Good morning, Netizens...

There's good story in pictures being told by a veteran Spokesman-Review photographer, Dan Pelle, at http://www.spokesman.com/photosets/2009/aug/08/grant-county-gangs/

Having worked in the Mattawa and Othello areas for over a decade, I have witnessed steadily-increasing gang activities, from the gang signs that adorn practically every building in the area, to overworked, overstressed members of the Grant County Sheriff's Department who struggle on a daily basis to maintain order.

There are some who say this ongoing problem doesn't affect us here in Spokane, to which I say that is pure bull. The gangs are already here, and their numbers are increasing at a disproportionate ratio.

They are heavily armed, perhaps more so than we would like to admit, well-organized enough to remain below the radar screens of local law enforcement gang units and very sophisticated in what they do.

A picture can tell a thousand tales, and in the case of this photo collection, it is exquisitely-done, quite accurate and very thought-provoking.

Dave

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