Gangs in Wake County Public Schools

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Gangs in Wake County Public Schools

Background

What is a Gang

There is no one common definition as to what a gang is. Many different people have devised their own definitions of them based of of the situations that they see them in. According to policy makers, teachers, and researchers the following are some of the ways to define a gang

• "criminal street gang" means an ongoing group, club,

organization, or association of 5 or more persons - (A) that has as 1 of its primary purposes the commission of 1 or more of the criminal offenses described in subsection (c); (B) the members of which engage, or have engaged within the past 5 years, in a continuing series of offenses described in subsection (c); and (C) the activities of which affect interstate or foreign commerce.^[1]

• "Youth gang" These groups are typically composed

only of juveniles, but may include young adults in their membership. Prison gangs, ideological gangs, hate groups, and motorcycle gangs are not included. Likewise, gangs whose membership is restricted to adults and that do not have the characteristics of youth gangs are excluded^[2]

• Gang- A group or association of three or more persons

who may have a common identifying sign, symbol, or name and who individually or collectively engage in, or have engaged in, criminal activity which creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Criminal activity includes juvenile acts that if committed by an adult would be a crime.^[3]

Signs Someone is in a Gang

There are physical aspects to show that a person belongs to a gang and particularly what gang they belong to. In 2009 the North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission compiled their annual report on gangs in North Carolina that contained a list of criteria to determine if they are a member of a gang. A person must identify with at least two of the criteria for them to be considered in a gang with the exception of the first criteria which is self admitted and it that case they do not need to meet any other criteria. The criteria are as follows:

• Self Admitted: Subject has admitted to being a gang member.

• Gang Tattoos/Marking: Subject is known to have gang tattoos or marking.

• Frequents Gang Areas: Subject has been seen frequenting gang areas.

• Affiliates with Gang: Subject has been seen by officer affiliating with documented

gang members.

• Gang Hand Signs/Symbols: Subject has been seen by officer displaying gang

symbols or hand signs or writes graffiti.

• Gang Terminology or Language: Subject uses gang language or terminology.

• Gang Dress: Subject has been seen wearing gang dress.

• Reliable Source: Subject has been identified as a gang member by a reliable

informant/source.

• Untested Source: Subject has been identified as a gang member by an untested

source.

• Gang Incident: Subject has been involved in a criminal gang incident.

• Classification Admit: In custody classification interview that occurs before entry

into the jail or prison system where the subject admits gang membership in hopes of placement near other members of his gang.^[4]

Demographics of Gangs

• Age: Overall, gangs consist of adults(over 18)and youth with a 35% to 65% ratio respectively. However, when broken done into area types, small towns and rural communities have more juvenile members than adult members, whereas more urban settings report more adult members than those younger than 18.

• Gender: Not surprisingly, 90% of reported gang members are male, with the most women members reported in small cities at around 18%.

• Race: The highest percentage of gang members, by race, is that of Hispanic or Latino at about 49%, with African-American following

closest with 35%. Whites only make up about 9% of all reported gang members, and 7% are considered other. ^[5]

Gangs in Wake County

Known Gangs

According to a state wide study completed in April 2000 there are few known gangs in Wake County. This study showed that there is one active gang in the county.^[6]

In 2007 it was reported that there was approximately 2000 confirmed gang members in Wake County. These members help make up 12 primary street gangs. The majority of the 12 primary are "youth gangs"^[7] However, as seen by the map below, it was reported that Wake County had 30-39 active gangs in 2008. ^[8] These numbers demonstrate the growing presence that gangs play in Wake County. The number of gangs and gang members in Wake County is rapidly growing, which is why this issue needs to be addressed.

Gangs in the School Setting

Incidents in the Schools

Since 2006 in most schools in Wake County there has been a increase in the number of gang related incidents in the schools. In the 2006-2007 school year the county experienced approximately 520 and in a one year period that jumped to 692 for the 2207-2008 school year. That is a 33% increase in the amount of gang related incidents at the schools.^[9]

By analyzing the list you can see that there is a drastic increase in the number of incidents in the middle schools while some of the high school tend to lower the number of incidents.

