem in Escambia County.">
> It has been nearly a year since Sheriff David Morgan first expressed
> concerns about a significant gang problem.>
> To learn more, Morgan formed a gang unit, consisting of Vinson, another
> sergeant and an investigator. The deputies work with two Florida
> Department of Law Enforcement agents to investigate gangs.>
> In next few months, more deputies will be assigned to the unit, Vinson
> said.>
> During the unit's first year, investigators have spent a good bit of
> time trying to confirm what they believed to be true about gangs here.>
> "As street officers, we knew some of them were out there," Vinson said.
> "We all believed it, but we had to go out there and find the facts to be
> able to prove what we as street officers knew.">
> Homegrown problem>
> The unit is finding that the gangs causing the most trouble are those
> homegrown gangs that have adopted the names of local streets and
> neighborhoods, Vinson said.>
> Law enforcement and prosecutors are reluctant to name the gangs
> committing crimes here.>
> "We truly believe that these gangs are dangerous," Assistant State
> Attorney Jeff Gaddy said. "The more notoriety you give them, the more
> power you give them.">
> Like national gangs, the neighborhood gangs sell drugs and commit
> violent crimes, including drive-by shootings, Vinson said.>
> "They say we have these neighborhood groups, but these neighborhood
> groups are shooting at people," he said. "They are doing home invasions.
> Each individual in that group has a rap sheet that's is as long as my
> arm."
> In at least one high-profile case, investigators discovered such a
> neighborhood gang connection.>
> On Oct. 23, the Oakcrest Lounge on West Fairfield Drive was robbed.
> Jared Ortiz, 24 was shot and killed during the robbery as he sat on a
> bar stool.>
> When Brandon Davis, 20, one of the suspects, was arrested on a murder
> charge, he was asked about being part of the Wedgewood Boys. The gang is
> named for the area west of Pensacola Boulevard and between Oakfield Road
> and Olive Heights.>
> "I ain't gonna put on this tape that I'm a Wedgewood boy," Davis said
> during the Oct. 29 interview.>
> "Yeah, you're gonna have to," the investigator told Davis>
> "Yeah, I am from Wedgewood," Davis responded.
> "Do you claim to be (in) a ... Wedgewood gang?" the investigator asked.>
> "Yeah," Davis admitted.>
> Vinson called the robbery and shooting gang-related because of Davis'
> suspected involvement. But he said he couldn't answer whether the crime
> was gang-motivated.>
> He said he does not understand why there is a reluctance among some to
> acknowledge neighborhood gangs as real gangs.>
> "They are tattooing themselves with the same name," he said. "They are
> throwing the hand signs up representing a criminal street gang. I ask
> people, 'What are they doing that's any different from a national gang?>
> Gang members often commit crimes to further their standing within their
> gang or in furtherance of the gang's name, Vinson said. The motivation
> is almost always money, he said.>
> "They have tattoos on themselves, and the wording depicts money over
> everything," he said.
> Long list
> The sheriff's gang unit maintains a list that includes the names of gang
> members and their associates, Vinson said.
> To be added to the list, the person must meet the criteria set by state
> law to be considered a gang member or associate, he said.
> The list is shared with the State Attorney's Office to ensure that those
> on it face stiff penalties when prosecuted for crimes involving guns,
> officials said.
> "None of these cases are plea bargained without permission from a
> supervisor," said Gaddy, who handles gang and gun-related cases.
> Gang members and associates are being added to the list through the
> efforts of investigators and patrol officers and tips from informants
> that are verified through investigative work, Vinson said.
> Some gang members and associates are in jail or prison, and their status
> is verified through corrections officials, Vinson said.
> Investigators are tracking gangs, too, but more work is needed to
> determine whether the 20 suspected gangs meet the state definition of a
> gang, Vinson said.
> State law defines a gang as a formal or informal organization of three
> or more people who have a common name or identifying signs, colors or
> symbols and whose primary activities are criminal or delinquent acts.
> The gang unit doesn't label a group as a gang unless it fits that
> definition, Vinson said.>
> Additional Facts
> Florida gang law>
> State law defines a gang as a formal or informal organization of three
> or more people who have a common name or identifying signs, colors or
> symbols and whose primary activities are criminal or delinquent acts.
> Under Florida law, a gang member is someone who meets two or more of the
> following criteria:
> Admits to gang membership.
> Is identified as a gang member by a parent or guardian.
Is identified as a gang member by a reliable informant.
> n Adopts the style of dress of a gang. Uses a hand sign used by a gang.
Has a tattoo used by a gang.
Associates with one or more known gang members.
Is identified as a gang member by an informant whose reliability is
not known and when the identification can be corroborated.
Is identified as a gang member by physical evidence.
Has been seen in the company of one or more known gang members four or
more times.
Authors communication indicating responsibility for the commission of
any crimes by a gang.
Under Florida law, a gang associate is someone who:
Admits to gang association.
Meet any of the criteria for being a gang member.
Running Hot part II
By: Biker Chad
In the last installment I discussed some of the high temp issues that all Harley riders face. The first thing I talked about was the way moving air helps cool our engines. There are not a lot of options to keep air moving over our engines except to keep the bike moving. I often shut my bike down if I am caught at idle for a long time, like a train or traffic jam etc. I do know a few companies that offer parade fans to mount on your bike. I don’t put much merit into these fans, the help they may give is outweighed by the price of the purchase in my opinion. If you pull a lot of parade duty I could almost justify it, but I think there are better things to do to cool down your bike.
First, high quality synthetic engine oils can do wonders to lower your bike temperature. I know a lot of you have heard stories of how synthetic oils can hurt your engine or make your clutch slip. So I will explain the pros and cons of synthetics the best I can, to help you make a more informed decision.
