After identifying the scope of the city’s gang problem during a
community meeting two months ago, the Hollister Gang Task Force is
asking residents to come together again at a meeting next week to
determine what has led to the growing problem.
Hollister – After identifying the scope of the city’s gang problem during a community meeting two months ago, the Hollister Gang Task Force is asking residents to come together again at a meeting next week to determine what has led to the growing problem.
More than 100 people joined the 10-member task force at a community meeting in November at the Veterans Memorial Hall, and committee member Rick Maddux said organizers hope at least that many people, if not more, will attend the second meeting at Calaveras Elementary School next Wednesday.
One of the reasons Calaveras School was chosen for the meeting was because some of the families affected by Hollister’s gang problem live near that area, Maddux said.
Attendees of the first meeting said the task force should take the meetings to areas more rife with gang activity, because some people are afraid to leave their homes after dark.
“We want one in every locale in the community. Calaveras is just the first one,” Maddux said. “The problem is widespread.”
Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller, who is also a part of the task force, said extra police officers will be patrolling the area so fear doesn’t keep anyone from not attending
“We want to be closer to that part of the community,” Miller said. “We want people to feel safe.”
Recognizing that problem was one of the highlights of the first meeting, and now organizers hope residents will help them identify what has caused it to escalate. Maddux said community members often turn a blind eye to the matter that many people at November’s meeting compared to the severe gang problem in Salinas.
“It stuck out because we have a problem,” Maddux said. “For some people if it’s not right at their front door they don’t see it.”
After a short introduction, residents will break into small groups and tell facilitators what they believe has contributed to the problem – whether it’s a shortage of police officers, a lack of recreation for children, the economy or faltering familial support systems, Miller said.
Future meetings will cover solutions to the problem and how to implement those solutions, he said.
To entice people to attend this meeting, the League of United Latin American Citizens will provide snacks and baby-sitting, and bilingual officers from the police department will help facilitate. The meeting should only last about an hour and a half, he said.
The task force will be presenting the information it received from the first meeting to the City Council next month, and information gathered at this meeting will be tabulated and reported to the council in several months, he said.
“We want to make it so everyone can say their piece and be understood,” he said. “We can’t know what you feel or what you think unless you tell us.”
The meeting will be held in the library of Calaveras Elementary School, located at 1151 Buena Vista Rd. in Hollister, at 6:30pm on Wednesday, Feb. 2. All community members can attend.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