Examples of These Incidents

• March 10, 2010 at Knightdale High School a student was charged with assault on a police officer after refusing to take off his gang-related paraphernalia.^[10]

• December 4, 2009 Two men were arrested at Enloe High School after setting fire to bandannas in front of rival gang members. There were charged with creating a public disturbance.^[11]

Incidents in the Communities

While the gangs are taking actions in the schools the majority of the incidents take place out of the school and in neighborhoods and public areas.

• One of the more recent large gang related violence took place on July 26, 2008 at around 8pm at Triangle Town Center Mall. There was a brawl that took place consisting of about 300 people fighting. The fight lasted for about 20 min and no guns were pulled but there was at least one person sent to the hospital for being stabbed.^[12]
  

These types of events in the community have called for reform and gang violence prevention. Since this event Triangle Town Center has implemented a curfew for minors that are not accompanied by a guardian.^[13]

• During this same week 2 people were shot at Wolf Village on NC States campus and this was ruled as gang related due to the fact that the crips ordered the shooting.^[14]

What is being done? What can be done?

Awareness

What works well is awareness. Keeping the community informed about which gangs are active in a community and where they often appear is helpful. To avoid gang activity in a neighborhood takes the continued participation of citizens along with law enforcement personnel. The local schools must help as well. We all have needs to feel a sense of belonging, to be part of a group, to be recognized and respected, and to gain a sense of personal power. If these needs are not met by family, schools and the community in general, young people will seek other ways to meet these needs; because as humans these needs must be satisfied. Gangs do satisfy these needs. "A gang offers affirmation, it offers support, it offers camaraderie," according to C.J Blair, a former gang member himself. ^[15] Gang recruiters identify disconnected, alienated, powerless and lost youths and offer to fill the void with membership. It is important to realize why individuals are joining gangs, and to raise awareness about the issue. Many people don't know how big of an issue gangs in Wake County are, and those who do, turn the other cheek. This is not what we should be doing, and we need to address the issue head on.

WCGPP

Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership (WCGPP) coordinates the efforts of organizations, agencies and individuals to create a community that rejects gangs, in hopes that gangs will no longer exist. Information about prevention, intervention and suppression is made available, in order to form an efficient community-response to gangs. They have declared May "Youth Gang Awareness and Prevention month." WCPSS Security Investigators have also been placed in approximately 31 schools so far, in order to give gang awareness training. ^[16]

GREAT

Awareness is raised through a program called GREAT, Gang Resistance Education and Training. Law enforcement personnel inform the public at school events for students and/or parents. They appear at community centers, social halls, civic organization meeting halls, etc. The message shared is how to identify gang members, calling police immediately when they make their appearance obvious, encouraging victims to press charges. Cleaning up gang graffiti as soon as it appears is a way to combat gangs claiming neighborhoods and a way to engage citizens actively. Encouraging neighborhood watch groups helps too. After-school programs are often funded as a means of protecting children from being targeted for gang recruitment. Support and sponsorship of summer camps is another specific way to engage young people in a healthful activity with their peers, away from the predatory tactics of gangs. ^[17] Wake County recently hired a GREAT facilitator to address the county's issues, decrease gang violence, and raise awareness. ^[18]

GRIP

Another approach used is a program called GRIP: Gang Resistance and Intervention Program. This can include community participation such as tearing down empty buildings; adding more lighting in poorly lighted neighborhoods; and removing gang-related graffiti wherever it appears. In some counties validated gang members are given stiffer sentences by judges when they are found guilty. In Wake County, a GRIP program is also used, but it stands for Gang Resistance Is Paramount. The GRIP program is a part of the Wake County Public School System's Counseling and Student Services (CASS) Department. Anti-gang lessons are given to elementary, middle and high school students. ^[19]

