cde@cornell.UUCP (05/19/84)
I suppose I could get laughed at for questioning the "realism" of a television police show, but does anybody but me think that HSB is WAY off base in its portrayal of how the precinct handles relations with youth gangs? I was particularly struck by that thought while watching the last episode of the season, and after a few moments reflection I am surprised the absurdity of it hasn't hit me before. Does anybody know if any city police even interact regularly and formally with gangs, let alone having "summits" and "amnestys" and hashing out "treaties" with war lords? Seems to me that no self-respecting law enforcement agency would give that kind of legitimization to groups of punks. Is there really any U.S. cities so embattled by gangs and/or so ineffective that they have to resort to such measures? I'd be interested to know. Carl Eichenlaub Cornell University