Big Town Crime, Small Town Charm

Our weekly crime rates are through the roof. All crimes. Murder, sexual assaults, armed robberies, drive-by shootings, you name it. Sometimes it feels like a war zone. Welcome to small town America.
Legally a 'City,' we have a population of roughly 26 thousand. We've actually LOST around two thousand residents since the census in 2000. Our population is declining and the crime is increasing.
A couple weeks ago there were FOUR drive-by shootings in one weekend. Recently, a girl was killed and thrown in a dumpster and a man was shot and killed in front of his apartment. This week there have been half a dozen armed robberies. People being robbed in their own driveways at night and even on the street in broad daylight.
All of this in a town that has been quiet for many years. If you remember the story 'In Cold Blood,' this is the place the crooks got tried. The Clutter house is a few miles away.
I've lived here for almost fifteen years and I'm seriously thinking we need to get out. We have a large, well-armed police force with an Armored Personnel Carrier and assault rifles, but the gangs are using assault rifles too.
Sirens are a constant and gunshots are too.
The cops blame it on the gangs. We have a large meatpacking plant and many of the employees there are recruited in larger cities like Chicago and come here to work. There are currently about a dozen active gangs here.
I grew up in Dallas, and San Antonio. I'm used to large populations and the nastiness that goes along with them. When I moved here I thought it was mayberry. Its turned into something far different.
Here is a link to LAST WEEKS crime map. This was only for a week. It's getting worse every day and I wish I had a place to go.

You have my sympathies. Crime is rising where I am too. It was never like this before. And I'm in a nice neighborhood.

I totally sympathize with your situation.
I grew up in a much smaller town, so the police never looked hard at anything, even tho there were murders and the like.
meth got huge there a couple years after i graduated i'm told.

Ya know, in my idealistic state of mind, i think of a place where when this happens, all good people take up arms and blast these thugs into oblivion no questions asked.

In my town, i remember a father coming to school and kicking the crap out of a guy who did coke with his daughter. stuff like that.

don't you have guns in the states?
what are they for?
what are the cops doing with their money? are they afraid of the gangs?

it's a shame that government control has left you with no options. Reminds me of sanchoearlyjones' thread about how we're expected to do nothing in the face of adversity.

out of pure speculation i would venture a guess that semi-major drug suppliers are warring. just watch an episode or two of the wire and you might see the possibilities.

if you are living in an area code that matters to any sort of accountable state representative, then maybe you could articulately express your disgust.

Peace.

Where in kansas are you Toto? Is it mexican gangs that have moved in?
you need to watch some charles Bronson movies. Seriously, if you don't own a gun now buy one and learn to use it well.
Might be time to get a dog if you don't have one, best burgalar alarm made. I feel for you man, i've lived in some places like that that were once nice towns that went downhill fast. I loaded up my family when the house next door got sprayed with a mac10. I could deal with punks like that but I ain't staying up all night to do it. Good luck and I hope things get better in your 'hood.