Law enforcement

Multiple counties, such as Salisbury county, offer police cadet programs. High school students are encouraged to participate in a recruitment program through which they eventually succeed in becoming police cadets. This offers similar experiences as that of joining a gang. A police-mentor relationship is developed, helps to build self-esteem, provides the opportunity to take part in goal-oriented activities, allows youths to identify themselves with a positive, motivating organization. ^[20] The Governor’s Crime Commission strongly recommends to all law enforcement agencies in North Carolina to build strong community planning, collaboration and coordination. Gang programs should be comprehensive in scope to include suppression, prevention and intervention components.

An information database was also created, entitled North Carolina GangNET. It is a criminal justice gang intelligence database, which includes information collected by trained and authorized law enforcement officials and correctional organizations. It is made for local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, to help them track intelligence information on gang members. The information is centered around individual gang members or affiliates, and not necessarily the gang itself. The system's goal is to expand the identification of gang members and activities, to increase officer safety by sharing this information, and to enhance the security of communities through prosecution and suppression of individuals. ^[21]

Funding

Another successful approach is to provide funding in an area with newly emerging gang issues, as opposed to only spending money where gangs are long-established and entrenched. Preventing and discouraging individuals from joining gangs is key in the fight against them. Gang membership prevention should target young people ages 7 through 14 years of age, that is, before they are recruited or join. Law enforcement personnel and community members must commit to a long-term investment in the effort to fight gang activities in a community. In 2007, The U.S Department of Justice awarded a $2.5 million anti-gang grant to Durham and Raleigh. It is a three-year grant, which requires that $1.5 million be spent on programs aimed at deterring individuals from joining gangs. The remaining amount is to be spent on law enforcement. ^[22]

Models From Across the Country

• California - Teenagers who were considered at risk were brought to a morgue, in an effort to discourage joining gangs. In Anaheim, the Save-A-Youth project was launched, focusing on counseling, crisis intervention and education programs for youths and parents. A "street school" was also created, which provided encouragement and support for drop-outs who wanted to return to school.

• Chicago - Passed a law that allowed officials to treat street gangs as "unincorporated associations." As a result, law officials filed suit against fourteen street gangs, in an effort to recover the nearly $200,000 that had been spent by the city on cleaning graffiti and other vandalism committed by gang members.

• Tacoma, Washington - The community went to "war" with gang members, trying to display the message that they were not welcome. They were cited for driving without seat belts, littering, drinking in public, and other infractions. The community and military became involved with effort to decrease gang members.

• Champaign, Illinois - Coach Walter Smith has created sports teams, including basketball and football, for at risk individuals. He has a "no nonsense" attitude with his players. ^[23]

• St. Louis - Created a program called Aim4Peace, which "treats violence like an epidemic" ^[24]

• Cincinnati - A program called Ceasefire was created. Police officers would identify gang members on parole or probation, and allow them to attend a meeting. They were told that if the violence did not step, heavy consequences would be delivered. The individuals were also given a phone number to call if they needed help at any time, and life counseling and job coaching were provided.

• High Point, North Carolina - Friends, family members and mentors of offenders were asked to intervene in the lives of offenders. The offenders were not prosecuted if they stopped the criminality due to the intervention of friends and relatives. They were given a second chance to avoid sure prison time. ^[25]

Problems Facing Wake County Gang Prevention

• The most common issue for any city in their attempts to reduce gang membership, is the high rate of new arrivals into gangs, with the influx of new members matching the amount of members entering the prison system.

• "Limited reliable data on gangs and gang members, coupled with a lack of standardized gang definition and validation criteria, have made it difficult to accurately analyze Wake County gang data." ^[26]

• Along with the lack of information on specific gangs in the county, most of the gangs in the county are in a developmental stage, where there is little information on the gang and no solid information on gang members.

