Eladio Bueno sat toward the back of Hollister’s annual gang
forum Wednesday evening on one of 290 folding chairs, his
5-year-old daughter bouncing on his knee.
Hollister – Eladio Bueno sat toward the back of Hollister’s annual gang forum Wednesday evening on one of 290 folding chairs, his 5-year-old daughter bouncing on his knee.
“It’s getting worse,” Bueno said of gang violence in Hollister.
Bueno, a 36-year-old Hollister resident, was one an estimated 440 people to attend the second annual Hollister Gang Task Force Advisory Board’s Community Gang Education Forum.
The father said he was there Wednesday evening to learn how to build a stronger foundation for his daughter, Kaly, and keep her away from the gang life as she grows older.
Bueno heard from Hollister Police Department Officer Rosie Betanio and Kiely Sheppard, a deputy probation officer for the San Benito County Probation Department, on how to communicate with his child, his parental rights and potential liability for a child’s actions.
“You must be able to change with the growth of your child and yourself,” Betanio said.
Betanio stressed the importance of communicating with children and knowing what’s going on in their lives. She said failure to do so may compel them to seek the gang life.
“They might find what they’re missing out there,” Betanio said.
Organizers handed out “The Kids & Law: An A-Z Guide For Parents,” a free publication made possible by a grant from the California Bar Foundation.
The guide covers parents’ rights, school rules, juvenile court and other topics that affect minors, such as graffiti, smoking, alcohol, fighting, truancy, driving, online predators and gangs.
At the first annual gang forum, law enforcement officials offered the public tips on how to spot gang activity in their communities. The 2006 forum explained how community members can help law enforcement by reporting such information and how parents can know if their children are becoming involved in gangs.
Sixty spanish speakers used headsets to listen to this year’s forum.
