A gang awareness and prevention community forum will be held
Oct. 12 at the Veterans Memorial Building. The forum from 6:30 p.m.
to 8 p.m. is open to all community members and is focused on
parental rights and responsibilities.
A gang awareness and prevention community forum will be held Oct. 12 at the Veterans Memorial Building. The forum from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. is open to all community members and is focused on parental rights and responsibilities.
Al De Vos, the gang prevention coordinator, and retired police Capt. Rich Vasquez, have been working to plan the event along with the Hollister Police Department gang officer Carlos Rodriquez.
De Vos said the idea for the forum is to spur community involvement, but it was in part a response to the April death of a teenage girl who was shot on East Park Street in the middle of the night.
“There were questions of what was she doing out,” De Vos said, of the incident which happened after 2 a.m.
The initial planning for the event started in May, with more organizing and meetings starting regularly in July. Vasquez attended many back-to-school nights in September to spread the word about the event.
Vasquez said the secondary goal is to explain to parents their rights and legal responsibilities.
“Showing up is part of being a good parent,” De Vos said. “We really want all parents to attend.”
The planning committee has been working to get many different agencies involved in the forum. Part of the event will be a presentation for parents, followed by a question-and-answer period. The forum will also include resource booths for many of the organizations in the community that can provide support to families. Some of the participants include the local school districts, the San Benito County Office of Education, the Hollister Youth Alliance, the League of United Latin American Citizens and faith-based groups. The event will include translation services for those who do not speak English as well as free childcare.
Vasquez, who is volunteering his time for the event, said the forum will be the first of more events to come. The hope is that they will be able to gather information from community members about specific topics and can then tailor smaller workshops to different neighborhoods in the community.
“The reality is this is long-term,” Vasquez said. “Planning is important. It is part of suppression and intervention.”
De Vos said that “if families get it, it may change the trajectory” of students that are at risk.
Vasquez said that he is hoping that families and community members across the spectrum attend the forum, not just those who might be worried about their children.
“It affects everyone, whether they are high-income, low-income or middle-income,” he said.
He noted the incident after the Sept. 9 San Benito High School football game when a player was attacked for what the sheriff’s office said was suspected of being an attempt to show gang allegiance. Five juvenile suspects are facing charges of felony battery and potentially other allegations.
“It takes a community,” De Vos said. “It may be some friend (of your child) on the football team that you recognize may be at risk. We don’t live in isolation. …Violence can span the entire community. It’s not directed at one person. It’s like a mist or a fog.”
They both noted that, as with the football player, bystanders can sometimes become victims of the violence.
“He just left the stadium and got jumped,” Vasquez said.
One of the key things they want to drive home is that parents have the right to discipline their children, and they will talk about ways parents can do that. De Vos said that he has seen that some Spanish-speaking families are concerned about calling the authorities if their children are acting out.
“The kids use the language barrier,” he said. “We want everyone to know they can contact us and we want to make them feel comfortable.”
Vasquez emphasized that parents are legally responsible for their children until they turn 18.
“If they go to juvenile hall, (parents) could be liable for all costs,” he said.
DETAILS:
Gang forum set for Oct. 12
A gang awareness and prevention community forum focusing on parental rights and responsibilities will be held Oct. 12, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Veterans Memorial Building. It will include tips, information and laws about exercising your authority as a parent to keep children from joining or participating in a gang.
The entire family is welcome and free childcare will be provided.
