Gang Awareness...

 

Once found principally in large cities, violent street gangs now affect public safety, community image, and quality of life in communities of all sizes in urban, suburban and rural areas. No region of the United States is untouched by gangs. Gangs affect society at all levels, causing heightened fears for safety, violence and economic costs. The St. Francis Police Department responds to this presence by maintaining a “Zero Tolerance” attitude towards gangs and their activity in the City by strict enforcement of laws and enlisting the help of parents, teachers, residents, businesses, social service agencies, and others to fight the problem. Remember it is much easier and safer to prevent gangs from taking control of a community than to retake control once the gangs have established their territory.

The pervasiveness of gangs throughout society is undeniable. They incite fear and violence within our communities. Gangs threaten our schools, our children and our homes. Gangs today are more sophisticated and flagrant in their use of violence and intimidation tactics. As they migrate across our country, they bring with them drugs, weapons and criminal activity. Acceptance of the problem and joint community and law enforcement responses are our best defense.

 

What is a gang?

A gang is a group of people who form an allegiance for a common purpose and engage in aggressive, unlawful, criminal, or anti-social activity. Gangs in Milwaukee County include “hate groups,” for example “skinheads” or white supremacists, and “street gangs,” such as Latin Kings, Vice Lords, Spanish Cobras, Maniac Latin Disciples, Gangster Disciples, and others.

 

Who joins a gang?

New gang members often are teenagers and can be from any racial, ethnic, or economic group. Gang leaders may be adults.

 

Why do teens join gangs?

Most often, teens join gangs for the same reason they may join any other group. They want to belong and fit in with their peers. They want to feel safe and have a sense of control and/or power over their own lives. These are all characteristics of normal adolescent development essential to maturing and developing into a healthy adult. Unfortunately, sometimes kids use abnormal means to meet these normal developmental needs. Recognition, peer pressure, attention, monetary gain, and safety are all reasons teens may participate in a gang.

 

How are gangs identified?

Most gang members are proud of their group and their membership in it. They often will use and display signs of their group openly through such things as:

Dress- Group members may wear similar colored clothing or apparel that contains the colors of their group.

Signs/Graffiti- Group members will display written signs or symbols to represent their group, denote their territory or presence in an area, or declare their allegiance to their gang. These may be displayed on the student's bodies, their clothing, or their notebooks/papers.

Names- Individual members may adopt nicknames and the group may adopt a nickname or “street” name for their particular group.

Signals- Gang members may adopt types of hand signals, body language, intimidation, or other forms of communicating that they are a member of a particular gang.

 

How Do Gangs Recruit?

Gangs are often committed to a specific philosophy. Teens are “recruited” by and to the beliefs of the particular group. A gradual process takes place to move the youth away from his or her family and community values. This emptiness is then replaced by the group's values, thus creating a new loyalty and sense of new family. Anyone who is not part of the group is seen as the enemy.

 

What can you do about gangs?

Everyone can help in the fight against gangs in our city and neighborhoods. Some general things that everyone can do are:

• Be alert to the signs of gang activity in your children and community and become involved.

• Support and encourage constructive activities for all youth to participate in, to prevent their involvement in gang activity.

• Support the efforts of schools and law enforcement in confronting gang activity in schools and in your neighborhood.

• Work with law enforcement to develop neighborhood watch programs or other ways to share information about suspected activities. Report illegal activities.

• Be responsible in supervising your own children and knowing where they are and who they are with.

• Organize with other parents, teachers, and community leaders for support and strength.

• If you live in an apartment complex, be aware of what is going on in your building and report all suspicious activity.

 

What can parents do?

Everyone can help in the fight against gangs in our cities and schools. You can begin at home by simply talking to your child. Your child does not have to belong to a gang to feel the effects of a gang. If your child doesn't feel safe at school for whatever reason, schools and we at the St. Francis Police Department need and want to know.

If you suspect that your child may be gang involved, you need to confront him or her with your suspicions and concerns. That's not being nosy; it's being a responsible parent. Don't let your child convince you that it's his or her business and not any of yours!

There are many levels of gang involvement- from fringe “wanna be” to hard core membership. Intervening with a child that is a “wanna be” is just as important as confronting any other level of gang membership. Gang involvement at ANY level is potentially dangerous.

If your child does in fact belong to a gang, it is important that you remember that he/she already has enough real or imagined enemies. The last thing they need is to see you as just one more. What they will need from you is a strong reassurance that even though they chose to replace you with their gang family- you have NO intention of replacing them with anyone or anything else!