Craze for wheel rims causing killings in Texas

Craze for wheel rims causing killings in TexasRim owners have claimed that Shiny wheel rims called swangers, elbows and pokes are such status symbols in many U. S. cities some people will kill to acquire them.

The Houston Chronicle reported on Monday that the chrome accouterments, which stick out 6 inches or more from the tires and run to $2,000 a set, are coveted by many young men, often by some without money but with guns to take them away from their proud owners by force.

The newspaper said that it's not a new phenomenon, it's been going on for a couple of decades, but it's a hot one in Texas. They've contributed to "an adverse culture of killing," Quanell X, a community activist, said.

He won't ever let his children put swangers on their vehicles but understands the allure, says Anthony Scott, a record company owner and rap music producer.

However, he acknowledged, "You hate all the violence that is done because of them, but inside you still want 'em, you know?"

While stealing the prestigious rims is a way to make some quick cash for some, for others it's a way to measure up, Luis Salinas, a University off Houston sociologist and criminologist, said.

Salinas further said, "You have individuals who don't have other options to get respect and get achievement in our society. Instead, they focus on one little item, and they do what they have to do to get it. They may not have a good home or anything else, but they can have a set of killer rims."

Rim sales are a $3 billion-a-year market in the United States, Specialty Equipment Marketing Association says.

The Chronicle further reported that statistics for those killed because of them are not readily available but in Texas they include DeAndre Elliott, a 17-year-old star football player, and 3-year-old Charissa Powell. (With Inputs from Agencies)