The three recent shootings that police believe are gang-related
should be a wakeup call for Hollister: We have a gang problem and
if we are going to head it off, the entire community needs to get
involved.
The three recent shootings that police believe are gang-related should be a wakeup call for Hollister: We have a gang problem and if we are going to head it off, the entire community needs to get involved.
We can’t be indifferent to the signs of gang activity around us: The graffiti that shows up on our fences, the colors that kids are wearing and now, most dramatically, the shotgun shootings that sent three people to the hospital in a span of six days.
The sad fact is our justice system is lacking the staffing needed to tackle the local gang problem on its own. The District Attorney’s office is understaffed, the jail is crowded and the police department does not have enough officers. Without community help, police are hamstrung in the ability to do an effective job.
And there is a way you can lend them that help.
The city has formed a Gang Advisory Task Force, which has been holding a series of public meetings to identify gang issues in Hollister and to brainstorm solutions.
The next meeting, open to all members of the public, is on Nov. 16 at R.O. Hardin School where the task force will explore working with schools on the gang problem.
You should attend.
With shrinking budgets to finance the fight against gangs, these Gang Task Force meetings are coming at the right time. The task force’s goal is to identify problems and perceptions about gangs as well as the community’s strengths that can be uses to address its weaknesses.
For instance, if a church has a strong program working with children, it can help solve problems such as parental absenteeism.
But what it will take to find solutions and, more importantly, make them work, is you.
Take these shootings as a warning, and let’s get involved and stem the tide of gang violence in our town.
