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Gang activity on the rise in S. Jersey
Sunday, February 26, 2006

By WILFORD S. SHAMLIN
Courier-Post Staff


As New Jersey gangs orchestrate murder and mayhem on the street and in prisons, law enforcement officers are working with elected officials, community groups and others to stop the problem from spiraling out of control in the tri-county area.

Two gunmen that police have linked to the Bloods street gang are charged with killing an 18-year-old Willingboro man and critically wounding two others on Feb. 15. Authorities say it was a violent end to a fight between gang members and a "wannabe."

The shootings have exposed the dark side of a major issue that has already spread from the cities to the suburbs and, according to one police chief, threatens every community across America.

"Gang members are present everywhere," said Burlington City Police Chief John Lazzarotti.

Willingboro resident Charlotte Froman said she hasn't seen evidence of gang activity but she suspects it's lurking below the surface. "There are wannabes and the real thing," she said.

Thomas Floyd, also of Willingboro, believes there's a tremendous potential for gangs to grow.

"There are a lot of kids that want to play gang, but that's just as deadly as being a gang member as we just saw. They want respect and they think being in a gang is the way to get it," Floyd said.

A 2004 New Jersey State Police Gang Bureau survey provides disturbing evidence that gang activity is on the rise:

Increased gang activity over the previous year in 44 percent of the municipalities that reported a street gang presence;

In 37 percent of municipalities that reported no street gang presence in a 2001 survey, there is now gang activity;

About 17 percent of all homicides reported in New Jersey involve gang members, officials said.

The 2004 survey showed 148 distinct gangs with nearly 17,000 members, according to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, a state police division. Bloods, Crips and Latin Kings are the largest gangs. MS-13, Pagans Motorcycle Club, 18th Street Gang and Five Percenters also have a notable presence.

The state Attorney General's Office and county prosecutors are marshaling significant resources toward gang prevention efforts, but others are taking up the task as well.

In October, Gov. Richard J. Codey created a Gang Land Security Task Force, which is charged with studying the effectiveness of intelligence gathering techniques and conditions that foster gangs.

The mayors of Camden, Burlington City and Willingboro are representing South Jersey on a New Jersey League of Municipalities task force that was created in September to prevent youth violence and gangs.

Municipal and county law enforcement officers across the state are gathering intelligence on gangs and sharing information about their criminal activities with the public.

The state Department of Corrections has arranged for former gang members to speak out in public about the negative aspects of belonging to a gang.

Gang members can be identified by tattoos, graffiti, hand signals and color of their clothing and bead jewelry, said Paul Dehope, detective sergeant first class at the Gloucester County Police Academy in Deptford.

Youths have killed innocent people as part of gang initiation and drug trafficking and intimidation are trademarks. Experts say the refusal by some communities to recognize the presence of gangs exacerbates the problem.

In January, law enforcement, educators, community officials and youth program leaders attended hearings to discuss the scope of gang activity and develop strategies to combat gangs.

The public input gathered at the hearings will be presented to Gov. Jon S. Corzine and the state Legislature for use in drafting legislation to tackle the problem.

Camden Mayor Gwendolyn Faison, who serves on the New Jersey League of Municipalities task force, said panel members are hammering out an action plan that will touch on community needs, prevention strategies and criminal activities associated with gangs.

"We're just putting our plans together and we have homework to do. We're networking with schools because the problem is much larger than government. That's why we need all entities. We need everyone." Staff writers Anna Nguyen and Tom Lounsberry contributed to this article. Reach Wilford S. Shamlin at (856) 251-3346 or wshamlin@courierpostonline.com