2 biggest youth gangs agree on truce
by Francis Ward
[untitled, undated news report]
Spokesmen for the city’s
two largest youth gang organizations Wednesday announced a reaffirmation
of a truce and safe-passage agreement.
The announcement was made in the head-quarters of the Black P Stone Nation,
1468 E. 67th, by Leonard Sengali, a spokesman for the Stones, and Norman
Joe Swift, a spokesman fro the Black Disciples.
At least 20 shootings, some fatal, have involved members of the gangs
in the last several months, police said.
Terms of agreement
Sengali and Swift said leaders of the two gangs had met several times
in the last three weeks to draw up truce terms. These provide that “members
of each organization can now freely walk into the other’s territory
without fear of harm” and can wear their identifying clothing --
red berets for the Stones and black berets for the Disciples.
“We want the public to know that the Stones are not at war with
the Disciples or any other rival group,” the two groups said in
a written statement. “The stones and the Disciples have decided
there will be no more teen violence in the ghetto or crime in the street.”
The spokesmen criticized Mayor Daley for his recently declared “war
on street gangs,” asserting that city authorities could do little
to reduce youth gang violence unless the gang members themselves wanted
to end it.
“Whites cannot really bring blacks together,” the statement
said. “Blacks have to pull themselves together.”
Other truces broken
The Black P Stone Nation, a conglomerate of South Side gangs including
the Blackstone Rangers and the Disciples, formerly the Devil’s Disciples,
reach truce agreements in 1966 and 1968.
These truces, while never rescinded by the gangs, broke down in time as
individuals attacked rival gang members.
Asked how they would enforce the new agreement, gang leaders said each
gang has instructed its members not to molest members of the opposing
gang, and that the leadership will form “a court of order”
to deal with violators.
“There may be some renegades,” Swift said, “but we intend
to deal with them.”
4-man truce teams
Four-man negotiating teams from each gang organization drew up the truce.
They were identified as Jeff Fort, president, and Mickey Cogwell, Charles
Edward Bey and Sengali for the Stones, and Robert Allen, president, and
Dwight Rankin, Paul Saddler and Swift for the Disciples.
Swift said he also is a member of the Black Panther Party of Illinois
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