Summit takes on gangs

VISALIA — It takes more than a village to combat gangs in Tulare County.

According to the presenters at today's Step Up, the Tulare County Gang Summit, it takes many communities working together to create an environment where everyone can feel safe.

The Gang Summit was an all-day conference featuring speakers from clergy, school districts and law enforcement agencies from around the state, brought together under one roof at the Visalia Convention Center.

After an opening speech from Tulare County District Attorney Phil Cline, the audience filed out of the main hall and to one of five morning breakout sessions on strategies for intervention, gangs in our schools, how business and community groups can get involved, and gang suppression tactics used by law enforcement.

A large segment of an estimated 1,500 people in attendance represented local churches, schools, community- and faith-based organizations.

Tiffany Alexander, 17, was one of about 500 students who were provided free entry to the Gang Summit, made possible by the county and local business. During the first breakout session, Alexander said she heard about the role of education in preventing youth violence.

“I learned a lot about how to help young people not be in gangs,” Alexander said. “A lot of the problem is lack of education; people telling kids negative stuff and what they can’t do instead of what they can do.”

Alexander attended the summit with a handful of other teen girls from her group home in Visalia. She said she believes a positive attitude can make all the difference with at-risk youth.

“A lot of times in school kids don’t finish because nobody encourages them,” Alexander said. “Teenagers also need to listen to the adults that are trying to help them instead of being disrespectful.”

Eric Coyne, spokesman for the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, said the summit was designed for anyone concerned about gang activity.

One of the keynote speakers was U.S. Attorney Paul Seave, CaliforniaÂ’s director of gang and youth violence policy.

Seave overseas the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Initiative, or CalGRIP, grants. These grants are to provide funding to cities and community-based organizations for gang prevention.

Coyne said the county is one of many hopeful applicants for CalGrip grant funds.

Another presenter, Esther Mota, manages youth intervention programs for the City of San Jose including the MayorÂ’s Gang Prevention Task Force. She is also a Lindsay native and graduate of Lindsay High School.

Mota said the City of San Jose allocates $4 million to the cityÂ’s Parks and Leisure Services for the purpose of funding community projects that provide outreach to current, past and potential gang members.

“I’m a big believer that suppression is very important,” Mota said. “But at the same time I’m also a big believer in prevention and the after-school programs.”

Mota said a big factor in collaborating with community- and faith-based organizations is identifying individuals who know what they are getting into.

“Not everybody has the capacity to deal with the kind of youth we’re talking about,” Mota said. “So we have to offer them training too, so at least they know what to expect and we can know that they have the ability to work with gangs in the community.”

TodayÂ’s Summit was sponsored by the Board of Supervisors and the City of Visalia.

Everyone who attended the summit received the booklet, “Street Gangs in Tulare County.” The booklet, which has been greatly expanded from its original 2001 edition, is the work of Mel Borbolla, gang intervention consultant for the Tulare County Office of Education. The booklet explains gang symbols, nicknames and identifies known gangs operating in Tulare County.

Copies of “Street Gangs in Tulare County” can be obtained from the Tulare County Office of Education by calling 733-6301.

-- Contact Sarah Elizabeth Villicana at 784-5000, Ext. 1045, or svillicana@portervillerecorder.com.