Ex-gangsters in Mayflower Hoping to Turn Over a New Leaf
South Side Commander Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal was in the Mayflower/Ghost Town area today on a walking tour, meeting with residents and gang networks in that area. One of those prominent members he spoke with at length was Kendis Flowers. Vidal declined an interview about his visit, but Flowers says that he remains committed to keeping the peace. Flowers says the young men need jobs and that will help them to steer clear of criminal activities.
Kendis Flowers, Ghost Town Gang
“All we want is to uplift the area and uplift the youths deh inna the community because the youths deh need a job and nothing di happen fi the lee ghetto youths deh. And deh youths wah eat too, so besides that, if deh put in jobs fi the lee youths deh then yuh know deh wah have changes. If deh cooperate with that that dah weh wah happen – all weh we wah dah just jobs. We nuh come yah fi get abuse or give the man a hard time. We just deh yah fi mek life easier fi all ah wi.”
Kendis Flowers
Andrea Polanco
“Have you given your commitment to him to continue working with him?”
Kendis Flowers
“Well, like weh I tell the man, we nuh wah nobody feel like we just the put this as a front – this dah no front – deh youths willing to work and right now deh youths nuh the pick up no gun and suh. Deh di comply with whatever deh have in place fi deh do.”
Andrea Polanco
“What is he saying to you about the police side of things?”
Kendis Flowers
“Well, like Mister Vidal say, as long as we keep the peace – the job like we have in mind – his job dah fi mek we keep fi we word and like weh say we wah give the man fi we word. We nuh have no problem if the police come and do deh job, we just nuh want no brutality from none ah the officers deh or things like that, yuh know? Conduct search – we nuh have no problem with that. Yuh nuh have to rough we up like no ‘guana or ma’kala because all ah we dah human. Deal with we like human, stop do yuh search and that nuh wah be wah problem If yuh find something illegal and ih wah tek we in then yuh know – if you got a charge that dah weh laid out on the table we understand that.”
Andrea Polanco
“What about from gang to gang; are you still committed in maintaining that peace?”
Kendis Flowers
“Well, as far as I know we the hold fi we peace. I know certain gang areas di hold deh peace check, but this dah weh we di uplift fi we self with. We di keep fi we peace.”
