Manchester and Old Trafford where young people see gang life as their only choice

` gangs are running scared," insisted Chief Supt Dave Keller at the start of the meeting.He is credited with building strong relationships between the police and the community in Moss Side and Hulme. Officers have even been applauded as they carry out raids - a scene unthinkable five years ago.But there are still parts of Manchester and Old Trafford where young people see gang life as their only choice. Those drawn to this way of life are getting younger and their allegiances more chaotic. It is no longer just about men controlling the drug business, it's about boys playing around with guns.But Operation Cougar is having a surprising impact. Gang related incidents and the level of general crime in the area has declined. Senior officers describe its effects as `staggering'.Chief Supt Keller's team came up with the idea of tapping into child protection legislation after becoming con- cerned that boys associated with gangs were getting younger.Chief Supt Keller heads the weekly meeting of top officers, known as `Gold Command', at Longsight Police station which discusses progress. The determination to deal with the problem means involving parents, social services, community groups, schools -as well as the more typical police techniques.During the meeting a report suggests that the new tactic of speaking to teenagers at home with their parents is leaving youngsters confused. They feel it's `not cool' to be taken home to mummy, and it appears to be having the desired effect of keeping them off the streets.Parents, initially suspicious, are now `incredibly supportive'. This gentle approach doesn't work on its own. The number of officers around has increased, the number of `stop and searches' has gone up. There are more armed officers on patrol, and more than 300 search warrants have been executed.The knock-on effect is that the police also disrupting the drugs trade - £50,000 worth of heroin was seized last month as well as guns and ammunition.

On the wall of Chief Supt Keller's office is a copy of an M.E.N. front page which show the faces of 55 people shot dead in Greater Manchester. He says: "When I look at those faces it reminds me of the job I have to do."

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look for a suspect in a deadly shooting at a local park

Jacksonville Sheriff's Officers continue to look for a suspect in a deadly shooting at a local park. They say children were playing when it happened. Residents plan to meet today to talk about the violence.According to residents in one Northside community and police, someone shot a 15-year-old Wednesday night. Police found the teen in the parking lot at Panama Park around 7 o'clock. Paramedics took him to the hospital where he died. Authorities do not have a suspect. They still have many questions about the shooting. They do not know if it was random or if someone targeted the victim. At the time of the shooting, people were on the basketball court and kids were playing in the park. Police say when shots were fired, those on the court ran. They were able to talk with a few people.
The head of the Neighborhood Watch Program in the area said, "There are always children playing." She says she grew up in the Panama Park area. She has four kids and has seen the changes. She says it's sad kids can't even go out in the park and play.The community is invited to a Neighborhood Watch meeting tonight at 7 at the Charlie Joseph Center on Buffalo Avenue. Residents will be able to talk about the shooting and ways to make sure the neighborhood is safe.As for the deadly shooting, police have not released the victim's name. They need your help.

dispute over a woman may have led to the shooting death of a 49-year-old Birmingham man

dispute over a woman may have led to the shooting death of a 49-year-old Birmingham man Tuesday night, the victim's brother said. The shooting happened in the 3600 block of 42nd Avenue North at 9:33 p.m. North Precinct officers found Roderick Monday in the street and he was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police. Jones Davis Monday said he happened to see the man he believes killed his brother earlier that evening. On Wednesday morning, Monday said a friend told him the man had been walking around the neighborhood. "I heard they got into it about some woman and some licks were passed," Monday said. "Then the guy went and got a gun."Monday said he and his brother, a handyman who did roofing work, have lived in the Harriman Park community since 1963. The death of his brother is worsened by the fact that Monday will accompany his mother to the funeral of his 95-year-old uncle in Montgomery today. "All this stuff is senseless," Monday said. "I used to be out in the streets myself, but now I'm just trying to do what the Lord wants me to do." Monday was the city's 27th homicide victim of 2008. There had been 19 homicides this time last year.

Police believe Ramel Ramos shot and killed Carlos Vasquez

Police believe Ramel Ramos shot and killed Carlos Vasquez in February. But Ramos was never charged with the killing because a key witness, Javon Shelton, could not be located. Now sources close to the case say federal authorities may launch their own investigation. They will be able to cross state lines to try to find Shelton, who is from New Jersey.If charges are brought in the case, the killer could face capital murder charges.

early morning shooting outside The Palomino nightclub

City police are investigating an early morning shooting outside The Palomino nightclub at 2869 Owen Drive.It happened between 2 and 2:30 a.m. in the club’s parking lot, a police spokesman said.The identity of the victim was not available.No charges have been filed, the spokesman said.

