TERROR IN THE STREETS

HOODS SEEKING KICKS MEAN DANGER TO ALL

By WILLIAM HAZLETT

Reprinted from ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS (Denver)

"Cripes man, a guy's gotta do something for kicks."

Kicks to some guys means slugging old ladies, rolling drunks, the beatingrobbery of service station attendants and liquor store clerks, or baiting and assaulting homosexuals.

To other street criminals it means rape of children, sadistic assaults on apartment dwellers, and malicious attacks on both persons and property.

These are the hoodlums, punks and terrorists Denver police are waging war on in their attempt to stem a rising tide of terror in the streets. THIN, GANGLY

James B., a thin, gangly youth, is hardly old enough to shave. He celebrated his 17th birthday in a Denver City Jail cell.

James and 10 of his buddies were nabbed last week for baiting and shugging a man they tagged as a "creep" or homosexual.

James wouldn't be in jail except that his buddies informed on him after they were pinched.

"Man, I guess they just got scared because it was their first time," he rationalizes.

It wasn't the first time for James.

He has a record of arrests for shoplifting and traffic offenses.

He served a short stretch in the state's Lookout Mountain Home for Boys at Golden following one arrest.

LATEST ARREST

The day of his latest arrest started like almost any other day in James' life.

Dressed in the tight black tee-shirt and the shapeless denims which seem to be a uniform of sorts for these teenagers, James headed for downtown Denver from his suburban home.

"I thought I'd look for a job and just kinda wander around.

"I went to a movie, met a friend of mine, and we decided to go over to the Capitol where the creeps hang out," he said.

Why?

"Well, you know man, we were going to roll a couple of those homosexuals. Man, I can't stand those creeps."

8.

f

mattachine REVIEW

When they reached the Capitol, James and his friend were joined by a dozen other boys, ranging from 15 to 18, who had been "dragging around" in a couple of cars looking for exitement.

The group decided to roll homosexuals.

"I wouldn't roll drunks or mess around with purse snatching, but I sure would roll homos, I just can't stand them," James said.

Using one of the group as "bait," the gang set a trap for their intended victim.

!

When the victim accompanied the one youth to a seemingly deserted area the others attacked him and lifted his billfold.

A fight started and the victim was brutally beaten by several members of the gang. The victim managed to retrieve his wallet and record the license number of one car.

Police rounded up 11 of the gang.

What set of ingredients went to produce this teenage terrorist?

MIDDLE CLASS

James comes from a middle class home in a nice neighborhood.

His father died when he was younger, but his mother has managed to raise her five sons on income from investments.

James quit school in the eighth grade, but says, "I think I'll go back to school next year, if I get out of this mess." James says he wants to be an oil broker. This was the first time, he said, he had ever taken part in the gang's act ities.

23

*

James B. "

•

just for kicks."

Jim R. ".

generally fouled up."

9