Gang Alert

GANGS – “Let’s Cut to the Chase” 

• Gangs are EVERYWHERE. From the “projects” to million dollar mansions, gangs cut across all socio-economic boundaries. Found in all 50 states, and with international ties, gangs are increasing in size, sophistication, and gaining turf in sleepy suburbia.
   
• Gangs with ties to California, have, for the last 6 years, migrated eastward, and have landed in Lake County Illinois, trying to muscle in on established gangs. As a result, this has led to a number of protracted gang wars.
   
• Recent statistics indicate that gang number levels had actually dipped in the late 1990’s, but with many police departments addressing terrorism issues from post 911, gangs have increased once more. It is estimated that there are over 31,000 gangs within the USA, with a membership of over 850,000.

GANGS - Not My Child!  Are you sure? 
                Look for the clues & warning signs:

• Gang slang being used in everyday conversation. Any obsession with gangster-influenced music, videos and movies to the point of imitation.
• Excessive amounts of clothes in two color combinations, such as blue and black, gold and black.
• Wearing gold or silver pendants and rings with the shapes of dollar signs, automatic guns, crowns, and so forth.
• Too much secrecy, or your child refusing to tell you where they are going or with whom.  Develops an unusual desire for privacy and may completely rearrange living quarters to create more privacy.
• You son or daughter not wanting you to meet their "new friends."  Withdrawal from former friends.
• Your son or daughter having large amounts of unexplained cash, or recently acquired expensive possessions.
• Gang graffiti written on books, clothing, even inside the brim of a baseball cap.
• A sudden drop in school performance.
• Alcohol or drug use / abuse.
• Habitually staying out late. Frequently breaking curfew.  Run-ins with the law, for such offenses such as; fighting, vandalism, (graffiti), etc.

Other Gang Facts – Check It Out:

• Gangs are present in all 50 states and territories and have become International. Specific gangs (i.e. Bloods, Crips, 18th Street Sureno13, etc.) which were present only in California, and other western states have made a steady migration east the last 10 -15 years and have or are gaining a foothold in the Midwest and South.
   
• Gang population actually declined in the late 1990’s but after the World Trade Center tragedy of 911 (2001), as police departments shifted focus towards terrorism, and officers were pulled from gang details, gang populations started to increase. Estimates are from between 750,00 to 850,000 gang members.
   
• Gangs are not confined to urban areas... They are present in small towns, mid-size communities, and suburban areas... Gang activity is present in all geographic areas of Illinois.
   
• Youth are joining gangs at a younger age and remaining longer. . . Gang membership may exist between the ages of 6 and 60... Gang membership crosses all socioeconomic, racial, and gender lines. Female gangs account for 5-10% of the total gang population.  Because female gang members believe they must prove to their male counterparts, they will also use extreme violence against other female gangs and in some rare instances, against male gangs.
   
• Cook County, followed by Will, Kane, and Lake Counties has the largest concentration of gang members in Illinois. . . These counties also show the highest number of gang arrests when compared to the rest of the State.

It’s a Family Affair… Taking a Pro-Active Approach.

• If the family member is in a gang, tell them under no certain terms will you tolerate any gang language, gang clothing, gang friends, and so forth, in your home. Adopt a zero tolerance approach. Stand Firm. Tell them you love them but that you do not approve. Voice the dangers of what the gang life can bring: getting hurt or killed, or arrested and sent to prison. Ask them if they want to leave the gang. KEEP ASKING. Leave the lines of communication open. Be supportive, but again, stand firm.
   
• If you are a single parent and have to work full time - keeping your children away from gangs needs planning. Try and get your children involved in activities outside of school. Children that have a lot of unstructured time on their hands are prime recruitment material for gangs. Look to your extended family for assistance. Grandparents, uncles and aunts (yours and your child's) older cousins - all of these can help provide structured time for your child. Remember though, the extended family's activities can never replace the valuable time that you spend with your child. The single parent who does not have an extended family can try and obtain help from co-workers, parishioners, neighbors, and local organizations such as Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, Scouting, gang outreach centers, Y.M.C.A.'s and Y.W.C.A's, Park District programs, youth centers, and so forth. Get on the phone or visit these places with your child as soon as possible.

When should a family begin to take steps to combat the gang problem?

NOW! Some families, either through ignorance or denial, find out their son, daughter, niece nephew, grandson, granddaughter, is in a gang when they get a phone call from a police department, hospital, or morgue. A child's getting into a gang is not an overnight decision. Families should look, listen, and turn their awareness up a notch. Look at what your child is wearing, who he or she is associating with, and whether there is an overall change in attitude towards you or life in general. Listen to what your child says, and especially to what others say. Many families turn a deaf ear or bristle when they hear from neighbors, other families, and school personnel that their child may be in a gang. Your child may present him - or herself one way in your presence, and have a totally hidden gang life outside the home. Ignorance is no excuse. Look for the signs and then address the issue. Solicit help from others, then take control. It can be done.