• Only three police agencies in Wake Co. have units specifically trained to assess and combat gang activity, and even in those units, there could be a range of one to six officers who have the training related to gangs.

• For police agencies to fulfill the needs of Wake Co. in regards to gangs and their related crime issues, the biggest thing standing in their way is simply, money and resources to strengthen their programs.

Recommended Course of Action

There have been a variety of solutions provided to solve the issue of gangs in public schools. However, the presence of gangs in public schools, especially in Wake County, has been a very difficult problem to resolve. As a result, we do not believe that the gang issue can be resolved in one simple step. In order to make a difference, a variety of steps must be implemented.

Provide Information

First, schools need to provide education and information about gangs. This is currently being done in many schools, but we need to take this to the next level. Many students don't take this issue seriously, because they think that it doesn't affect them. We need to help students realize that this does affect them, and it is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. Students should be informed about the dangers of joining gangs and how this could affect their future. Individuals are being recruited into gangs at younger ages now. Because of this, information should be provided starting in elementary school, as individuals are usually recruited in middle school. Students need to see first hand how joining a gang will impact them for the rest of their lives. Former gang members should be brought into schools, to share their hardships and stories. Police officers and law enforcement officials should also come into schools, to share their stories as well. Teachers and faculty also need to know how to handle gangs. According to one teacher, some schools in Wake County offer a gang training program. This program needs to be offered at in all schools for every faculty member. It is important for faculty members to know what to look for regarding gangs and how to handle them in the classroom. It is especially important for guidance counselors to be education about gangs, so that they could step in when they see an individual that is at risk. It has been suggested that “anger management, stress relief and conflict resolution training” ^[27] be offered for school employees, but students would also benefit from this information.

After School Programs

We also believe that schools need to provide more after school programs for their students. We have noticed that most students join gangs because they are searching for something, usually a "family-like" atmosphere. Most individuals who are in gangs come from rough backgrounds and don’t have positive role models or a strong support system at their home. Because of this, students should be provided opportunities to form positive one-on-one relationships with encouraging individuals. Activities such as peer tutoring or community mentors would allow students to develop a meaningful relationship with someone. By realizing and understanding that someone genuinely cares about them and wants them to succeed, individuals will hopefully realize that they are capable of having a positive future. More after school activities would hopefully help decrease the amount of students who go home each day to an empty house. After school is a key time for students, as this is when they usually get into trouble. According to a resource officer, eliminating the amount of time that individuals spend alone and unsupervised equals fewer opportunities to engage in negative behaviors for students. Schools should try to provide a variety of activities and try to think “outside the box” in terms of groups and clubs.

For example, Second Round is a program in Wake County that targets and tries to prevent gangs. They use exercise and fitness components, including Olympic-style boxing, to teach individuals things such as teamwork and discipline. They have been very successful, and according to the 2009 Report to the General Assembly ^[28], they have achieved:

• 95% success in ensuring that 75% of the participants do not offend or re-offend

• 72% success in making 75% of the individuals maintain a “C” average or better

• Above average ratings were attained in behavior, attitude, achievement and social goals

It has been a very successful program so far, but many individuals do not know about this program. It would be great if Second Round, or a similar community program, and Wake County public schools could find a way to work together to prevent gangs. Overall, these activities are meant to create a sense of belonging or acceptance, which is something that they receive by joining gangs. Providing opportunities for students to feel the same way in a different activity could help reduce the number of students who become involved in gang activities.

Drawbacks

The major drawback to this solution is money, as most schools already have limited funds provided to them. After school activities require supervisors, extended school hours, supplies, and a variety of other resources. Extra training for students, teachers and other faculty require money. More money is something that schools simply don’t have right now. However, we believe that in order to resolve the issue of gangs, there needs to be community involvement and support. Perhaps schools could perform fundraisers (car washes, bake sales, raffles, etc) and individuals could donate their time and/or money to the prevention programs. If potential gang members could see the support from their school and community, perhaps the issue could be resolved in the future.

