This letter to the editor is in reference to the article, "Police warning property owners of gangs," on July 6.

As a property owner and landlord, I am in agreement with most of what the city of Greenville and the police department are trying to do. However, I do find a couple of flaws in the policy.

The number one flaw is that the article indicates that the gang label comes from, "... personal observations of officers, incident reports and arrest reports."

Well, if the police have all of this evidence, then what are these gang members doing out on the street? It appears to me that they are asking the landlords to win an eviction using evidence in the same court system in which they can't win a conviction.

The second problem I have is that the article indicated that the city might also be inclined to seize the property if there is a documented history of problems with the property.

Again I go back to the evidence: If there is not enough evidence to take the gang member off the street and put them in prison then how does the city have enough evidence to seize your property?

Try reading a Sunday paper with all of our convictions in Pitt County and the city of Greenville. How many people with gang type crimes do you see with a "six-month suspended sentence and three years probation?" If we penalize landlords, will this solve our gang problem?

Let's try convicting these gang members of crimes and throw them behind bars for once and leave the property owners alone. Because if the court system won't put gang members in prison, they are going to live somewhere.

RANDY COX

Greenville