WAKE COUNTY: The Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership has declared the month of May Youth Gang Awareness and Prevention month, emphasizing the county's dedication to combatting the gang problem among its youth.
All 13 Wake County mayors are participating, said Shenekia Weeks, director of Wake County's Gang Prevention Partnership. The organization aims to "tighten bonds between agencies that can affect change in the lives of youth," Weeks said. These agencies include law enforcement, faith-based community organizations and corporate sponsors.
The partnership was founded in 2003 with 17 partners. It has grown today to comprise 70 participating agencies.
The Youth Gang Awareness and Prevention month, which begins today, will include gang-related school programming to equip children to rise above the pressure of gang recruitment. Because gangs are a money-making enterprise, they recruit heavily in the schools to increase their memberships.
"We have to be just as aggressive in recruiting our youth to be productive," Weeks said.
One year ago, Wake and Durham counties received a combined $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to combat gang-related crime in the Triangle. Today, bills pending in the North Carolina legislature (HB 274 and SB 1358) aim to better define gangs in order to better equip law enforcement, community programs and the court system to deal with gang members who commit crimes.
Without assessing the magnitude of the gang problem, law enforcement agencies and community groups may be having a harder time suppressing gang-related crime and preventing the state’s youth from joining gangs in the first place.
The key for prevention is to start young and recruit children to be productive before they are targeted for gang membership.
"A proactive approach is the best approach. Suppression is a key piece but it is not the only piece,” said Weeks.
The Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership has shed light on the county’s estimated 2,000 gang members and 12 different gangs. The partnership works with law enforcement agencies and youth-centered community organizations to identify a “best practice” model for gang prevention and suppression.
