Many years ago, I watched The Wire television series and was intrigued by a few scenes depicting the head of the gang enrolling in college to study business. I stored that interesting fact in my mind and later, when I was an administrator at a university I became aware that this “fictitious” television episode was based in fact.
In Dead Day, I wanted to explore the notion that gang members were doing business on the outskirts of the university (selling drugs), but also that they paid the tuition for one or two of their members to go to college. Imagine this:
In my book, the MS XIII gang enlists one of the members to enroll in college. Why???
- It gives him easy access to potential clients (for drugs) since many college students continue drug habits or experiment with drugs when they enter college.
- It also gives him the ability to identify victims (college students with a lot of money or expensive computers, or jewelry).
What Is Your Opinion? 
Are administrators on college campuses prepared to handle gang activity on their campuses? Send a post or comment and tell me what you think, or what you have observed.
If you want to learn more check out:
Strategies for handling gangs on college campuses https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/university/part-1-of-3-handling-gangs-on-college-campuses/
Or, download this article from academia.edu, What are gang member undergrads doing in our colleges and universities?
If you would like to read a fictionalized version that includes gang activity on a campus,
check out my new book, Dead Day.
Karla's Mysteries 