Coalition sponsors major forum this week to teach and engage
parents on gangs
A major gang prevention forum this week is putting a challenge
out to the entire Hollister community to become active contributors
in keeping gangs out of every neighborhood in the city.
Coalition sponsors major forum this week to teach and engage parents on gangs
A major gang prevention forum this week is putting a challenge out to the entire Hollister community to become active contributors in keeping gangs out of every neighborhood in the city.
The forum, sponsored by the Hollister Gang Task Force Advisory Board and the Hollister Youth Alliance, will be one of the largest efforts to date to educate and engage parents and the general public on fighting gangs, said Hollister Police Department Captain Richard Vasquez.
It is designed to teach parents of kids who may be lulled into the gang lifestyle about the many youth activities available to them, Vasquez said, citing the YMCA, city recreational programs, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and other programs that provide a sense of belonging for Hollister’s youth.
“One of the major pulls toward gangs is that kids want to belong,” Vasquez said. “If the kids are not getting that sense of belonging at home, they will look for it outside the home.”
Another approach forum organizers are using is to getting increasingly broader cross sections of the community involved in gang awareness and prevention. Vasquez noted that many people who say they are not aware of a gang problem are simply the people that gang violence hasn’t touched them yet.
“We want the public to be educated enough so that if they see suspected gang activity, they will report it to the police,” Vasquez said. “We hope that when neighbors see any criminal activity, whether it’s related to gangs or not, they will get involved in the community and become engaged in their neighborhoods.”
To that end, the forum will feature up to 18 informational booths packed with real-world tips for parents and citizens who want to become more engaged with their kids and neighborhoods. Additionally, the Hollister Police Department and the San Benito County Probation Department will hold presentations informing parents about trends to spot that could be related to gang activity.
Such trends include the latest in styles of clothing adopted by gang members and would-be gang members.
“Trends, or warning signs, of gang activity include the clothing your kids are wearing, the music they are listening to, what they are writing or drawing, and who they are hanging out with – all of these are connected,” Vasquez said.
Who your kids are hanging with, all connect Criminal gang activity in Hollister is predominantly shared by two groups: young, impressionable kids looking for a support system in which to belong – the so-called “wannabes,” and hard-core criminal gang members.
Because of this progression of gang activity, Hollister Police have adopted a three-tierd approach to dealing with gangs. Prevention targets younger kids, before they are sold on the bogus romance of gangs. Intervention involves kids who belong to youth street gangs (the wannabes), and suppression is reserved for hard-core gang bangers who are mostly too involved in the lifestyle to turn around.
“The younger the kids are when we reach them, the greater success we have,” Vasquez said.
The forum is this Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 649 San Benito St. Free childcare is provided and there will be refreshments, snacks and a raffle with prizes.
