Gang Summit addresses problem areas

Not one dissenting comment broke the harmony between city and county leaders Wednesday as they met at the Porterville Police Department to address what they agree to be a pressing issue in Porterville — gang activity.

City Council members past and present, school administrators, police department staff, pastors, citizens — including a former gang member — and Tulare County supervisors met to brainstorm a solution.

Step Up gang summits, Saturday Night Lights, an anti-gang initiative that keeps parks open after dark for organized activities, and a Family Resource Center were discussed — all for the purpose of preventing and limiting gang activity among “at-risk” students ages 7 to 18.

“There is a sense of emergency here, and that is why we’re here,” said city Councilman Brian Ward as he pointed out several of the city’s juvenile delinquent problem areas pulled from crime statistics at the police department.

Supervisor Phil Cox talked about the county’s Step Up program.

“We bused in over 1,000 youth from 46 different high schools throughout the county,” he said.

The Saturday Night Lights program, successfully implemented in Los Angeles for three years, is something Cox said he would like to duplicate.

“They have reduced crime in some of the worst neighborhoods by as much as 60 to 70 percent,” said Cox.

As for the Family Resource Center, Cox agreed they were great with worthy goals but pointed out the high expense associated with them.

Porterville Crime Prevention Officer Jodi Harper said she believed that talking with families one-on-one would ensure the success of the event.

“There are a lot of people that are very passionate about this. It’s going to be a positive event, and it gives the kids something to do,” Harper said. “We don’t have enough to do here. We’re starting to get there, but we’re not there yet — so we have to keep plugging away at kids and let them know that there are things to do here.”

The Step Up program had plenty of support. Kent Hopper, radio announcer for KTIP Radio, praised the collaboration between the program and the city of Porterville, and Tulare County Supervisors Phil Cox and Mike Ennis agreed to provide money to hire speakers and provide food.

Rev. Don Roulsten, Grand Avenue United Methodist Church, attending on behalf of the Porterville Area Ministerial Association, said he believes some of the projected money to host anti-gang services won’t be necessary.

“Recognizing that funding is limited, that is where the faith community, I think, needs to step in. We don’t have to depend all upon paid staff and facilities opening up. I think that is something we need to draw from the community, whether people want to volunteer time to tutor or supervise,” Roulsten said.

The group plans to find churches, schools and other organizations in the four high-crime areas to host the events. Superintendents John Snavely and Gary Mekeel, Porterville Unified and Burton School districts, respectively, agreed to be part of the gang solution, and volunteered the use of their facilities for the events. A loop bus, such as one utilized in Visalia, can pick up at-risk youth and transfer them to anti-gang services and event locations, Cox suggested.

“I think we need to get going, and I think the Burton School District needs to share financially in a bus program,” Mekeel said. “These are our community’s kids. They are 100 percent of our future and we need to do something about this problem.”

Former gang member Pedro Martinez (not the former city councilman) said reaching out to “at-risk” youth alone was not enough.

“There are foot soldiers that are committing the crimes, and about 90 percent of foot soldiers are youth,” he said. “But you need to find the shot callers, because foot soldiers can be replaced. The root is not just the foot soldiers, but their dad and mom who are using drugs and doing the crime. You have to get to the root — that is how you kill the cancer.”

Martinez also pointed out that law enforcement is a natural enemy of gang members.

“You have got to get their trust. It’s the number one thing. As soon as you lie to them, you’ve lost them,” he said.

According to Cox, that is why it is important to keep a balance between gang suppression and prevention.

“You have to take a multi-pronged approach. There has to be suppression. The cops out there can’t ignore drugs and killings,” Cox said. “If all you did was beef up your police force and arrest people, someone would take their place. You have got to have both; you can’t do one without the other. If you intervene at the right time, you can prevent them from getting into gangs.”

Porterville’s four juvenile delinquent problem areas, identified by crime statistics at the Porterville Police Department:

• The Lowes shopping center, Northwest of the Jaye Street and Springville Avenue intersection.
• East of the Porterville Municipal Golf Course and Southeast of Leggett Street and Putnam Avenue intersection.
• The area between Olive Avenue and Morton Avenue, including the housing areas from west of Newcomb Avenue to Prospect,
• The area between Main Street and Plano Street, south of E. Date Avenue.