European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes ago 9over Here Frankfurt teen problem May be under control by Ron Jensen and Randy Pruitt staff writers Frankfurt Germany Winters Crisp cold bite is receiving credit for cleansing plate Strasse Community housing of a problem that had residents fearful during the warm months of summer and autumn. Since the nighttime turned Chilly the criminal activity and hooliganism that had kept residents indoors and created whispers about gangs have also cooled. Is no simple coincidence say some who live Here. A tips the cold. Nothing has changed,1 said sgt. 1st class Denise Dawson who tried in october to find a solution to the problem on her own. It. Col. Chip Grammer the Provost marshal for Frankfurt said the weather a role is Only part of the reason for the dropping crime rate. A but another part is that the Community has really worked hard with teens a Grammer said. He said schools and Law enforcement groups have worked together to target problem teens. They then speak with the parents of the youngsters. A that has really really helped a he said. A a we re getting sponsors very involved with what their kids Are doing. They Are ultimately  residents were concerned last summer and fall when several acts of violence occurred in and around the housing area making residents wonder whether they were Safe. That violence culminated oct. 5, when an armed gang of third country National youths chased american teen agers into the youth activities Center. The intruders extinguished the lights and attacked the americans with Mace and Sticks. One teen received a knife Cut in the Melee. Two other persons had a gun pointed in their faces. A the oct. 5 incident also fuelled another question. Is there an american youth gang known As the platen posse Frank Furt military Community officials say no but a German police official thinks otherwise Lothar Hermann police chief of the City s robbery and youth gang division said there definitely was an Active american youth gang. A a there san american youth gang with changing membership called a the platen posse which is responsible for More than 20 crimes in the area since the beginning of the year a Hermann said last month. Hermann said there was also a rival gang made up of turks yugoslavian and German youths who Call themselves a the grim him  the youths Between 15 and 20 years old have a running War with the american gang about territory Hermann said. Gin Nheim is the area of Frankfurt where the . Military platen housing area is located. The gang question May be one of semantics. Military officials speak about colors and other traits usually associated with . Gangs. A i done to think we have acquiesced or conceived we have a gang problem Here at Frankfurt a said col. Kenneth Hibl Deputy Community commander. A we done to have anything to indicate we have one gang fighting against another gang. We have had groups of individuals. They have titled themselves but we Deal with each individual Case As an individual Case not As a  one american teen Ager who is known to have both turkish and american friends also denied there was an american gang. However a feud Between americans and youths from other countries has existed he acknowledged. No one seems to be Able to pinpoint the reason for the antagonism. A a it a no ones fault. Its just that americans done to like them and they done to like americans a the youth said. Military officials said the youth Center disturbance was in part a retaliation for an aug. 26 attack on three turkish teens. Grammer said the incident apparently stemmed from jealousy on the part of american boys unhappy that some of the girls in platen Are dating turks. As Best As maps could Tell after the fact one of three turks was talking to his Girlfriend when four americans Rode up on bicycles and said they wanted to talk. One of the americans swung a baseball Bat and hit one of the turkish youths Dislo. Eating his shoulder. The other two turks ran but were chased by the americans. Other americans joined the Chase and about 10 of them beat up the two turks. No one was seriously injured but the boy hit with the Bat was hospitalized. The other two were treated and released. The turks identified the attackers and five of them Are no longer in Germany. Three were sent Back to the states by the command and two left when their sponsor was transferred to the states nothing  the oct 5 incident. Grammer said that two of the sus peels in the Melee were two of the victims of the aug. 26 fight a. A a a a a a a. 1 a. It a. A amps 0v Dwion the plate Strasse youth activities Center was the site often violence last october. The disruption at the youth Center was the second of the Day Grammer said. Earlier that morning three youths believed to be turks boarded a Public bus and sprayed Mace. Four americans a two boys and two girls a were on the bus. One boy was kicked and struck several times with what looked like a Broom handle. All fled and ran to a Middle school although they were he. Route to Baptist Christian Academy. They were taken to 97th general Hospital and treated for inhaling Gas and released. It was later Learned that the beaten boy was a victim of mistaken identity. A a a similar incident in Early november also Points to the aug. 26 attack As the source of much of the violence Grammer said. He said two americans were approached by a Turk who showed a pistol. When a Young Man with the Turk said that the american Wasny to involved in the aug 26 attack the Turk with the gun apologized. Such incidents have had an effect on the lifestyles of the housing area residents. A a a Linda Purdue heard gunshots one night and immediately changed her daily routine. The youth director for the Bethel Baptist Church Purdue said she and her daughter Sherry done to go out at night except to walk their dog. A i done to know Why parents done to have control of their teen agers a she said Frankfurt military leaders argued that the residents fears were unjustified. A i done to think the things we be experienced Here in Frankfurt have been any different or greater in scope or More severe than what in be experienced in some of the other communities a Hibl said. Grammer said Many of the youths involved in the crime surge that ran from april to August have been identified. Two have spent time in German jail. Grammer said the housing area has been relatively quiet for the past six to eight weeks. Crimes still occur out a nothing like what it had  that s because of the cold say some residents including Dawson. A whose going to go out and fight in the cold that was something to do in the summer a she said. Dawson attempted in october to organize a meeting in the housing area to address the  son was involved in a robbery and stabbing months earlier and was eventually sent to the states. Frankfurt officials prohibited her from holding the meeting. However she does say that some programs seemed to be moving the Community in the right direction. She cited night moods teen club that opened on Drake Cavern in mid october. As a Volunteer there she has seen Many Young people who were once on the Street causing trouble. A a  but she added Many of tiie teens identified As troublemakers remain in the Community. Their Good behaviour she said is m Ost to w e a i h e of re Latch. Grammer lauds a crackdown by Ger Man police on gangs of third world nationals stepped up efforts by american Geneie s to to e n t Ify 1 teens Likely to cause problems and new programs for teens Jike the night moods club. A before it started getting dark Early we saw a significant drop off a he said. A a in a like to Hope its not just the  the quiet that platen residents enjoy now May be a wintertime Lull or it May be that the problem has passed thanks to efforts by the Community. The answer May come with the first blooms of  in Bonn Germany apr Eastern germans suffer far More nervousness fatigue digestive problems headaches and other ailments than their Western counterparts a Survey indicated monday. The study by the respected Arensbach polling Institute showed that germans in the Eastern sector complain More often of physical and emotional maladies than those in what was once West Germany. A for decades the health system of former East Germany was counted As one of its More positive accomplishments a the Institute said in a statement. A meanwhile a closer Concrete look at the health facilities there shows a myth was cultivated on the other Side of the former impenetrable  the Survey was made before the two Germany United oct. 3. A total of 2,048 Western germans aged 16 and older were queried about their health in april j989, their responses were compared against a june 1990 poll of 1,113 Eastern germans. According to the poll 25 percent of those in the West said they regularly suffered from headaches compared with 33 percent in the East Only 24 percent of the Western germans said they suffered from sleeplessness compared with 39 per than in West cent in the East the Institute said. Other health complaints showed similar results a fatigue Western germans 23 percent Eastern germans 38 percent. A nervousness West 21 percent East 38 percent. A digestion problems West 12 percent East 20 percent. A a a a a a a a a a dizziness West 12 percent East 24 percent. A loss of appetite West 5 percent East j3 percent a circulation problems West 27 percent East 35 percent. A a a. A a heart problems West 15 percent East 22 percent