Yvonne Watts displays a homemade gang shirt.A coalition of churches and community groups successfully launched “Project Hope” Thursday, an initiative to explore the causes of youth violence and possible solutions.
A very diverse audience filled the Parish Hall at First Unitarian Society of Plainfield to hear the perspectives of Newark gang specialists, local law enforcement and school security representatives, Plainfield High School students, urban fiction author J.M. Benjamin and Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs on gang activity. Although the event was planned months ago, a spate of gang-related shootings made it especially timely.
Before the forum began, Carl Heath of the church’s Racial Justice Committee said his group saw the need for a community-based response to youth violence in order to become “the city where youth get a fair chance.”
A very diverse audience filled the Parish Hall at First Unitarian Society of Plainfield to hear the perspectives of Newark gang specialists, local law enforcement and school security representatives, Plainfield High School students, urban fiction author J.M. Benjamin and Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs on gang activity. Although the event was planned months ago, a spate of gang-related shootings made it especially timely.
Before the forum began, Carl Heath of the church’s Racial Justice Committee said his group saw the need for a community-based response to youth violence in order to become “the city where youth get a fair chance.”
Partners in the venture include Grace Episcopal Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Covenant Methodist Church, Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church, Plainfield Friends (Quakers), Angels in Action and the Plainfield Youth Council Teen Center.
Panelists described the lure of gangs as offering respect and love that young people may not be receiving at home. But once in a gang, speakers said, an individual was sworn to loyalty, with personal harm or even death as punishment for breaking the code. Middy Murdock, a self-identified Crip, said lack of knowledge and self identity can lead to gang allegiance because a young person just wants to be “part of something.” Bloods member “Loose” said gang members consider themselves family, greeting each other with “bro” and “cuz” to signify their ties.
But students Benny De Leon and Darwin Juarez spoke of their fear at being accosted in the high school for wearing the wrong color clothes or for not understanding gang overtures.
Plainfield Truancy Coordinator Yvonne Watts displayed homemade gang T-shirts and said they are confiscated from students who wear them to school. Watts and other youth mentors urged parents to learn more about signs of gang activity or interest and to follow up by checking their children’s rooms, backpacks, notebooks and language for telltale indications of involvement.
Young people may be assigned gang identities simply because of where they live, former gang member Larry Brown said. Now a Plainfield police officer who works with the N.J. State Gang Investigating Unit, Brown estimated there are about 25 gangs in Plainfield, with seven different Crip sets and four different Blood sets that may even battle internally as well as with enemy gangs.
Robinson-Briggs named a number of city efforts to support young people and deter them from gangs, including summer employment, a re-entry program for youth offenders, motivational programs and even her personal talks with youth in parks and playgrounds.
Among the problems faced by law enforcement are a lack of cooperation from gang members, even those who have been harmed, due to a “no snitching” code. Police may know all the details of an incident, but cannot get anyone to give statements or testify in court for fear of reprisal, Brown said.
Speakers from the audience deplored what some called a lack of interest in schools for the concerns of both youth and parents regarding gangs, as well as a perception of unsafe neighborhoods. But Brown and Security Officer Terrence Davis said police will listen to young people.
As the discussion pointed to a broad-based community effort as the first line of defense against youth gang involvement, Heath wrapped it up by urging all present to fill out an evaluation form that ended with a pitch for further involvement with Project Hope.
Anyone who missed the event but is interested in Project Hope can call First Unitarian Society of Plainfield at (908) 756-0750 and leave contact information.
Panelists described the lure of gangs as offering respect and love that young people may not be receiving at home. But once in a gang, speakers said, an individual was sworn to loyalty, with personal harm or even death as punishment for breaking the code. Middy Murdock, a self-identified Crip, said lack of knowledge and self identity can lead to gang allegiance because a young person just wants to be “part of something.” Bloods member “Loose” said gang members consider themselves family, greeting each other with “bro” and “cuz” to signify their ties.
But students Benny De Leon and Darwin Juarez spoke of their fear at being accosted in the high school for wearing the wrong color clothes or for not understanding gang overtures.
Plainfield Truancy Coordinator Yvonne Watts displayed homemade gang T-shirts and said they are confiscated from students who wear them to school. Watts and other youth mentors urged parents to learn more about signs of gang activity or interest and to follow up by checking their children’s rooms, backpacks, notebooks and language for telltale indications of involvement.
Young people may be assigned gang identities simply because of where they live, former gang member Larry Brown said. Now a Plainfield police officer who works with the N.J. State Gang Investigating Unit, Brown estimated there are about 25 gangs in Plainfield, with seven different Crip sets and four different Blood sets that may even battle internally as well as with enemy gangs.
Robinson-Briggs named a number of city efforts to support young people and deter them from gangs, including summer employment, a re-entry program for youth offenders, motivational programs and even her personal talks with youth in parks and playgrounds.
Among the problems faced by law enforcement are a lack of cooperation from gang members, even those who have been harmed, due to a “no snitching” code. Police may know all the details of an incident, but cannot get anyone to give statements or testify in court for fear of reprisal, Brown said.
Speakers from the audience deplored what some called a lack of interest in schools for the concerns of both youth and parents regarding gangs, as well as a perception of unsafe neighborhoods. But Brown and Security Officer Terrence Davis said police will listen to young people.
As the discussion pointed to a broad-based community effort as the first line of defense against youth gang involvement, Heath wrapped it up by urging all present to fill out an evaluation form that ended with a pitch for further involvement with Project Hope.
Anyone who missed the event but is interested in Project Hope can call First Unitarian Society of Plainfield at (908) 756-0750 and leave contact information.
--Bernice Paglia
Bernice --
ReplyDeleteI wasnt at the meeting but I understand that one of speakers told about measuress that were taken in Newark that were thought to have been effective in reducing gang violence. Are you able to offer an account of what those measures were?
Many thanks
Randy
Great write up, Bernice. I am absolutely overjoyed with the response of the audience. I am feeling hopeful for Plainfield and its youth.
ReplyDeleteCarl
I must have missed where you wrote about the attendees....
ReplyDeleteHer Honor ( TOP concerned citizen, remember, she preached to the Vets about reducing gang violence )and Martin Hellwig ????
Hellwig was not present.
ReplyDeleteMr. Schaeffer;
ReplyDeleteAccording to both gang members on the panel, in Newark a coalition of artists and local government officials, which did not include the police, met with gang members from both sides to organize a cease fire. If I remember the account correctly and any of you present correct me if I am wrong, he said that when the meeting occurred gang members saw friends and known people whom they did not know were part of the gang and even more that they belonged to the opposite gang.
What they suggest is for those who have been previous gang members and have come out of that involvement with a duty to do right, to approach current gang leaders, because according to the gang members in the panel, they know who they are. Approach them because they are people and kids like anyone else and try to organize a cease fire with a coalition of government officials which does not involve the police directly. One of them also said that in Plainfield, we do not really have a gang problem when in comparison what was going on in Newark at that time. I guess he was trying to say that this is very doable.
thanks for correcting me !
ReplyDelete