Gang Awareness Forums Set in Triangle

By Amber Lester Monday, January 25, 2010

Gang activity has spread from the cities to the suburbs across the United States, but several concerned organizations are hoping to keep gangs out of the Historic Triangle.

Three gang awareness programs are scheduled in the next month to teach community members the signs of gang activity and how to respond.

The Colonial Community Criminal Justice Board (CCCJB) will host Community Gang Awareness Forums from 6 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Victory Family YMCA and Feb. 23 at the Williamsburg James City County Community Center. Attendees must be 18 or older.

The events will be facilitated by Sgt. Dennis Ivey, a gang specialist with the York Poquoson Sheriff’s Office. He will present information about gang history, trends, identification of gang members, gang activity and how to respond in an encounter with a gang or gang member.

Ivey says he’ll talk about two types of gangs: well-known national gangs and smaller homegrown gangs. The latter has shown some presence in the York County area, he says. “I wouldn’t say we have a gang problem, but if we have one person who’s dabbling in gangs, we have a problem,” he says. “We’ve seen graffiti and done some interventions in the schools.”

He says parents should be on the lookout for gang symbols doodled on a child’s belongings or suddenly monochromatic wardrobes. Citizens should also report all graffiti. Ivey says gang recruitment typically starts in middle school, but in some cases, can start as early as elementary school.

The first event will be held in the multipurpose room at the Victory Family YMCA, located at 101 Long Green Boulevard in Yorktown. The second event will be in the conference room at the WJCC Community Center on Longhill Road in Williamsburg. Seating is limited to the first 40-50 individuals to arrive.

The Toano Middle School Parent-Teacher Association will also host a gang awareness forum, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the school. The Norfolk branch of the FBI will be presenting information about the threat of gang activity, spotting and preventing it and how the FBI is working to disrupt gangs in the estimated 20,000 violent gangs in the U.S. The FBI has previously given presentations on Internet predators and Internet safety at the middle school.

Toano Middle PTA President Priscilla Kilgore said the presentation should last about 45 minutes and babysitting services will be provided by members of Lafayette High School’s Key Club. She says it’s important for parents of middle school students to attend the event because gangs start to recruit members in that age group.

“[Gangs] are able to lure them in when they’re vulnerable and more impressionable,” Kilgore says.

The James City County Police Department received two gang prevention grants worth more than $50,000 each in June 2009. The $54,793 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant provides funds for the Gang Resistance Education and Training, or GREAT program. GREAT is a school-based program focused on teaching children to prevent violence and make smart decisions.

The second grant of $53,475 helps pay the salary of the department’s full-time Gang Investigator. The GI coordinates with patrol and school resource officers to investigate suspected gang activity.