Published: Sunday, July 27, 2008
GUEST COMMENTARY
Gang members aren't welcome in our county
If recent experiences at community events and even my church parking lot are any indication, people's antennae are going up when they hear the word gangs.
Every time I speak at a banquet lately the same thing happens: As soon as I mention the word "gangs" the forks go down and faces turn toward me. At church, people grab me before I leave and ask: Do we really have a gang problem?
I'll tell you what I tell them:
Yes, we have a gang problem.
If there's a gang presence in our county, it's a problem.
And we know for certain there's a presence.
Last summer, sheriff's detectives and school resource officers from agencies across the county spent months developing a report of the gang situation here. They visited every part of our county and documented what they saw and heard, including talking to gang members.
They already knew there were particular gangs in our county committing crimes on a routine basis -- drug dealing, auto theft, assaults and more. But during their work last summer, a few things stood out:
n The problem is countywide. While it's certainly more prevalent in some areas, you can find a gang member in every region of our county.
n Gang members don't live together on the same street. They live all over our county and, thanks to technology, they stay connected via cell phones, pagers and the Internet. Since they are dispersed, they tend not to claim territory. That can make it easier for them to go about their criminal activity without being noticed by police.
n While gangs may not claim our streets as their own, their members are definitely "streetwise." Many are careful not to admit to any gang affiliation, wear gang colors or throw hand signs in the presence of certain company.
What really shocked me is that some of the younger gang members come from what we consider middle-class families. They see the gangsta life portrayed glamorously in entertainment media and they want a piece of it, along with the social structure and perceived protection that being in a gang provides.
Protection?
Where was that protection last November when gang members drove by the Marysville house of an opposing gang and opened fire? Fortunately, no one was injured in that drive-by, but it easily could have been fatal.
Where was the protection in February when an argument that started in the Northgate Mall ended in gunfire in the parking lot, critically injuring one gang member?
Where was the protection in the early hours of June 9 when a 16-year-old gang member who thought he was meeting a girl in south Everett was met by opposing gang members and a hail of bullets instead? He survived, but just like the Marysville drive-by this easily could have been a different story.
Detectives believe all three incidents are related -- a case of one act of retaliation after another, so this story might not be finished.
We have not reached crisis stage yet when it comes to gangs -- and we're not going to. We're not going to watch our neighborhoods fall prey to gang-related crimes and graffiti.
We are going to continue building partnerships and programs with other law enforcement agencies and organizations, letting gang members know they are not welcome here.
This summer the Sheriff's Office, along with several other police agencies including Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds and Everett, has formed a gang enforcement team to patrol our streets and reduce the number of gang members in our county.
It's an aggressive approach: Gang Up, Get Out! If you gang up in Snohomish County, we'll help you get out. One way or another.
We'll bust them for committing a crime and they'll go to prison, or they'll leave because doing business here just isn't worth it, or they'll decide this lifestyle isn't quite so glamorous after all.
If they choose the latter, we'll help them get connected with the people and the resources they need to break out of the gang lifestyle and build a new, successful life.
Law enforcement cannot do all this alone. Crime prevention is a shared responsibility. One of the best ways to participate is through our revitalized Neighborhood Watch program. Know your neighbors, including young people.
For more information about starting a Neighborhood Watch in unincorporated Snohomish County, e-mail neighborhoodwatch@snoco.org or call 425-388-7375 and leave a brief message. Or call your city's police department for more information.
There will always be people in our community who claim gang ties. But we are committed to this mission until the gang presence is minimal and the gang-related crimes in your neighborhood stop.
John Lovick is the Snohomish County sheriff.
Every time I speak at a banquet lately the same thing happens: As soon as I mention the word "gangs" the forks go down and faces turn toward me. At church, people grab me before I leave and ask: Do we really have a gang problem?
I'll tell you what I tell them:
Yes, we have a gang problem.
If there's a gang presence in our county, it's a problem.
And we know for certain there's a presence.
Last summer, sheriff's detectives and school resource officers from agencies across the county spent months developing a report of the gang situation here. They visited every part of our county and documented what they saw and heard, including talking to gang members.
They already knew there were particular gangs in our county committing crimes on a routine basis -- drug dealing, auto theft, assaults and more. But during their work last summer, a few things stood out:
n The problem is countywide. While it's certainly more prevalent in some areas, you can find a gang member in every region of our county.
n Gang members don't live together on the same street. They live all over our county and, thanks to technology, they stay connected via cell phones, pagers and the Internet. Since they are dispersed, they tend not to claim territory. That can make it easier for them to go about their criminal activity without being noticed by police.
n While gangs may not claim our streets as their own, their members are definitely "streetwise." Many are careful not to admit to any gang affiliation, wear gang colors or throw hand signs in the presence of certain company.
What really shocked me is that some of the younger gang members come from what we consider middle-class families. They see the gangsta life portrayed glamorously in entertainment media and they want a piece of it, along with the social structure and perceived protection that being in a gang provides.
Protection?
Where was that protection last November when gang members drove by the Marysville house of an opposing gang and opened fire? Fortunately, no one was injured in that drive-by, but it easily could have been fatal.
Where was the protection in February when an argument that started in the Northgate Mall ended in gunfire in the parking lot, critically injuring one gang member?
Where was the protection in the early hours of June 9 when a 16-year-old gang member who thought he was meeting a girl in south Everett was met by opposing gang members and a hail of bullets instead? He survived, but just like the Marysville drive-by this easily could have been a different story.
Detectives believe all three incidents are related -- a case of one act of retaliation after another, so this story might not be finished.
We have not reached crisis stage yet when it comes to gangs -- and we're not going to. We're not going to watch our neighborhoods fall prey to gang-related crimes and graffiti.
We are going to continue building partnerships and programs with other law enforcement agencies and organizations, letting gang members know they are not welcome here.
This summer the Sheriff's Office, along with several other police agencies including Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds and Everett, has formed a gang enforcement team to patrol our streets and reduce the number of gang members in our county.
It's an aggressive approach: Gang Up, Get Out! If you gang up in Snohomish County, we'll help you get out. One way or another.
We'll bust them for committing a crime and they'll go to prison, or they'll leave because doing business here just isn't worth it, or they'll decide this lifestyle isn't quite so glamorous after all.
If they choose the latter, we'll help them get connected with the people and the resources they need to break out of the gang lifestyle and build a new, successful life.
Law enforcement cannot do all this alone. Crime prevention is a shared responsibility. One of the best ways to participate is through our revitalized Neighborhood Watch program. Know your neighbors, including young people.
For more information about starting a Neighborhood Watch in unincorporated Snohomish County, e-mail neighborhoodwatch@snoco.org or call 425-388-7375 and leave a brief message. Or call your city's police department for more information.
There will always be people in our community who claim gang ties. But we are committed to this mission until the gang presence is minimal and the gang-related crimes in your neighborhood stop.
John Lovick is the Snohomish County sheriff.
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