There are a lot of synthetics on the market some good, some not so good. As far as I can tell you get what you pay for. I hear rumors about a louder ticking in an engine when synthetic oil is used. This is supposedly due to some synthetic oils being slightly thinner than their fossil oil counter parts. As long as I match the weight of the synthetic oil to the weight recommended by your bikes manufacturer, I have honestly never noticed this on any bike I have used synthetic oils in myself.
Next, I hear people talk about clutch slippage when using synthetic oil in their primary. This is true, but not because synthetics are bad. It is due to most synthetic oils having a friction modifier in them, although this is good in your engine it may cause the clutch plates to slip sometimes. As long as you make sure to use synthetic oil in the primary that does not contain friction modifiers, you will get no slip along with a cooler, happier running primary.
As far as the transmission goes, good synthetic oil will allow a smoother, quieter shift, a cooler transmission temperature, and prolong the life of your transmission.
Another question I hear is, “will it void my warranty to use a synthetic oil.” The answer is no, it will not void your warranty to use a synthetic oil (so long as it is the proper weight that is recommended by your bike manufacturer,) you cannot void your warranty.
People have asked me if you have to use a special oil filter when you use synthetic oil. The answer is no. The only difference in the filters is that a synthetic designed filter has a larger filtration surface. This is due to synthetic oils lasting longer than fossil oils, so the filter has to last longer too. A regular filter will work fine, but it may require you to change the regular filter before the synthetic oil needs to be changed.
If cost is the barrier that keeps you from using synthetic oils consider this. The higher cost of synthetic oil is way out weighed by the benefits of using it. When things like the longevity of your engine being increased, the fact that synthetic oils last longer between changes (as long as the filter gets changed regularly,) and better fuel economy are entered into the equation, synthetic oils are much, much cheaper in the long run. So I really have to say there is no reason not to use a quality, full synthetic oil.
So what synthetic oil do I recommend? Amsoil all the way, now remember I do not get paid to say this by Amsoil, nor do I work for Amsoil in any way. I wouldn’t play our readers like that. I know for a fact that using Amsoil in my engine, primary, and transmission has lowered my engine’s running temp. by about 15 degrees. I have had friends tell me they dropped engine temps by almost 20 degrees using Amsoil! That is a huge difference.
Now that we agree that synthetic oil is a good thing, you will have to tune in to “Running Hot Part III.” When I will tell you a few more tricks I have learned to cool off our beloved Harleys, and improve power and performance along the way.
Until next time Ride safe, and hopefully a little cooler my friends.
-Biker Chad
In the last installment I discussed some of the high temp issues that all Harley riders face. The first thing I talked about was the way moving air helps cool our engines. There are not a lot of options to keep air moving over our engines except to keep the bike moving. I often shut my bike down if I am caught at idle for a long time, like a train or traffic jam etc. I do know a few companies that offer parade fans to mount on your bike. I don’t put much merit into these fans, the help they may give is outweighed by the price of the purchase in my opinion. If you pull a lot of parade duty I could almost justify it, but I think there are better things to do to cool down your bike.
First, high quality synthetic engine oils can do wonders to lower your bike temperature. I know a lot of you have heard stories of how synthetic oils can hurt your engine or make your clutch slip. So I will explain the pros and cons of synthetics the best I can, to help you make a more informed decision.
There are a lot of synthetics on the market some good, some not so good. As far as I can tell you get what you pay for. I hear rumors about a louder ticking in an engine when synthetic oil is used. This is supposedly due to some synthetic oils being slightly thinner than their fossil oil counter parts. As long as I match the weight of the synthetic oil to the weight recommended by your bikes manufacturer, I have honestly never noticed this on any bike I have used synthetic oils in myself.
Next, I hear people talk about clutch slippage when using synthetic oil in their primary. This is true, but not because synthetics are bad. It is due to most synthetic oils having a friction modifier in them, although this is good in your engine it may cause the clutch plates to slip sometimes. As long as you make sure to use synthetic oil in the primary that does not contain friction modifiers, you will get no slip along with a cooler, happier running primary.
As far as the transmission goes, good synthetic oil will allow a smoother, quieter shift, a cooler transmission temperature, and prolong the life of your transmission.
Another question I hear is, “will it void my warranty to use a synthetic oil.” The answer is no, it will not void your warranty to use a synthetic oil (so long as it is the proper weight that is recommended by your bike manufacturer,) you cannot void your warranty.
People have asked me if you have to use a special oil filter when you use synthetic oil. The answer is no. The only difference in the filters is that a synthetic designed filter has a larger filtration surface. This is due to synthetic oils lasting longer than fossil oils, so the filter has to last longer too. A regular filter will work fine, but it may require you to change the regular filter before the synthetic oil needs to be changed.
If cost is the barrier that keeps you from using synthetic oils consider this. The higher cost of synthetic oil is way out weighed by the benefits of using it. When things like the longevity of your engine being increased, the fact that synthetic oils last longer between changes (as long as the filter gets changed regularly,) and better fuel economy are entered into the equation, synthetic oils are much, much cheaper in the long run. So I really have to say there is no reason not to use a quality, full synthetic oil.
So what synthetic oil do I recommend? Amsoil all the way, now remember I do not get paid to say this by Amsoil, nor do I work for Amsoil in any way. I wouldn’t play our readers like that. I know for a fact that using Amsoil in my engine, primary, and transmission has lowered my engine’s running temp. by about 15 degrees. I have had friends tell me they dropped engine temps by almost 20 degrees using Amsoil! That is a huge difference.
Now that we agree that synthetic oil is a good thing, you will have to tune in to “Running Hot Part III.” When I will tell you a few more tricks I have learned to cool off our beloved Harleys, and improve power and performance along the way.
Until next time Ride safe, and hopefully a little cooler my friends.
-Biker Chad
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