By Brennan David
Columbia Daily Tribune
COLUMBIA, Mo. — There is a “code of the street” that some local hoodlums are not following, and Columbia resident Damien Doxley wants the snitching to end.
Doxley, 34, recently launched a Facebook profile titled “Nomore Snitching.” He said too many people who have made the decision to live by the code of the streets are snitching on their friends, family and business associates.
Every person who he learns has snitched to police will get their photo posted on the Facebook profile along with a description of what they said.
“Some people retaliate” violently against snitches, he said. “If you violate the code, your picture will be on the wall. My page is not to bring violence. It’s to expose, humiliate and ridicule. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Apparently, Doxley is not alone in his theory. Several Facebook users vilified the profile when it was first launched earlier this year, but several others have since supported the message. The profile lists 976 friends and several photos of court documents that detail people who have been informants for police.
Doxley has pleaded guilty to charges of tampering, assault, stealing and a felony distribution of a controlled substance charge for which he was sentenced to six years in prison. He said those criminal days are behind him, but he still lives the street code because it’s all he knows.
The idea of calling for retaliation against snitches is one that Columbia police officers abhor.
Yesterday, during a presentation to the student group MAC Scholars, Columbia police Detective Jon Logan and Officer Keisha Edwards tried to dissuade the young people from buying into the gang culture.
“This is sick,” Logan said of the no-snitching mentality. “We need to stop talking about this no-snitching stuff.”
Edwards and Logan outlined the history of Columbia gangs in their “Gangin Aint Bangin” presentation. They noted that most Columbia gang members are no older than their mid-20s and said that’s because most membersup dead or in prison.
Many local police investigations go unsolved because residents don’t cooperate with police, Logan said. It’s not until it becomes personal for them that they want to share information with police, which he said is a shame.
“It’s all personal,” he said. “You should talk no matter what. It doesn’t matter if it’s a loved one.”
Hickman High School Assistant Principal Eric Johnson also addressed the students and said he can’t believe the no-snitch code in light of the recent violence.
“Somebody shot up Chuck E. Cheese,” he said of a recent drive-by shooting. “What is going on?”
Doxley said people who choose to deal drugs, use drugs, steal property or are affiliated with gangs must abide by principles. “Street life is the No. 1 rule. Honor amongst thieves. No one is supposed to snitch. ... If you out selling drugs, committing crimes, then you chose to live in that street life.”
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