Hollister
– Local law enforcement officials are encouraging area residents
to attend the Community Gang Education Forum next week to get
informed about gang issues and what parents can do to prevent their
children from falling prey to local gangs.
Hollister – Local law enforcement officials are encouraging area residents to attend the Community Gang Education Forum next week to get informed about gang issues and what parents can do to prevent their children from falling prey to local gangs.
“We’re really going to be focusing on recent gang trends in Hollister,” San Benito County Probation Officer Nick Rabago said.
Even something as simple as spending an evening learning about San Benito County’s gang problems can help in the fight against crime. Though they may not be visible in all parts of town, Rabago estimates there are roughly 1,000 gang members in the community, ranging in age from 11 and 12 to their mid-50s.
“A lot of people think there is no gang problem,” said Hollister Police Officer Rosie Betanio. “But it’s something we all need to be aware of.”
The first part of the presentation will serve to define which gangs are active in the community, and how they can be recognized.
“We have a couple white supremacists here and there, and the outlaw motorcycle gangs, but mostly we’re dealing with the Hispanic street gangs, the Norteños and Sureños,” Rabago said. “We want people to know who they are, how they’re organized, and how to identify them.”
The second part of the presentation will focus on how parents can determine if their children might be becoming involved in a gang and recent trends in the seedy gang underworld.
“You have to think about who they’re listening to and where they’re going for entertainment – the movie ‘Scarface’ is big right now; they adore it,” Rabago. “They’re using cell phones and MySpace to communicate with each other.”
More disturbing is the fact that younger and younger children who become enmeshed in local street gangs are using cocaine – starting with children as young as 12 and 13.
“They’re lacing marijuana with cocaine and smoking it that way,” Rabago said.
Law enforcement officials have also noted an increase in burglaries, which has not been an activity gang members have actively engaged in the past.
“I’d say about half of the kids in juvenile hall are in there for some sort of burglary,” Rabago said.
After the presentation, representatives from local youth support groups will be on hand to answer questions parents may have and educate them as to the services they offer.
“There’s the Youth Alliance, the YMCA, there’s a lot of resources out there,” Betanio said.
Learning about the gang problem in the community is crucial to protecting a new generation of children who may be at risk for getting involved in gangs, Rabago said.
“A misconception is that these guys aren’t smart, and they’re very intelligent even if they don’t go to school – they know the system and they know how to communicate quickly with each other,” he said. “It’s really important that people learn about just what they’re doing in this community and how they work.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
