http://www.bayshorenews.com/1/template.php?ID=489

Police department hosts forum on gangs, school safety

by CHRISTOPHER BLASZCZYK
Posted: 2006-11-16

Despite the rain, about 100 people filled the Henry Hudson Regional School gymnasium for a town meeting on gang awareness and preventing violence on schools hosted by the Highlands Police Department.

Guest speakers from the New Jersey Gang Investigators Association, Prevention First and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office made presentations and, along with the police, took questions from the audience.

"With the recent rash of school violence, school districts around the country are attacking this issue," Lieutenant Will Armenti said. "And it's great to see everyone here tonight educating themselves about this issue."

Detective Rosendo Perez and Keith Stopko, the president and vice-president, respectively, of the New Jersey Gang Investigators Association, opened up the meeting with their presentation on gang awareness.

"We have identified over 50 gangs active and/or present in Monmouth County," Perez said. "As of March 2006, we have identified 200 members in the county and the Monmouth County Correctional Institution has identified 200 members of gangs in their facilities."

Perez went on to talk about the different types of gangs, from supergang structures, like the Latin Kings, the Bloods and the Crips, to Mexican and Central American gangs to street posses and even outlaw motorcycle gangs.

"Gangs can occur anywhere," Perez said. "I grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Perth Amboy, which was like moving to the country compared to Brooklyn. Eventually, Perth Amboy started to look a lot like Brooklyn and we moved to Howell. A little while after I moved, I got a call about a gang-related homicide that took place in Howell."

"We've seen gangs all across New Jersey," Stopko added. "The Howell Police had no idea they had gangs, but we had an undercover agent attend a party where a gang rented out the firehouse and had a DJ playing. Gang members would come to the party from New York and northern New Jersey."

Perez then described some of the identifiers of gangs, such as their colors, such as red for Bloods and blue for Crips, the common mostly three-letter abbreviation tattoos, and symbolic beads.

Melissa Salso, an education specialist from Prevention First, added graffiti in neighborhoods, a person's "walk" and "talk," and shoes over a telephone line, which signifies drugs are sold in the area.

"People join gangs because of peer pressure, wanting to belong and negative influences from TV, music, video games and the media," Perez said. "MySpace has also become a major gang recruiting tool. As parents, you have to monitor their activity. Ask your kids who they know personally on their friend list."

"Sometimes, joining a gang is a survival tactic in some areas, like the 4th Ward in Paterson," Perez said. "If a kid wants to keep from getting attacked, he will join a gang and hope he makes it to 18, so he can get out of town."

Salso said people also join gangs for the structure and discipline they provide and for a sense of self-worth.

Perez said they would find out a person is in a gang just by talking to them, because they think it is a positive movement.

To stop the growth of gangs, gang investigators try to get everyone involved in the process.

"Parents are the front line, followed by teachers and school administrators, clergy, law enforcement and other kids," Perez said. "Use the web for research and educate yourself. If your kid's room and clothes are all red, until they are school colors, get suspicious."

A goal of Prevention First is to keep children out of gangs before they are accepted. Salso said the ways to do this are by supervising their activities, steer children to positive friends, spend time with them and set up good communication and be a positive role model.

She stated in her experiences with children in school, scare tactics about gangs do not work. What works, the children have said, is if they hear stories about someone like them and what happens to them.

Salso also said she had worked in Highlands before and the town is really proactive in dealing with issues. "I have had only positive experiences with your kids, so keep nurturing them and doing what you're doing," Salso said.

Bruce Serebnick, from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, told the parents the criminal justice and police force are reactive to problems and to prevent problems, that is the job of the parents and the local government. He also said law enforcement constantly receives threats, but can weed out the credible ones.

"We know the difference between a credible threat and a kid just shooting his mouth off," Serebnick said. "If an 11-year-old says he going to come in with a bazooka, it's a lot different than a 15-year-old who says his dad is a hunter and he's going to bring in his gun."

During the question and answer session, Blewett mentioned the zero-tolerance policy the police force has implemented, including strict policing of jaywalkers, disorderly conduct and closing the parks in town at dusk.

"We have noticed that kids are not hanging around as much," Blewett said. "We have even gotten complaints that we are being too strict."

When asked about girls in gangs, Perez said many girls get involved. "There are all-girl gangs and there are also girls in gangs like the Bloods, where they are called Bloodettes or Ruby Reds," he said. "Many times, females are used to hide contraband and weapons, because at parties, the males get frisked but the women usually do not."

When asked if any gang members have been found in Highlands, Armenti reported that Highlands Police have identified three individuals in their late 20s that are members of the Bloods and either live full-time or reside in town. However, Armenti reported female acquaintances of these gang members have children in the school system and they are all being monitored closely.

At the end of the night, Armenti was happy with the turnout and the information provided to parents.

"This was the first of four town meetings we will hold throughout 2006 and 2007," Armenti said. "Other topics will include domestic violence, narcotics and crime prevention."

Blewett wanted the residents to know they do not have to wait for an incident to occur to contact the police department.