gangs (Salt Lake City, Provo, West Jordan: real estate, apartment complex, condo)

[Phazed-Coug]

Most gangs are indentifiable.
Generally they travel in pairs
dressed in suits and ties.
sometimes riding bikes
and carry black books
there have been no reports of attacks with said books...

be on the lookout...

j/k I felt very safe in SLC, although just south of downtown
is an area I called the international district, where
a variety of ethnicities have congregated, spanish, mexican, korean, etc...
But even there, with the bars on the windows it seemed like a nice
place(just not the area for me)

[aussie_american]

My "gang" story is being relayed second-hand, but is my only experience since moving to SLC in February. A young man that my husband works with was driving through West Valley in the evening when a car pulled up beside him and someone in the back seat pulled out a gun and began shooting at their car. Luckily the shooter only hit a rear panel on the car. Of course the young man sped off down the road trying to get away, while his girlfriend in the passenger seat called 911 on her cell phone. The 911 operator told them to "pull-over and wait for the police" (huh??). Fortunately the shooters quickly gave up the chase. The police told the young man and his girlfriend that it was probably a "gang initiation", with the shooter being required to go out and shoot someone. We were shocked to hear that that sort of thing happens in SLC, but obviously the police in that area are aware of it. That it occurred in West Valley may just be a coincidence, and maybe now I'm aware of this incident I notice the name "West Valley" more when I hear it mentioned on the news, but it does seem to come up quite frequently. From what Coolcats says, there are obviously some nice neighborhoods in the West Valley area, so you should do some personal research when looking for your home. Ask your Realtor and co-workers about different areas, check crime statistics that are available online, read the local papers (also available online), look at the local schools and shopping centres (do they look run-down), drive around the routes you would use to get to/from school, work, shops and you should get a pretty good feel for the area. Although we've only been living here a few months, we have visited SLC numerous times in the last 10 years and have never felt un-safe when out shopping, or dining or doing outdoor activities. There are lots of great places to live here.

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by aussie_american

That it occurred in West Valley may just be a coincidence, and maybe now I'm aware of this incident I notice the name "West Valley" more when I hear it mentioned on the news, but it does seem to come up quite frequently.

I doubt it was a coincidence. The west side of SLC and east side of West Valley have neighborhoods I wouldn't feel safe in. Of course, with those being the two largest cities in the state, you are bound to hear those names more in the news. That's shocking that for a gang initiation someone would shoot a random victim like tat.

[coolcats]

Here are a couple of articles I read a while ago on the gang problem. Seems like its all over the place, with some areas worse than others. Is North Dakota still gang-free?

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635195551,00.html

http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Arti...ticle_id=15680

[SergeantL]

Originally Posted by aussie_american

The police told the young man and his girlfriend that it was probably a "gang initiation", with the shooter being required to go out and shoot someone.

After dealing with some of the most hardcore gangs in California during my law enforcement career, I can tell you this was no initiation. This was a case of mistaken identity. The shooter thought the young man son was someone else.

[cottonwood2420]

Just like on that Law & Order episode where the gang member orders a hit and the shooter goes to the wrong place and ends up killing a baby and paralysing hiks brother with a machine gun.

[SergeantL]

Originally Posted by cottonwood2420

Just like on that Law & Order episode where the gang member orders a hit and the shooter goes to the wrong place and ends up killing a baby and paralysing hiks brother with a machine gun.

Most likely not that convoluted.

[cottonwood2420]

Originally Posted by SergeantL

Most likely not that convoluted.

Possibly you might be right.

[cottonwood2420]

[quote=ardu;818058] In these cities you will find aristocratric "ghettos", neighborhoods that are not rich but artists and middle class families have made them safer and hip places to live. QUOTE]

No, that would be describing parts of downtown Salt Lake City.

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by ardu

Pardon my ignorance and I mean no offense I just want to understand better about West Valley City, UT. I have traveled throughout the US and have visited urban centers like NY, Philadelphia, Chicago. In these cities you will find aristocratric "ghettos", neighborhoods that are not rich but artists and middle class families have made them safer and hip places to live. Is this what West Valley is like? I want to be careful to judge a place but I don't want to visit somewhere where my family may be in danger. Thanks for helping me understand better.

I don't think you would be in danger if you visited during the day. The bad parts of West Valley are not like the ghetto neighborhoods you would see on the East Coast, with entire blocks of compact but decayed and burnt out buildings. No one will notice you or look at you funny, unlike what happened to me when I made wrong turns into ghetto neighborhoods in DC and Wilmington, DE.

The areas of WVC I consider "bad" are basically tract housing and strip malls from the 1960s-80s that haven't been kept up and hold little appeal when people can easily find better areas. Just go to the residential neighborhoods around Valley Fair Mall or drive down Redwood Road between 2100 South and 50th South to see what I mean.

But then go out to 56th West out to about 72nd West and you will see an entirely different area -- a great fitness center, all new stores and housing built to a higher standard etc.