If You Want to Change Violence in the ‘Hood, You Have to Change the ‘Hood: - Violence and Street Gangs in Winnipeg’s Inner City

The point is that they and their street gang are a product of the deep and per- sistent poverty and racism of the North End, and all of its consequences—addic- Street Gangs Make the tions, violence, family disintegration, Problems Worse neglect, and abuse. [...] What emerged pains to emphasize that they are not most strongly during our meeting was “do-gooders.” But the hard-headed re- that these men do not want youngsters ality—they are emphatic about the im- in the North End, the little kids, the portance of seeing the hard realities of “young ones,” to go through what they life in the North End—is that some of have gone through. [...] Their about children in the North End who central experience, which they re- are now facing the same circumstances— counted over and over, is that it is not and thus potentially the same futures— the gangs that are at the root of the as them. [...] People who live The deep deterioration of family and and work in the North End have repeat- community in the North End and edly demanded more public investment broader inner city is a cause of street in order to deal with the problems that gangs and their activities. [...] The behaviour We know that if we want to change the is a response, an adaptation, to the struc- violence in the ‘hood we have to change tures, to the poverty-related conditions the ‘hood.