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Gang activity can be preempted by sound parenting
About 210 documented gang members live in Thousand Oaks, and more than 100 of them are on probation, said Senior Dep. Dan Hawes of the special enforcement/gang unit. A significant factor differentiates a street gang from other groups that take on a name or symbol, wear special clothing and operate in a certain territory: Gangs commit crimes. According to the California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, actively participating in a gang while knowing that it engages in criminal activity legally justifies incarceration. In a felony conviction, time is added to the sentence if the guilty party is affiliated with a gang. Gang crackdowns help, but other issues are factors. Oxnard Police Department recently took aim at gangs. The campaign included legal action prohibiting gang members from gathering together. As a result, five to 10 gang members from that city moved to Thousand Oaks, Hawes said. In the Conejo Valley, there are four known active gangs that include all social, economic and ethnic groups. The gangs in Thousand Oaks don't restrict themselves to specific territories, which means they move throughout the city and can meet at the same school or public place, Hawes said. Younger children are now joining gangs, the deputy said. Gang membership used to start at around age 14 and continue until the member was dead, in jail or outgrew his or her affiliation, usually around age 25, he said. "Now we see kids around 11 or 12 showing interest in gangs," Hawes said. Various indicators can alert parents that their child has joined a gang. Unexplained bruises appearing on children could be a sign of something even more serious than the injuries themselves. To join a gang, the prospective party must allow himself to be beaten by three or four other gang members for a specific amount of time to prove his worthiness. New members are also sometimes asked to commit crimes. To leave a gang, a member must face a more violent beating. Parents sometimes wonder why their child would even consider joining a gang, taking into account all the pain and punishment that inevitably follows such an ill-advised decision. "Gang members usually come from broken homes and are looking for someone to care for them," Hawes said. They also tend to be isolated from the social mainstream, academic underachievers with violent tendencies. After someone joins a gang he'll be given a nickname. Oftentimes gang members will get tattoos with numbers, gang names or initials. Three dots tattooed on a hand, or both happy and sad faces, are sometimes popular with gangs. "It's illegal for someone under 18 to be tattooed without parental permission," Hawes said. A parent who notices such a tattoo should call police and report the person who tattooed their child so the tattooist can be arrested. The child isn't charged with anything, he said. Baggy clothes, belts or hats with initials, and shaved heads are other signs of gang activity. The logos of certain sports teams can also be gang-related. Adults should keep a sharp eye out to watch for nicknames and gang names written on notebooks, books, clothes and walls. Graffiti is another sign of gang activity. If you're driving around town and see someone spray painting public or private property, call (805) 654-9511 to get directly connected to the local dispatcher so a patrol officer can catch the perpetrator in the act. If you see graffiti already in place, call (805) 449-2488 so it can be immediately removed. Better yet, add those numbers to your speed dial. Both numbers are answered around the clock. | |||||
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