Gazette - Got a gang problem?

COVER SECTION

Go beyond enforcement, says one expert

The gang issue can affect any community, be it a large metropolitan city or a small rural town. Although the scope and nature of each problem is unique, many of the strategies to deal with the problems are the same. Tony Moreno, a former member of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), has more than 30 years experience in gang enforcement and training. He explores the ways in which police in any community can succeed in preventing and disrupting street gangs.

By Tony Moreno

The greatest difference between the gang problem of the 1970s and 1980s and the problem as it exists today is that it now affects a larger segment of society. There was a time when gangs were thought to exist only in large metropolitan cities like New York and Los Angeles. It was also believed to be a problem associated with the lower income areas of large urban cities and the ethnic or minority groups living in them.

The general attitude toward the gang situation was that it wasn’t a major problem because it affected only “those people” in “those areas.” Although this was not a complete or accurate picture, it was a commonly held belief and it enabled a large section of society to look the other way and not deal with the issue. As a law enforcement officer who has conducted gang training in Canada and the United States, I have seen this same denial in Canada, where some people believe the problem belongs only to large American cities.

It’s evident that the gang problem exists in urban, suburban and rural areas of our communities, and it cuts across all racial, ethnic and cultural lines. Some communities have a more serious gang problem than their neighbours do, but the problem can exist and thrive anywhere.

Root causes

The best way to deal with gangs is to prevent kids from joining them in the first place. This means looking at the reasons why kids join gangs: substandard family life, problems in school, a lack of discipline and supervision, and the lure of negative influences. A good example of a program that works to prevent gang involvement is a homework club operated by the Ottawa Police Service and the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa. The program focuses on a time of day when many young people are out of school but lack adequate supervision because their parents are at work. The club provides students with a place to hang out after school and supports them in their educational endeavours.

Community partners

As police officers, we sometimes forget that there are other forces in the community that deal with the same problems. By acknowledging and respecting the various roles and working as a cohesive, united front, we can better attack the gang problem. This means police officers should work alongside fellow professionals from educational and medical associations, social service groups and community-based organizations. Getting to know each other and gaining respect and an understanding for our diverse roles are critical steps in solving these problems.

Tony Moreno
The LAPD’s specialized Citywide Field Unit arrests a “Rolling 30s Crip” gang member wanted in connection with multiple armed robberies.

Because gangs and gang members are fluid and tend to move and conduct criminal activity in multiple areas, police agencies also need to be flexible and maintain a network of fellow professionals from various areas of policing. This includes establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with national, provincial and local law enforcement agencies. This collaborative approach is one of the reasons that the task force model of multiple agencies working as one has been so successful in dealing with gangs. Dealing with gangs on the front line also requires police to have solid contacts in corrections, parole/probation and the judicial system.

Assessing the problem

It’s not an easy thing for many communities to admit they have a gang problem. It can damage the reputation of the community or city, create a negative stigma and even affect property values. No one wants it in their backyard. The most responsible and effective measure is to accurately assess the problem. This can be done by gathering information on the gang activity and supporting the information with documentation. Establishing that a gang exists, that gang members are in the community and that they have connections to criminal activity requires documentation such as crime reports, arrest reports, field interview reports, photographs, intelligence reports, court documents and incident reports.

When policing a community that is in denial, it doesn’t hurt to prepare for the day when the gang problem can no longer be ignored. If there is a legitimate problem, it will not go away on its own. Eventually, there will be a crime or significant incident, and police should be ready.

Magnets for knowledge

Among the law enforcement officers I have worked with over the years, the ones who were the most effective at dealing with gangs shared one particular trait: they were masters at developing, processing and utilizing information.

Whether it’s in a large metropolitan city or on the outskirts of a remote detachment, the gang problem will be specific to each locale. Reaching into the community and developing information on gangs and criminal activity makes an officer invaluable to the organization, because not just anyone can do those jobs. The best “gang cops” have information coming from victims, witnesses, citizens in the community, fellow professionals, gang members themselves and any other person with something to share. When it comes to gangs, be an information magnet. Also, the more you know, the safer you are.

Prevention, intervention, enforcement

As police officers, we understand the importance of strong enforcement efforts in the fight against gangs. But what has become apparent in places like Los Angeles is that enforcement alone is not enough. As one wise man (retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt Wes McBride) said, “we can’t arrest our way out of this problem.” Aggressive, effective police work is being accomplished in many communities and gang members are being sent to our prisons in great numbers. Unless actual rehabilitation is being accomplished while they are in custody, these gang members are simply returning to our communities as more effective and committed gang members.

In our communities — even those with only an emerging gang problem — there will be kids and young adults at various stages of actual or potential gang membership. The effective response is to have the ability and the resources to stop kids from joining gangs or to step in and provide alternatives to disrupt gang membership. The factors and root causes of gang membership for each individual will differ from person to person. The progressive, multi-dimensional response must include prevention, intervention and enforcement components.

Modern-day police officers can be catalysts in the fight against gang violence and criminal activity by openly taking the lead in the resistance against gangs and all that they represent. Being the leaders in the community against gangs also puts police at the greatest risk. Attempting to grapple with a gang problem can be an extremely challenging and frustrating job, and there is no magic potion or “gang guru” with all the answers. The gang problem is much more complex than that.

What we do have is us — the foot soldiers in this battle against gangs. Your law enforcement counterparts in Toronto, Yellowknife, Winnipeg or Los Angeles are busy working to make their community safer in their own way. The more you understand the gang problem in your area, the more effective and safer you will be. Your community, your organization and your loved ones will benefit from that.