Thread: Salt Lake City unveils new plan for attacking gangs

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11829749

Salt Lake City unveils new plan for attacking gangs
GangCAT» Groups want to contact parents of suspected members.
By Melinda Rogers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Posted: 03/03/2009 08:47:01 PM MST

Salt Lake City Police have a new target in the battle against gang crime: parents.
From now on, when police catch kids displaying warning signs of gang activity such as dressing in gang-affiliated colors, putting graffiti on walls and schoolbooks or hanging out with known gang members, parents can expect a community team at their doorstep armed with ideas for how to reverse their child's behavior.
That's the idea behind the police department's new Gang Community Action Team (GangCAT) program, unveiled Tuesday at the Pioneer precinct on the city's west side.
The initiative, which underwent a trial last week during a special operation aimed at curbing gang crime while connecting parents with resources to help steer their kids in the right direction, is a philosophy change in how to approach the issue of gangs, said Lt. Isaac Atencio, commander of Salt Lake City's Gang Unit.
Police who run into gang members or kids at-risk of being in a gang have typically documented information about their possible gang ties, but generally haven't contacted parents with concerns. Now, the police department is working with nonprofit groups such as the anti-gang Colors of Success program and Boys and Girls Clubs to inform parents about their child's behavior and suggest alternatives for how to keep kids out of the gang lifestyle.
"A lot of times kids are courted into gangs because they don't have other activities available to them," Atencio said.
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"We're going to deal with the families and try to involve them and let them know what their kids are involved in."
Often parents are unaware their children have fallen in with gangs or are on the cusp of joining, said Atencio and Leticia Medina, executive director of Colors of Success.
Medina said parents need more information about programs that can keep their children off the streets. Parents may know of sports programs, but not of other options that could be a better fit for their child's interests, she said.
Counselors who will work with police in the GangCAT program can make inroads with families, build relationships and make suggestions for resources that may be the right fit for a child, Medina said.
"We should be asking, what can they do with what they bring to the table?" she said.
The GangCAT program formed in response to Mayor Ralph Becker's Gang Reduction Forum, which started last summer to address gang problems in the city after the death of 7-year-old Maria Del Carmen Menchaca in July.
The girl became the unintended victim of a gang-related shooting outside her Glendale home and ignited a firestorm in the community over how to stop neighborhood violence.
The forum, which consists of representatives from the criminal justice system, Legislature, school districts, nonprofit organizations and community groups, is in the process of creating a "framework" to combat Salt Lake City's gang problem. The forum is continuing to examine alternatives that could be implemented for gang prevention, intervention and suppression.

mrogers@sltrib.com

Note the mention of the Hispanic victim at the end of the article. Hmmm Hispanic victim? Hispanic neighborhood? Illegal Alien Gangs?

I certainly hope they provide statistics as to how many Legal American parents are contacted. Better yet, how many non-Hispanic parents.

Oh crap is that racist?