Washington Ends Its Gang Problems

Good news for the residents of crime-ridden Washington D.C. - they no longer have a gang problem:

The District of Columbia has gotten rid of its "gang" problem — by now referring to groups of young males committing acts of wanton violence on innocent people and each other as "crews."

The Washington Times reports D.C. police and lawmakers say the groups thought to be responsible for 10 homicides in the past two weeks are not gangs, because the members band together for personal protection, not criminal enterprise.

But police officials in other large cities say such distinctions are part of the problem.

Captain Charles Bloom of the Philadelphia Police Department, for example, says cops in Philly stopped making such distinctions two years ago.

"The very first step in dealing with gangs is denial. Then you get to the point that you can't deny it any more," Bloom said.

I'm sure the citizens will be glad to know that they were killed by a "crew" and not a "gang".