Loree Adams, MSW and Sgt. Keith Garner of the Henderson Police Department presented a public seminar on gang awareness at Eaton-Johnson Middle School on Thursday night.
Adams began the seminar with a definition of gangs. She compared them to a college fraternity with the distinguishing characteristics of involvement in illegal activities, intimidation, and violence. She also gave a short history of gangs from their origins in nineteenth century New York through the late 1990’s and today.
According to Adams, in 1980, 286 jurisdictions reported approximately 2,000 gangs with 100,000 members. By 2000, that number had increased to 4,800 jurisdictions reporting 31,000 gangs with a total of 846,000 members. In North Carolina, in 1999 there were 332 gangs with 5,068 members. By 2004, there were 387 gangs with 8,517 members.
Levels of involvement in gangs range from “hardcore leaders” to “could-be’s”. Leaders can be much older than the common perception of a gang member as an adolescent or young adult if the gang is intergenerational. “Could be’s” have an average age of less than ten and are usually in gang-infested areas or have family members involved in gangs.
Adams discussed motivations for joining gangs. These tended to center on having emotional, physical, and financial needs met. Youth who are at risk tend to have low self-esteem, difficulties in school, substance abuse issues, and poor relationships with families, among other problems. Signs of gang involvement include clothes that match in color with the clothes of friends, iconic jewely, graffiti involving recurring symbols, hand or body signs made to peers, or personality changes.
Garner then took the audience of over 150 residents through a Power Point presentation that featured photographs of local gang graffiti and symbols, many of which have been produced by local middle and high school students. He then listed types of gangs that occur in Henderson, such as “hybrid gangs” that adopt the name and symbols of traditional gangs such as the “Bloods” and “Crips” but are not yet affiliated with them. These gangs, according to Garner, gradually transition into membership with the non-local organization. Gangs present in Henderson include the “Flint Hill Dip Set”, “252 Beacon Light Crew”, and “E-40”.
Garner listed criminal activities carried out by street gangs. These include assault, burglary, home invasions, robbery, narcotics distribution and sale, and prostitution.
He then took the audience through an explanation of gang graffiti symbols. From there, he explaned to the audience the histories of the notorious “Crip” and “Blood” gangs.
The crowd was also informed about some local Hispanic gangs. These include the “Sureno 13”, a gang that originated in California. Another gang, the “Brown Riders”, are known only in Henderson and are associated with a national gang known as the “Vatos Locos”.
After Garner concluded his portion of the presentation, Adams discussed what could be done to address the growing gang problem. Starting a Boys and Girls Club in Henderson was suggested by Adams as one possible means of countering gangs.
Questions were then taken from an interested audience. Many expressed the sentiment that they wanted to act on the information that had been presented.