Educating the community on gangs in Dane County
by Rose Johnson-Brown, Rojo Designs Photography
Many times people hide their heads in the sand when there is an accusation of behavior in Madison that might put the community at risk. “Not in my neighborhood” seems to be the response from many citizens in denial when the community is tainted with the reality of the growth of gang activity in Madison.
(l-r) Erin Wearing, Corrina Flannery, Amanda Galaviz, Teresa Rhiel, and Yer Lee, students of Professor Sandy Magana’s Advanced Macro Practice Social Work class.
On this note, a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison social work students wanted to raise awareness in Madison of the prevalent increase in gang activity in Dane County communities. As a group project, they have researched the existence of gangs, their history, their trends and movement that could put children at risk.
On April 23 at Leopold Elementary School, Erin Wearing, Corrina Flannery, Amanda Galaviz, Teresa Rhiel, and Yer Lee, students of Professor Sandy Magana’s Advanced Macro Practice Social Work class, coordinated a community outreach event and informational session. It was presented for parents and educators in the Madison and surrounding communities by the Dane County Youth Gang Prevention Task Force.
Madison Police Detective George Chavez and Officer Lester Moore, along with Frank Rodriquez of the DARK Progam shed some light on the growing activity surrounding gang involvement in this area.
The community learned how to identify the warning signs of gang activity, the meaning or graffiti, gang signs, and symbols and some of the new trends within our childen’s pop culture.
Chavez, with 22 years of law enforcement experience —17 and a half years in Madison and 10 and a half years in the gang/narcotics units — was appointed Gang Liaison to help educate and organize the community in addressing gang issues. Chavez hopes to bring in Moore and the 2nd Gang Liaison within the years.
“It takes a while. After 10 years, we are still learning [about gang activity], usually around graffiti and in the schools,” Chavez stated. “It’s not just high schools, it’s in the middle schools and now gangs are infiltrating into the elementary schools. Madison is a wonderful city but now it’s becoming a mid-size city with bigger-city issues.”
It’s reported that there are approximately 1,300 self-reported youth gang members which suggests that there are about two times that number who have not reported, according to the task force. It stated that girls account for three times the national average of girl gang involvement in Dane County.
It is felt that gang members are usually missing something in their lives: someone at home, a sense of connection, lack of conflict resolution problem-solving skills, language differences, etc. There is a big rivalry between Latinos and African Americans around the language difference. Race is also a part of the gang issues.
Moore commented on diversity issues stating “True diversity when you really get to know each other is knowing and engaging around something about each other’s culture when you break bread with each other and appreciate each other for who they are.”
They tells us we have become so focus on racial issues in such a isolated way. We need to step out and learn each other’s culture. Assert yourself in different groups. Many times, Office Moore said, he’s the only Black in a Latino community meeting.
Moore stated that we need to recognize faith-based programs and outlets such as churches. “As an officer I don’t get involved with faith-based programs, but the reason why many change their lives is because they find faith. We need to embrace th e faith base community.”
Chavez told us that gangs are full of myths; that you have power, financial support, sense of belonging, protection, etc. He said, “When gangs go out on the street, they are selling drugs…not in their own neighborhood because people know them there.”
Chavez talked about needing a grassroots effort to address gang issues. He said that that is how you get things done: by making connections with these gangs and working with kids who want to get out.
“We have had many committees formed over and over around this subject which are political in nature and many strategies have been developed but there seems to never be an organized effort to implementation, to make a difference in this area,” he said.
The task force talked about the need to educate the communities. They said they are working with re-entry, removal, and suppression focuses around gangs.
Rodriquez, Madison West High School student coordinator, is with the DARK (Developing Alternative to Redirect Kids) Program. He works with youth in the four Madison high schools and now in Sun Prairie’s “New Routes” program for kids. He also works with those who are found to be gang members in the court system, Rodriquez not only deals with attendance and truancy problems with students in the school but also with kids in juvenile detention.
“We get them outside of school, in school, and in jail, wherever we can reach them,” said Rodriquez.
The presenter stressed how we are dealing with a different world now; it’s not as simple to identify activity or interrupt communications as in “back in the day.” Now with computers, information is transmitted in a fraction of a second. Youth have access to all the information, especially with cell phones, text messaging, My Space, Facebook, and Bebo.
Rodriquez commented, “The kids are very smart and they have so much information they get on computers and they don’t know what to do with it.”
Rodriquez talked about the first time kids are in trouble in the classroom. The teacher moves the student to the front to sit near the teacher; the second time the student gets in trouble, they are moved to the back of the classroom, the third time they are moved out the door and nobody wants anything to do with that kid anymore. He stressed that we have to figure out a way to connect to our youth.
Rodriquez told the community what gang criteria they look at to determine if a youth could be part of a gang: self-admission at time of arrest, any two of uniform, corroborative information, frequenting areas, tattoos, many arrests, elaborate handshakes, clothing (how they are worn, different length pant legs, different shoe laces, one arm on the shirt).
What is considered a criminal gang? They tell us that three or more people with common signs, symbols, or names who are members or collectively engage in a pattern of criminal activity is considered a gang.
If a groups’ graffiti is crossed out with an X, the task force asks the community to contact the police immediately because it could be a sign of trouble stirring in that area.
Many schools are in denial, according to Chavez. He asked the community how we can break that cycle. “This [gang activity] is an important part of the school’s culture. We want to protect your child rather than wait for your child to be part of a gang and then the parents react,” siad Chavez. “There are 1,300 gang members identified in Dane County but probably twice the amount not identified. Think of the impact they will have on other kids. Nobody’s kid is exempted, not even mine. It’s a naïve to think your child isn’t effected in some way. It takes individuals to get into the schools and mentor to seek out these things”
This was a valuable forum for discussion and questions and answers for the community.
The students who coordinated the community outreach project had four months to prepare; to consider the target groups, publicity, research the topics, find a facility that would liet them use.
“Leopold Elementary School was gracious to allow this in their school. This was our first experience hosting a community event that we truly believed in. We worked closely with Chavez, Rodriquez, and Moore.” said, student Yer Lee.
To show their appreciation, the Social Work Students presented the three presenters on the Task Force with certificates of appreciation for outstanding performance and lasting contribution to the Dane County Community.
The Task Force is available to speak at school, organizations, and group upon request. Detective George Chavez can be contacted at Madison Police Department at (608)266-6219.
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