Gang activity in Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Bethlehem: crimes, high school, living)

[2kidsimdone]

I have heard there is some gang activity in Allentown. How does this effect surrounding towns (Lower Macungie, Eammus)?

[atownresident]

Gang activity is not just in Allentown, but in all areas within the Lehigh Valley. Gangs are not limited to jurisdictional boundaries and will cross into whatever areas they feel they can apply their illicit trade. In my opinion many gangs that set up shop in the area are from the New York New Jersey areas. These gang thugs feel that they can operate within various communities because they feel that the local police do not have the resources to combat their activities. Gangs get their power through intimidation and exploitation of people. It is very important that if you see any criminal activity or suspicious individuals to contact your local police department and notify them of the activity. Too many times people will stay silent for the fear of retaliation from the gangs. The police will take anonymous tips and will investigate these complaints. If the activity is not reported or left unchecked then it will fester into an even bigger problem.
If you see graffiti, groups of people loitering with no purpose, out of place individuals these may be an indication of a gang presence. Again the main thing is to be vigilant in reporting this type of activity to your local police. Lehigh County has a gang task force consisting of Allentown and Lehigh County Detectives.

[toobusytoday]

I do not think gangs are in all areas of the Lehigh Valley. I don't think they are here in Southern Lehigh, my son said he doesn't know of any in his High School. The only people I see hanging out are shoppers at the Promenade shops. While gangs are a concern I don't understand how they start up in an area that doesn't have any. My own rudimentary knowledge is that they serve as a family for kids that don't have parents that care or perhaps parents that work so hard that they don't have time for their kids. A sad and scary situation.

[karen_s]

Atownresident is correct. Read some of the links below and see, especially paying attention to the graffiti - a very interesting article. I have seen these types of graffiti outside the inner city areas as well.

Here are some recent news links about gang activity in the Lehigh Valley:
http://www.pennlive.com/expresstimes...240.xml&coll=2
http://www.pennlive.com/expresstimes...340.xml&coll=2
http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/al...,3382647.story
http://www.pennlive.com/expresstimes...240.xml&coll=2
http://www.pennlive.com/expresstimes...240.xml&coll=2
http://www.pennlive.com/expresstimes...880.xml&coll=2

[toobusytoday]

All of those links were about communities to the East and North of Allentown. I haven't seen any graffiti in Emmaus, Macungie or in Coopersburg. I'm not saying that they aren't here but there has been nothing in the paper, or talk among people I know about gangs around here.

[atownresident]

Gangs members may not rest their heads in Emmaus, Macungie, or Coopersburg but they do travel into those areas. Graffiti is only one indicator and in it by itself does not signify a gang presence. As written in some of the articles referenced by Karen S gang members are not always obvious. These individuals are street smart and are very well adapted to blending into environments. What fuels the gangs is the drugs that they sell. If you consult the Allentown police blotter you can see that many individuals arrested on drug possession charges are from the suburban areas. These drug dealing gang members will travel to meet customers in whatever location if the money is right.
What I meant by stating that gang activity is through out the Lehigh Valley is that gangs are very mobile and will enter whatever location to make money be it from drug dealing, robberies, burglaries and other criminal acts. They have no vested interest in the communities they are in only to make money for themselves and exploit any situation to their own advantage. Gang members are not just a group of juvenile kids causing mayhem. Some of these gang members are sophisticated and will appear completely normal. Again I will state Gangs are not just an Allentown problem. To solve these problems the community (regardless of where you reside) and the police must work together to rid Pennsylvania of these parasites.

[austere]

I don't know about the area enough to comment, but I've worked with youth in other areas of the US and find that there are real gang members, and there are "gang" members who put on the act and may even be daring enough to commit petty crimes but mostly just want to try to get respect from peers who are weak and easily intimidated. I've been driving my husband into Center City Allentown while we share a car and I definately would not like to spend any more time there then I would have to. We then drive 15 minutes out to Macungie and it's like driving out to a paradise in comparison. Obviously, kids can drive their cars any place they want to to deal drugs and commit crimes, and it always is smart to report graffiti and suspicious behavior but I wouldn't let it scare you from moving to the area (speaking from my experiences living outside other major cities -- not here).

[moveout]

Originally Posted by 2kidsimdone

I have heard there is some gang activity in Allentown. How does this effect surrounding towns (Lower Macungie, Eammus)?

are you familiar with Williams township?

[endersshadow]

I haven't been a part of this message board very long but I've seen a few threads on crime/gang in Allentown but not Bethlehem? Bethlehem is about half the size of Allentown (according to a map), is that the reason? Or did I just not see the crime/gang threads on Bethlehem?

[toobusytoday]

There was an article in the Morning Call about gangs in Bethlehem within the last year. One of the links above also mentions Bethlehem:
http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/al...,3382647.story