11/20/08

Community meeting explores the gangster mentality

By Beckye Randall

The gymnasium at Grove Elementary School was filled with concerned residents, educators, city leaders and parents for a recent forum on gangs led by nationally-recognized specialist Chris Grant.

In his introduction to the topic, Marysville City Councilmember Jeff Vaughan noted, "Our city is a great place to live, but there are some elements that are of concern."

Grant, a former police officer and gang task force commander in Rapid City, South Dakota, agreed, adding, "My community is very similar to your community. I'm not here to raise red flags or scare you. We currently have about 500 gang members in Rapid City, but ten years ago, there were about 1,500."

Grant warned that, while he could help the audience understand the gangster mentality, he didn't have all the answers. "Nobody knows the absolute solution. There's not a one-size-fits-all answer."

He assured the crowd that Marysville does not have a significant gang presence, and that most gang-related activity consisted of low-level offenses like tagging and intimidation. "But there's a potential for that to grow," he said.

The gangster mentality, according to Grant, is actually a belief system. The values of this belief system, which include disrespect for authority, extreme loyalty to other gang members, and a willingness to commit criminal acts, are in direct conflict with the values of most residents.

Young people are drawn to gangs for a variety of reasons, noted Grant. They may be seeking protection, a sense of belonging or a way to be noticed. If the child's home and school environments don't provide these basic needs, he or she may be attracted to the tight-knit "family" of a gang.

Grant warned against minimalizing gang activity in Marysville. "Don't call them wannabe gangsters," he said. "If they associate with gang members, if they dress and talk like gang members, then they're gang members. Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away."

He also said that denial of gang activity may lead to an escalation of violence by members seeking to prove that they are "straight-up gangsters."

The former chief of detectives added that gangs are a community problem, not just a law enforcement problem. Fortunately for Marysville, the police department is ahead of the curve.

Lt. Jeff Goldman of the Marysville police department heads up a new team, called PROACT, that is focusing on the community and neighborhood issues that can lead to gang involvement. The newly-formed task force will be patrolling neighborhoods around schools and other "hot spots" of suspected gang activity, allowing swift response to vandalism or violence.

An anti-graffiti task force has been in effect for several years and has seen some success in battling the work of "taggers." Vaughan, a member of the task force, has pushed the city to adopt tougher penalties for vandals, along with a more stringent schedule for cleanup of the unsightly markings.

The city recently unveiled an online graffiti reporting tool, available at www.ci.marysville.wa.us. As citizens report instances of vandalism and upload photos of graffiti, the police department can use the information to map the events. When an offender is caught, all the photo evidence linked to that person can be included in charges.

So far, about 50 individuals have been arrested for graffiti in Marysville.

Police chief Rick Smith also urged citizens to use 9-1-1 to report criminal activity. "If you see something suspicious going on, call and report it," he said. Police officers will respond quickly to investigate and make an arrest if it's warranted.

Smith also focused on the impact parents and family members can have on potential gang members. "Get involved," he said. "Talk to your children, your grandchildren. Take an interest in their lives and you can veer them away from the clutches of gangs."

Councilmember Carmen Rasmussen, a strong advocate for the Marysville Kids Matter project which provides training and outreach in the field of Developmental Assets, agreed with Smith. "Developing positive assets in kids is a big part of the answer to gangs," she said. "Helping them become strong, confident and disciplined is every adult's job."

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