DETROIT – Detroit is making big strides in its comeback. But to really get there, something has to be done about its violence.
A lot of it comes from young people who are involved in crime rings or gangs.
I recently spoke with several of those young people to see what is being done for those who feel stuck in the cycle.
On the city's west side, Exit No. 9 Joy Road takes you to heart of the Skuddzone – a place where differences are settled with bullets, not words. Building graffiti tells the story of street groups like RTM (Related Through Money) and their rivals YPB (Young Paid Bosses) and TNO (Trust No One). Each group is defined by their crime specialty, such as break-ins or street robberies.
When one group interferes with another, a street war is declared. Oftentimes, the wars include drive-by shootings that end in murders.
In southwest Detroit, there are established gangs like the Latin Counts.
In an interview with me, a young man -- and insider who asked to not be identified -- explained how it works. There is a hierarchy, and young members are expected to do as their told by the elders.
"If you ever cross a gang member, if you were to ever snitch on a gang, snitch on your family, you're done," the insider said.
Despite their violent tendencies, killings are rare because members can't act out without approval. The gang is meant to be like family, and protection.
"If someone on this block has a problem, I'm not going to call the police. If someone broke into their house, they're going to call someone they know, someone who is an affiliate," the insider said.
An order to kill is called a TOS (termination on site).
"A higher-ranking guy says, ‘I want so-and-so gone' and issues a TOS," the insider said.
Each gang has its territory, and knows to stay out of the others.
"If you're in the wrong neighborhood over there and representing … it could be bad news for you," the insider said.
Law enforcement has identified the most violent offenders in the Skuddzone and have charged five gang members with racketeering.
Short of leaving the state, the insider said there's no way to escape the gangs.
"There's no way out. Once you're in, you're in," he said.
But others I talked to said there are ways out, especially with the help of programs like the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation.
Jonathan Rodriguez lost a brother to violence and another to prison.
"I could have ended up like some of my brothers. One of my brothers has been locked up since he was 13," Rodriguez said.
Instead, he got involved with a young program in the DHDC and now heads up a robotics team. Kids from various schools, and even gangs, work together on the team to win competitions.
"There's so much more I can do. And this robotics program shows me that," Rodriguez said.
The program also has arts, music, tutoring and job readiness training.
"The streets show you how to make fast money, easy money. But they don't show you what's involved as far as the criminal aspect of it, the repercussions for those actions," Rodriguez said.
I will be reporting Tuesday on what Detroit police chief James Craig thinks went wrong with the approach to reducing crimes within the gangs and a new strategy he says will bring new results.