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Sunday In Depth - Drawing The Line: Attleboro's battle to prevent gangs and youth violence
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| A Latin King tag sends a threat to the gang, the Bloods with "BK" standing for "Blood Killer." (Staff photo by MARK STOCKWELL) |
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BY RICK FOSTER / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
ATTLEBORO, February 17, 2008 - Only a short distance from Providence, Brockton and New Bedford - cities with documented street gangs and problems with youth violence - Attleboro has mostly avoided a rising tide of drive-by shootings, rampant drug dealing and petty crime. But the city's image as a gang-free environment is changing.
In the past several months, there have been growing instances of graffiti or "tagging" on public property, homes and businesses with gang insignia and messages, along with sporadic crime in which gang influence is suspect.
"It's possible we could have some gang members living in Attleboro," Police Chief Richard Pierce said.
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| 'Tagging' a way of communicating |
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ATTLEBORO - The spray-painted symbols are mostly a riddle to Glen Perlman, vice president of National Van Sales, whose company has been the victim of "tagging" over the past several months by spray-can wielding vandals.
The break-ins were a little easier to interpret.
Perlman's company, a leading manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vans, has brought jobs to the Pine Street area and provided needed transportation for thousands of handicapped persons. Time and again, employees have been forced to paint out slogans, symbols and initials vandals have spray painted on their building.
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| A Safe Haven |
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ATTLEBORO - A little over two years ago, children and young adults had relatively free rein within the Attleboro Teen Center on Pine Street. Along with pickup basketball games and pool, kids occasionally could be heard cussing or dissing their pals.
Idle 19-year-olds could congregate alongside middle school pupils within the former armory's walls.
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| How one small town faced down gangs |
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RUTLAND, Vt. - In a city of fewer than 17,000 residents that counts skiing as a major industry, many Rutlanders were incredulous when local police and city officials held forums to warn them of the existence of youth gangs, a problem most identified with major cities like Boston and New York.
"There was a lot of skepticism," said Rutland Police Det. Ray Lamoria, who said Vermonters had trouble picturing armed members of major gangs like the Bloods or the Surenos strutting their bucolic streets in search of recruits or markets for their illicit drugs.
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| Idenitifying area gangs |
Below are three of the most common gangs in the Northeast area.
Sureños
The Sureños street gang emerged in California in the 1960s, tracing its roots to that state’s penal system. The name, a spanish word for “Southerner,” distinguishes the group from another gang faction with which members were formerly associated under the umbrella of the so-called Mexican Mafia: the Nortenos.
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| Attleboro Police Chief Richard Pierce says his officers are pro-active in drawing the line against gangs and youth violence. (Staff photo by MARK STOCKWELL) |
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| Video/Multimedia |
Ex-gang members "Richard X" and "Marcus" talk about their lives on the streets and with gangs beginning from a young age that led them to prison. Both hope for new lives and better things for other kids.; Gangs; prison; tagging; National Van Sales VP Glen Perlman says tagging and break-ins at his Attleboro business has been a nuisance and a worry. Attleboro Police Chief Richard Pierce says police are being pro- active in drawing the line against gangs and youth violence.; tagging; Gangs; police; violence; Behind the walls of a former armory Attleboro and YMCA youth councilors teach a culture of respect and responsibility for kids in an after school recreation program.; attleboro; Armory; Gangs; youth; Investigative report by The Sun Chronicle newspaper on recent gang activity in the city of Attleboro, MA. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1417325718http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1336806777 |
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Why do kids join gangs?
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| Each case is individual, but some reasons include: |
- Security, protection and a sense of belonging
- Lack of family, community, or youth support system (too much unsupervised time)
- Sense of status or respect
- Living in a gang infested community or having family members in a gang
- Low self-esteem
- Financial opportunities (i.e. profits from drug distribution and other illegal activities)
- Peer pressure
- Thrill seeking
- Media glorifying violence
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Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Juvenile Justice Commission
- THE SUN CHRONICLE |
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