Officers Combat Gang Growth
Last updated Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:49 PM CDT in News
By Robin Mero
The Morning News
Northwest Arkansas police want the community to rise and meet the challenge of street gangs, who they say are enticing children to criminal activity.
"There is no greater force of nature than a community," said Springdale Police Chief Kathy O'Kelley. "We must do this, and not out of a position of fear."
To various degrees, area police are struggling with gangs and their vandalism, crime and intimidation. For decades, newspaper articles have explored the debate: Do we have gangs here? With two murder cases now being prosecuted as gang-related, officials say it's time to stop wondering and start acting.
"This should end the debate about whether gang activity exists or not, but it calls for a calm and appropriate response, not panic," said Bob Balfe, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. "We need to put forth an appropriate amount of resources and coordinate efforts."
Police say their departments and schools must broaden their approach.
"We are notorious for focusing on enforcement, but I don't believe arrest is always the solution. And schools are key," O'Kelley said.
Schools are where people make connections.
"It's exceedingly important we come up with strategies to identify at-risk kids, get them to steer clear - particularly younger siblings of gang members," Balfe said.
School's In
Several police agencies are teaching a new curriculum in public schools. The G.R.E.A.T program (Gang Resistance Education and Training) is somewhat like the widely used D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), but encompasses more than an anti-drug use message.
The program must be taught by a uniformed law enforcement officer and has been successful in cities like Chicago, Miami and Orlando, said deputy Doug Gay of the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office began teaching the curriculum Monday at Old High in Bentonville. Springdale police are teaching the program in middle schools. Fayetteville police are undergoing training and plan to teach a summer academy at the Fayetteville Boys & Girls Club, said Shannon Gabbard, public information officer.
Keith Kilgore, principal of REAP Academy, an alternative school serving Rogers, Bentonville and Springdale school districts, said some students are sent to the program for gang-related behavior. Identifying problems can be tricky, and he said all schools want and need more information about gang awareness.
"We're in full support," Kilgore said. "We've had Sgt. (Kelley) Cradduck here from the police department, helping us become better educated about potential problems. We work hard here to change behaviors, socially and academically."
O'Kelley said age 12 is a pivotal age to distract children from gang activity, around sixth or seventh grade. "We need to distract these kids, teach them life skills: How do you say no, when you are wanting to look like your friends?" she said.
Many kids are emulating hip-hop culture, which is centered around rap music and graffiti. O'Kelley said the culture is confusing, and school officials may hesitate to label a student as being a gang member because they fear he's just emulating hip-hop style.
Early Intervention
So, where is that line between culture and crime?
In the world of gang research, that line is called the "tipping point," said Cradduck of the Rogers Police Department.
The transformation to a criminal can be subtle or abrupt, depending on influences. Kids hang out and share style, dress and music, but some decide an alliance could be powerful.
"Kids realize that together, 'We are strong, we have influence,' and they turn that corner to being a full-fledged criminal," Cradduck said. "Gangs are not simple. It's a convoluted, confused, complex dynamic."
Gang members are all ages, races and socioeconomic groups. White supremacist groups, for instance, are strong in the area and increasing - perhaps in response to the growing Hispanic population, Cradduck said.
Northwest Arkansas' Hispanic population grew at the nation's second-fastest rate through the 1990s, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. An increasing number of suspected gang members are Hispanic, police in Springdale and Rogers said.
Rogers police estimate 68 percent of the city's known gang members are Hispanic.
Hilda Gomez of Bella Vista, president of the local chapter of League of United Latin American Citizens, believes police focus more on Hispanic and less on Asian and white gangs. She supports law enforcement efforts to eliminate gangs, but fears kids in Hispanic families won't fully participate with school programs because they've been warned, "Don't trust police."
"A lot of kids born in the U.S. know that, if their parents are deported, they go to a new country with them," Gomez said. "You have to grab these kids when they are young - in elementary. If you've lost them by junior high, you've lost them."
Crimes And Databases
More than 22 law enforcement agencies in Benton and Washington counties use different formats and methods to track gang members and crime.
Uniformity is key, Balfe said. His office offers training and resources through the federal Justice Department's Project Safe Neighborhoods. Grants through the program provide training for police and school officials, including helping with the G.R.E.A.T. training.
Two weeks ago, 13 area agencies and several from Missouri and Oklahoma attended a three-day training session at Balfe's office focusing on gang prevention, intervention and suppression.
Rogers and Springdale police created databases to track suspected gang members. Rogers began in 2005 under Cradduck's guidance. The databases are investigative tools that police say focus on criminal acts, not race.
Rogers has about 200 people in its file, Springdale has 150. Virtually all the major gangs are represented, including Sureno 13, MS-13, Aryan Brotherhood, Peckerwoods, Crips, Bloods, Latin Kings, Folk Nation, Nortenos, 18th Street, and Gangster Disciples.
Bentonville police report their names to Rogers. Fayetteville police said they report theirs to the Violent Gang and Terrorist File, part of the Arkansas Crime Information System and the federal database.
Only 21 names have been entered from Arkansas, however, almost all from the Little Rock area, said Billy Clinton, operations division manager of the Arkansas Crime Information Center.