References

1. ↑ US House of Representatives ,18 USC Sec. 521 ,01/05/2009
2. ↑ Howell, James C. Youth Gangs: An Overview, August 1998, pg. 1
3. ↑ Governor's Crime Commission, Gangs in North Carolina: A 2009 Report to the General Assembly pg. 3
4. ↑ Governor's Crime Commission, Gangs in North Carolina: A 2009 Report to the General Assembly pg. 3-4
5. ↑ National Gang Center: National Youth Gang Survey Analysis, http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Survey-Analysis/Demographics
6. ↑ The North Carolina Criminal Justice Analysis Center of the Governor's Crime Commission, Perceptions of Youth Crime and Youth Gangs: A Statewide Systemic Investigation, Section 3 pg. 20
7. ↑ Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership, Plan to Prevent Youth Gang Activity & Violence in Wake County:2006-2007 Report, pg. 6
8. ↑ A Comprehensive Assessment of Gangs in North Carolina: A Report to the General Assembly: 2008, pg 8, http://www.ncgccd.org/pubs/gangs2008.pdf
9. ↑ Gang related incidents by school, WRAL, http://www.wral.com/news/local/page/3411714/
10. ↑ Knightdale student charged in spat over gang symbols,Denise Sherman ,News & Observer ,http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/10/379872/knightdale-student-charged-in.html#ixzz0jOk4mMw5
11. ↑ Two Arrested at Enloe, WRAL, http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/6554431/
12. ↑ Mall brawl gang-related, Raleigh police say, Anne Johnson, WRAL, http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3285984/
13. ↑ Triangle Town Center Mall Code of Conduct, http://www.triangletowncenter.com/shop/triangle.nsf/CodeofConduct_English.pdf
14. ↑ Campus police: N.C. State shooting gang-related, WRAL, http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3296574/
15. ↑ Gang activity up in Wake County schools, WRAL, http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3364504/
16. ↑ Wake County, 2008 State of the county health report, http://www.wakegov.com/NR/rdonlyres/BF617DEB-FE8B-4994-AA9D-39A8A0F792CC/0/sotch_03_20_09_final_report.pdf
17. ↑ G.R.E.A.T Online, http://www.great-online.org/
18. ↑ Protecting our children: gang prevention, http://www.wakegov.com/news/archive/2008/25947.htm
19. ↑ Addressing gang activity in Wake County, http://www.wcpss.net/news/2008_aug21_gang/sidebar.html
20. ↑ Governor's Crime Commission, Gangs in North Carolina: A 2009 Report to the General Assembly
21. ↑ Governor's Crime Commission, Gangs in North Carolina: A 2009 Report to the General Assembly, pg 1-5
22. ↑ Wake County, 2008 State of the county health report, pg 8, http://www.wakegov.com/NR/rdonlyres/BF617DEB-FE8B-4994-AA9D-39A8A0F792CC/0/sotch_03_20_09_final_report.pdf
23. ↑ Possible Solutions, http://www.csun.edu/~hcchs006/19.html
24. ↑ New approaches to stop gang violence, http://criminaljustice.change.org/blog/view/new_approaches_to_stop_gang_violence
25. ↑ Governor's Crime Commission, Gangs in North Carolina: A 2009 Report to the General Assembly, pg 87-88
26. ↑ Plan to Prevent Youth Gang Activity & Violence in Wake County, http://www.wakegov.com/NR/rdonlyres/D8F27127-1EB8-4488-9FDB-71E4BE5F1793/0/WakeCountyGangPreventionPlan2006doc.pdf
27. ↑ What can I do to stop school violence? GRIPE, http://www.gripe4rkids.org/school.html
28. ↑ Governor's Crime Commission, Gangs in North Carolina: A 2009 Report to the General Assembly, pg 82 http://www.ncgccd.org/pdfs/2009/gangga.pdf