Deshaun Miller, 24, was taken by ambulance to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center just before 7:00 p.m. after being shot in the right shoulder

Police were investigating the second shooting of the day, Wednesday evening, after a man was shot in the 700 block of Linn Street.Deshaun Miller, 24, was taken by ambulance to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center just before 7:00 p.m. after being shot in the right shoulder and upper right back.Miller was able to tell officers that the shooter was a black male, dressed in a white shirt and jeans. He was also described as driving a silver or gray Toyota Camry.No arrests have been made in this case.

shooting broke out at 2411 Elysian Fields Ave.

Gunshot wounds to the chest have left a 28-year-old man in critical condition this morning, a spokesman for the city's Emergency Medical Services said.According to the New Orleans Police Department, the shooting broke out at 2411 Elysian Fields Ave. before 6:27 a.m.Shortly thereafter, paramedics arrived and transported the victim to University Hospital's trauma center, where he was listed in serious condition, said EMS spokesman Jeb Tate.NOPD has released no other details.At the scene, a crime scene technician placed ankle-high, bright yellow cones usually used to mark evidence around several items in front of a gas station, which sits between the Carnival Club video poker truck stop and a Lowe's home improvement store. Several people sat on buckets and on the hoods of cars as they watched the technician place the cones by a black T-shirt, a black pair of shoes and a pair of blue jeans before snapping several pictures.A pair of men in the Lowe's parking lot, who spoke Spanish and said they were waiting to get picked up for work, said they had pulled up and parked in time to see the man lying down on the sidewalk before an ambulance took him away.

14-year-old boy is accused of shooting and wounding his grandfather

14-year-old boy is accused of shooting and wounding his grandfather in East St. Louis when the man confronted him about skipping school. The boy isn't being publicly identified because he's charged as a juvenile with attempted murder.
The teenager is being held at the St. Clair County juvenile lockup, pending his trial scheduled for May 17th. Authorities say the 51-year-old grandfather plans to assist in the prosecution. Police say the boy had been skipping school and was confronted by the grandfather Friday when he again was truant. That's when investigators say the shooting happened. The shotgun hasn't been found.

arrested two suspects in the fatal shooting of a Best Western clerk during a robbery early Monday.

Fort Worth police have arrested two suspects in the fatal shooting of a Best Western clerk during a robbery early Monday.Police responded to the hotel in the 6500 block of Interstate 35W after a guest found the body of the victim, Michael Myers, 59.Myers was shot three times, once in the neck and twice in the chest

worst mass killings in Chicago Anthony Scales Jr., Donovan Richardson, Whitney Flowers and Rrs, three men and two women were found shot to death

Authorities would not identify the victims, but relatives said four of the dead were Anthony Scales Jr., Donovan Richardson, Whitney Flowers and Reginald Walker. They were in their 20s. The fifth victim's name was not known.In one of the worst mass killings in Chicago in years, three men and two women were found shot to death Wednesday afternoon in a ransacked South Side home.Police are investigating whether the two-story home in the 7600 block of South Rhodes was being used as a house of ill repute, a source saidThe victims were found on the first floor of the home, police said. At least one was shot in the head One of the women was nude and the other was partially clothed, sources said.Police said they did not have a motive for the shootings. But relatives of Richardson suspect the home was targeted for a robbery, possibly of his jewelry and art.Richardson lived in the home with Flowers and they had a 2-year-old son, relatives said.Her mother, Cheryl Flowers, arrived at the scene about 6 p.m. "That's my daughter, that's my daughter," she said, weeping and collapsing into the arms of a relative.She said her daughter did not show up for work at a suburban club where she is a dancer.Police said they did not know when the shootings happened. But Scales' girlfriend, April Rutherford, told the Sun-Times she was at the home at a barbecue until late Tuesday with Scales and Richardson. When she returned early Wednesday, music was blaring but the doors were locked.She went to Scales' home where she slept, then returned to the Rhodes address Wednesday afternoon with a relative of Scales.
They found a back door open and music blaring and saw the bodies inside. Rutherford said she called the police.A nearby day care center was closed and the children sent home as a precaution.The slayings were the deadliest in the city since 2003, when a gunman entered a South Side auto parts warehouse and gunned down six people before dying in a shootout with police.