The Garden City Telegram
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Gang activity target of position
Published 10/21/2008 in News : Police
By STEPHANIE FARLEY"It's just so new," she said of the position.
But, Rodriguez said, she feels she's another resource to help reach kids at a younger, vulnerable age and try to give them options other than being involved in gangs.
"It's probably never going to stop," she said of the gang activity, adding she, instead, hopes to curtail some of the activity. She aims to reach youth before they decide they want to be involved in gangs.
So far, Rodriguez's work has included giving gang prevention presentations to at least three elementary schools in USD 457; giving trainings to those at the Southwest Regional Juvenile Detention Center on gangs they're dealing with in the county and how to work with those youth; and tracking juveniles on the Internet to monitor associations and activities.
Rodriguez currently is setting up a parental gang awareness meeting. She's looking at early November to have the meeting.
"This will be open to anyone in the community and talk about the signs to look for to see if your child is becoming involved in a gang, and how they can prevent their children from joining a gang," Rodriguez said.
She's also trying to share information and work with the Sheriff's Office Street Gang Unit, as well as the Garden City Police Department.
According to Sgt. Steve Martinez, crime prevention gang deputy with the sheriff's office, the gang unit is up to four deputies. The additional deputies are concentrating more on enforcing and decreasing gang activity, he said.
Rodriguez's position, he said, "gives the county balance" in that the gang unit focuses mostly on enforcement, while Rodriguez works with prevention and intervention with the aim of stopping the problem before it happens.
Commissioner Larry Jones asked Rodriguez Monday how she and others working with gang activity plan to break the cycle of gang activity when parents involved in gangs are now involving their children.
"That's what I'm struggling with now," Rodriguez said, adding of the youth, "I think a lot of times they don't feel they have that choice."
She said she's working with youth to ensure they know they have other choices aside from gang involvement and that just because their parents are involved in the activity doesn't mean they have to be.
"Well, I think you have our attention," Commissioner Cliff Mayo said, adding he wants to continue to hear more about Youth Services' progress in gang prevention and intervention.
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