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From: cde@cornell.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.tv
Subject: Re: HSB & gangs
Message-ID: <84@cornell.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-May-84 19:20:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: cornell.84
Posted: Fri May 18 19:20:21 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 19-May-84 06:58:30 EDT
References: <112@pyuxo.UUCP>
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept.
Lines: 17

I suppose I could get laughed at for questioning the "realism"
of a television police show, but does anybody but me think that
HSB is WAY off base in its portrayal of how the precinct handles
relations with youth gangs?  I was particularly struck by that
thought while watching the last episode of the season, and after
a few moments reflection I am surprised the absurdity of it hasn't
hit me before.  Does anybody know if any city police even interact
regularly and formally with gangs, let alone having "summits" and
"amnestys" and hashing out "treaties" with war lords?  Seems to me
that no self-respecting law enforcement agency would give that kind
of legitimization to groups of punks.  Is there really any U.S. cities
so embattled by gangs and/or so ineffective that they have to resort to 
such measures?  I'd be interested to know.

Carl Eichenlaub
Cornell University