QR Code Murders: Defund the Gangs

Finally, Kim was at her desk. She kept a squared away office. There were no coffee rings on any surfaces. She displayed portraits of her time in the Marine Corps. Little spaces for her pens and pencils looked like she was anal retentive but she just had a knack for keeping her space in order.

Yawquisha sat where families once told Kim about their lost son or daughter due to gang violence. She asked if she could shoot in the office. Kim permitted it.

“You sure have a good amount of chotchkies around the office. It looks good though,” Yawquisha complemented.

Kim did not answer right away. She was using her tablet and desktop to swipe through pictures of criminals.

“Are those recent photos?” Yawquisha asked.

“What?” Kim looked at the screen then at Yawquisha.

“The photos….”

“Yes. Yes. they’ve been taken in the last six months. They cycle every two years actually.”

One of the photos showed a gang member with the tattoo “DEFUND THE POLICE.”

His gnarled beard and sagging forehead painted a picture of a person who made life hard on himself.

“What do you think about defunding the police? I know you don’t, of course, literally want that to happen but what specifically do you think about the whole issue?”

“It’s a non-factor. It completely undermines the fabric of society. Obviously I want to keep my job and get paid. I want to earn my deposits, though. I actually reap satisfaction when a bad guy or gal is caught and brought to justice.”

“I think I’ve been around you long enough to consider that to be a direct answer. Now, what do you think of defunding gangs?”

“That’s what needs to happen. We ought to have all criminal gangs disbanded, broken up, and bankrupt. We have too many laws on the books that make it easy for the blackmarket to flourish including drug laws.”

“You’re against them?”

Kim raised her eyebrows and made the motion of locking her lips and throwing away the key.

“Understood. Do you have paperwork to do?”

“I actually don’t. I just have to keep scrolling through these mugshots to find someone who matches the description. Spoiler alert: it’s not the fine gentleman with that face tattoo.”

“Okay.” Yawquisha continued to capture more of Kim’s office. She shot plenty of B-roll as well as features for a mini-doc to go with her footage she got as a ride-along.

When she had come to the picture of camouflage uniforms and a tan tent and smiling faces, she stopped short.

“Is this while you were still a sergeant in the Corps?”

“Yes.”

“Are you in touch with some of those guys?”

“I am. Most are from all over the country so I don’t get to see them face to face. But thanks to technology, we’re able to communicate sometimes,” Kim explained.

“Of course.”

A pen was out of place and Kim corrected it.

“Your car is clean, but this place seems to sparkle….”

“I try to keep my base a bit more squared away. It’s just something I’ve always done.”

“Even before the Marines?”

“Before the Marines.”

“That’s cool. I mean I like to keep my space together so I don’t lose track of files and other items. I kind of bundle everything together.”

“Yep.” Kim looked at Yawquisha. She grinned. “If you promise to turn off that camera, I’ll tell you more about it if you’re interested.”

Yawquisha followed her instruction and placed her camera on Kim’s desk edge. Kim quickly moved it to the center.

“It’s not OCD,” she said.

“I know.”

“Alright. Camera’s off. What do you want to know?”

“What’s the laws you want overturned or reversed?”

“Drugs and prostitution. They are related to the individual. He or she should know what engaging with such activities will do to their minds and bodies. Both of these concepts should be legal. If we implemented only adults as the people involved and never place taxes on the activities, that would change the face of America.”