[Prettygyrl777]

I agree- they'll bring the view with them. Most people are affected by the environment around them (and they also affect their environments). But what I'm saying is, that once she is here, maybe she will learn something new.

As far as the gang info is concerned- we've had some gang issues in our school system. The school resource officers, school administration, etc. identify gang 'associates' and known gang members on a daily basis. When a person thinks of port st. lucie, they think we are free from this problem. It may not be as blatant as it is in some other areas but gang activity is alive and well here. I'd rather have the officers keep track of this and try to head it off now before it goes out of control.

[PBCboy]

Palm Beach County is second to New York City for the cases of gang problems in the United States according to the Palm Beach Post.

As for Port Saint Lucie, I have not heard of gang problems there yet but I think they will occur in a few years. Affordable housing there makes this even more likely to happen.

Port Saint Lucie crime right now however is extremely low across all boards. Just take a look at the comparison of WPB and Port Saint Lucie:
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed
However, in a few years I am sure this will change. Violent crime has already gone up 15% in Port Saint Lucie this year, and I'm sure it'll increase more and more every year until it ends up like this. Hey, I never expected us to have the problems we do now.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

Port St. Lucie/Ft. Pierce are already infested by gangs. Port St. Lucie has plenty of crime. Go over to the courthouse any day of the week and you'll see for yourself.

When you say PSL is the safest city of it's size on the Treasure Coast, it's because it's the ONLY city of it's size on the Treasure Coast.

You aren't looking at the drug abuse and drug crime statistics.

Don't lump "Port Saint Lucie" with "Saint Lucie County" crime statistics. Everyone knows that Fort Pierce is a crap area, crime ridden and full of poverty.

And guess what? It's just as far to drive from Fort Pierce to Vero Beach as it is to drive from Fort Pierce to Port Saint Lucie.

Look at the following "Per capita" crime statistics, of Port Saint Lucie compared to:
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Face it: Port Saint Lucie has a loooong way to go before it even catches up with any of its neighbors.

Gang activity is "turf based" - the very nature of bedroom cities like Port Saint Lucie, particularly, which lacks an urban core or "neighborhood" structure make gang activity very hard.

Port Saint Lucie's worst problem so far is pot grow houses. But the problem with pot grow houses is that the homes are so well maintained that even neighbors don't know what's going on.

Port Saint Lucie needs to remain vigilant, of course, and hopefully the Port Saint Lucie police will be much more determined in keeping their city from turning into the filth that borders it. They're known for being jerks, so let's hope that attitude turns to results! Crime has gone up since back in the day, but that's to be expected as the city grows.

[triton1]

Originally Posted by PBCboy

"If we stay in Lake Worth, there's a good chance he might have died or he'd be in jail forever," she says. "That is the way I saw things."

Lake Worth's Haitians seek safety of St. Lucie (broken link)

That is to say, I have a feeling many of these gang members will be making their way up to Port Saint Lucie and it will go downhill just the way Palm Beach County did.

If Bush is not impeached soon, everyone is going to start fleeing all the way to the North Pole!!!

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Gang activity is "turf based" - the very nature of bedroom cities like Port Saint Lucie, particularly, which lacks an urban core or "neighborhood" structure make gang activity very hard.

How about when gangs swept suburban Broward County in the early 90s? There were over 60 youth gangs in an area of 900,000 people, forming in an environment that was somewhat similar to PSL at the time. Turf was not even a factor, and now gang activity has leveled off, and we now have about 28 gangs despite emerging as a very urban envrionment.

Read these two articles, it is a real eye opener and very, very similar to what is sweeping Palm Beach County right now, and what is to come in Port Saint Lucie.

Pamela Ferdinand Journalist: Portfolio (http://www.pamelaferdinand.com/mh_0012.html - broken link)
Pamela Ferdinand Journalist: Portfolio (http://www.pamelaferdinand.com/mh_0011.html - broken link)

Activity will eventually level off.

[AmericanRoadGirl]

A couple of you might want to re-read the article again before you crucify Ms. Louis any further. The writers did not quote Ms. Louis as making the statement that a couple of you have attributed to her and have now embellished even further, making this woman look like a real lout. Please have some compassion. The woman lost her daughter and is extremely worried about her son. She has now bravely went public with her story.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

How about when gangs swept suburban Broward County in the early 90s? There were over 60 youth gangs in an area of 900,000 people, forming in an environment that was somewhat similar to PSL at the time. Turf was not even a factor, and now gang activity has leveled off, and we now have about 28 gangs despite emerging as a very urban envrionment.

Those gangs are still connected to an Urban core - that core being Fort Lauderdale. What's the incentive to moving to PSL?

Saint Lucie County has gang problems in Fort Pierce as it is. There is no strategic advantage to moving to PSL... despite it's name there is no port, no distribution of illegal substances advantage, and you would have to drive 30 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other to engage in gang activity.

Sure, there's already-present "gang activity" but I assure you, PSL will never be "Lake Worth"... maybe a neighborhood or two will degrade and has degraded, but at something like 80 square miles, Port St. Lucie isn't universally damned.

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

Read these two articles, it is a real eye opener and very, very similar to what is sweeping Palm Beach County right now, and what is to come in Port Saint Lucie.

Pamela Ferdinand Journalist: Portfolio (http://www.pamelaferdinand.com/mh_0012.html - broken link)
Pamela Ferdinand Journalist: Portfolio (http://www.pamelaferdinand.com/mh_0011.html - broken link)

Activity will eventually level off.

Why is "Port St. Lucie" being targeted here? There are several cities between PBC and PSL. Cheaper housing? It's not THAT much cheaper, and it's not like the city is growing anymore. Some Haitians moving in to escape gang activity? As the guy in the article posted, even gangs think there's "too many old people" in PSL, and that it's "too boring."

Even if crime doubles, PSL will just be "average" for the area instead of remarkably low crime. All other cities on the treasure coast have "gang related crime," precious Vero Beach and Stuart included.

[backtofla]

i feel bad for the family. i really do. i just hate to think what COULD happen to psl and neighboring areas...

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Those gangs are still connected to an Urban core - that core being Fort Lauderdale. What's the incentive to moving to PSL?

.

What's the incentive to moving to the Coral Springs of 1992?Davie (that used to be the STICKS, it still is somewhat!)? Those gangs didn't come out of anywhere, they were bored youth looking for a pastime. There is a good chance of similar happenings in PSL.But like I said, it will level off with time.

I'm not denying that gang activity isn't everywhere. It's in Podunk, Tennessee or wherever people think is so much better too. I'm just saying there is a good chance of it becoming a major issue, the factors are just right, and very, very similar to those articles from 1992.

[backtofla]

and as cheap (compared to many parts of fla) as it is, i think it will bring some............ less desirable folks.