A few weeks ago, an incident shook several students because the “Notre Dame Bubble” is often thought to extend into Eddy Street Commons. As a sophomore, I don’t know very much about the bar scene but I had always operated under the assumption that if I went to a bar I wasn’t in danger of getting shot. What was originally identified as a random act of violence was eventually attributed to gang violence. Turns out this isn’t as uncommon an occurrance as one might hope. Although South Bend itself isn’t a thriving metropolis or extremely populated, there is a large amount of gang activity within the area.
“Black Gangster Disciple” graffiti off of the Indiana Toll Road
The area known as the West Side is the primary location of gang activity. This is an area of ethnic diversity, including large Polish, African American, and Latino populations. This article is about to start sounding pretty unrealistic: South Bend is home to Latin Kings, Black Gangster Disciples, and Westsiders (amongst at least 10 other gangs). The first two groups are nationally prevalent, and currently have deep roots in Chicago. Primarly driven by racial unity, the Latin Kings and Black Gangster Disciples are found all over the country. However, South Bend is unique in that low socioeconomic status appears to have united many gang members beyond race. Research done by Notre Dame students showed that South Bend gangs are often defined by neighborhood boundaries (Northside, Southside etc), rather than race.
“Westsiders” graffiti near a school
Social pressure and lack of financial resources are the main reasons that young people join gangs in South Bend. In public schools here, teachers have been known to cover up white boards when they are not in use to prevent the children from drawing gang signs on them. One report described these children as having a “fascination” with gang graffiti. The phenomenon is similar to a five year old repeating a curse word—even though he or she doesn’t know what it means, they enjoy the attention that comes from saying it. As they grow up, they become indoctrinated towards these gang symbols. Many of them grow up to experience economic hardship, and become a part of the vast drug dealing system for which South Bend is infamous. Domestic abuse is also rampant in the area, adding further incentive for kids to get out of the house. In interviews with former gang members, many cite their reason for joining gangs as a need for a community. Other gang members go through similar situations, and young people turn to them for comfort because they have dysfunctional family lives over which to connect. The South Bend community is fighting back against this cycle through the implementation of after school programs and community education.
Although the incident at Brothers seems to indicate that these efforts are not working, gang violence is actually decreasing. Last April, the FBI and the South Bend police worked together to arrest an entire gang known as the Cash Out Boyz.
And you thought South Bend was boring.