Dealing with dealers and gangbangers

A reader sent me this comment and question:

"Regarding another topic which is near and dear to my heart, back when the Chicago Police had their little pow-wow with the gang leaders of various Chicago street gangs, my gut feeling was..."So exactly why are we meeting with these thugs?" It almost seems to me that if you get to the point where you are having sit down meetings with gangsters...you have already lost the fight. It just seemed as though the police were saying..."Ok...we get you...lets all sit down and play nice now...because we can't beat you." Then I see this headline today in the news regarding the Mexican Drug wars.

"www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11370310

"So really what do we have to believe in anymore when our police and journalists cant stand up to these gangs without asking for permission? I want to know what you (Gus) would do differently to begin ridding Woodstock of the meth and heroin that has invaded our streets.

"I'm not attempting to be aggressive with this email...I really do want to know what you would do differently. Please feel free to use this email in your blog to start this discussion if you would like."

The question of drugs and gangs came up today in the interview with the Northwest Herald. Here's how I answered it:

You make the lives of the gangbangers and the druggies miserable - legally. I quoted Maricopa County Joe Arpaio, "If you don't like it here, don't come back."

It starts with the parents, but it quickly moves down to the schools. And far down into the grade schools. I'll send deputies into the schools to be visible as friends of the kids and to work with the municipal officers and school resource officers. I'll see that the drug-using parents of the kids are prosecuted.

Parents are going to have a choice. Clean up or expect to find yourself in jail. The kids will know that help is available for their parents and, if the parents don't get help, the parents are going to be arrested.

All these big drug programs sound nice. DEA and others. But we must stop the problem right at ground zero, right here in McHenry County.

If I'm sheriff, we won't be sitting down for a pow wow. There will be no mediation with gang leaders. I'll remind them that the law-abiding people are in charge of this County. If they obey the laws, they are welcome here. If not, they will most likely be happier elsewhere.