"Most users just check, not that many enter names. It's not an easy thing to make entries into our system - the gang has to be already entered, and you must use the right codes, which come from the FBI. My own gut feeling is that agencies are keeping records in-house," Clinton said. "And just because they're in here doesn't mean they're a criminal. It's more of an officer safety issue."
The data tracked includes tattoos, dress, nicknames, race, date of birth and sex. The Arkansas Crime Information Center data is available nationwide.
Police also track and decipher graffiti to arrest vandals and to gauge whether the graffiti was merely vandalism or a gang member marking territory or making threats.
Much graffiti in Northwest Arkansas is found behind buildings, alongside ditches, under bridges. It's in places where people walk: To and from school, between apartment complexes and a grocery store or a shopping mall, said Cpl. Craig Renfrow of the Rogers department's crime suppression unit.
"They're dissing each other," Renfrow said of the markings. "It's all about getting respect."
The behavior can rapidly accelerate, said Sgt. Billy Turnbough of the Springdale Police Department's crime suppression unit. "They start with a bridge, then get the courage to do a fence, someone's business. They get a thrill from not being caught. The next time, instead of painting, they'll break into a building."
Graffiti becomes especially threatening when gangs cross-tag, or mark over another gang's graffiti, because it's a sign of disrespect.
"That's what starts fights, retaliations. What bothers me is they can escalate quickly and seriously," Turnbough said. "Many people write graffiti off as criminal mischief, kids being kids, but you have to treat each instance carefully."
Springdale police recently solved 41 burglaries as a direct result of catching people painting graffiti.
Balfe said several agencies participating in the Project Safe Neighborhood will continue to meet each six weeks.
"They discuss what we're seeing. They are developing relationships to where an officer in a smaller department can pick up the phone and call a larger department," he said. "It all comes down to communication. It's going to take all facets of community coming together: churches, business community, schools, government, law enforcement."
LEGAL LINGO
What Is a Gang?
Arkansas Code says:
It is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age or handicap, to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation and physical harm caused by the activities of groups engaging in random crimes of violence, and committing crimes for profit and violent crimes committed to protect or control market areas or "turf."
It is not the intent of this subchapter to interfere with the constitutional exercise of the protected rights and freedoms of expression and association.
"Criminal gang, organization, or enterprise" is defined as any group of three (3) or more individuals who commit a continuing series of two (2) or more violations of Arkansas law which are crimes of violence or of pecuniary gain.
Source: Staff Report
Reader Comments (15 comment(s))
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arkietex wrote on Mar 30, 2008 8:26 AM:
ozarks wrote on Mar 30, 2008 9:28 AM:
ozarks wrote on Mar 30, 2008 9:33 AM:
Brittanicus wrote on Mar 30, 2008 10:59 AM:
STOP THE TRAVESTY OF OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS! SAVE YOUR JOBS, LANGUAGE, FLAG & CONSTITUTION FROM ALL THOSE ANTI-SOVEREIGN, PRO-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES WHO WOULD UNDERMINE THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE!
When the new personage steps into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, then we will be seeing the 12 to 20 million getting a path to citizenship. Once a new amnesty is signed into law, then nobody will be able to stop the next tsunami of destitute, uneducated illegal humanity pouring across our borders. A new amnesty will be seen as an open door, for yet another future welcome to the world of the poor.
American taxpayers are sick and tired of supporting the rest of the world.
YOU! And only YOU, can stop this travesty of our Immigration laws? If peoplejust keep bickering amongst each other and don't put their words into action. It will be far too late in the next year, when either party "
adabell wrote on Mar 30, 2008 11:57 AM:
When a gang of an ethnic race moves into a community, the other races feel compelled to joing gangs in order to defend themselves. It starts with one gang moving in. It seems that once in a gang, there is no longer any respect for the rest of the community or anyone elses property.
Gang activitie esculates from graffiti to domestic terrorism, which has already been seen in drive by shootings.
The only way to save the community and the way to save the county, is to have zero tolerance, strict enforcement of laws, including deportation for the first crime if an illegal is involved.
If we don't want gang activity in schools, then students obviously should not be wearing gang identifying clothes. "
ozarks wrote on Mar 30, 2008 3:28 PM:
Tspud wrote on Mar 30, 2008 7:53 PM:
abc123 wrote on Apr 3, 2008 10:21 AM:
10-4 wrote on Apr 4, 2008 9:43 PM:
No red pen here on your post! :) "
politically correct wrote on Apr 4, 2008 9:53 PM:
"
stronghands88 wrote on Apr 5, 2008 6:26 PM:
politically correct wrote on Apr 5, 2008 7:11 PM:
Madison wrote on Apr 5, 2008 9:40 PM:
A ballot initiative before the attorney general's office would require those seeking public benefits from the state to prove their citizenship.
The measure by Secure Arkansas, a group chaired by Jeannie Burlsworth of Bryant, would make individuals sign an affidavit under the penalty of perjury that they are lawfully living in the United States. Burlsworth says the measure is aimed at stopping illegal immigrants from receiving state benefits.
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has until April 9 to review the proposed ballot title. If approved, supporters of the measure could begin gathering the required 61,974 signatures needed to place it before voters in November.
"
Not already registered?
ralphy mendez wrote on Mar 29, 2008 10:25 PM: