Willow Glen Resident

News

Residents, city gather to discuss local gang prevention

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

A recent spike in gang-related violence brought back memories most Gardner residents want to forget. But this time around the community intends to stand firm and address the problem early.

Gardner residents along with a slew of local leaders, including Gardner Advisory Council president Rudy Martinez, Gardner Community Center director Tony Torres, District 3 Councilman Sam Liccardo, San Jose Police Department Capt. Richard Calderon and Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Ray Mendoza gathered on May 23 to discuss the situation.

Liccardo told the residents the San Jose City Council is aware of the problem and is looking for solutions.

"One of our priorities is getting more youth and anti-gang programs in place," Liccardo said. "We're going to be putting money behind these priorities. We need to set goals and benchmarks to get over the rise in gang activity."

Calderon recounted recent activity in the community. He told residents there was a stabbing on Delmas Avenue near Virginia Street on April 12, a drive-by shooting on Illinois Street on April 29, a drive-by shooting on Vine Street the first week of May, and a beating on Virginia Street near Prevost Street on May 21. All were gang-related.

"Up to this point, it hasn't been Gardner youth or residents involved," Torres says, "but we want to be proactive."

The speakers provided residents with information on identification of gangs and brainstormed with the community about ways to prevent local youth from becoming involved with gangs.

Bernie Rosales, San Jose community coordinator for the Safe School Campus Initiative, said youths turn to gangs and gang life in order to feel accepted and garner a sense of belonging and purpose.

Reaching the youth before they've made up their minds on gangs, however, takes more than just a few people, said Rosales, who is part of the San Jose Mayor's Gang Task Force.

To stave off future problems will require more manpower and dollars, which city officials acknowledge.

"We are a two-man staff and have a big job ahead of us," Rosales said, "and it's true that it indeed takes a village."

Rosales and his staff visit schools and homes to talk to at-risk youth.

From recognizing the colors their children are wearing to knowing the friends they are associating with, Rosales said that it's important for parents to be in their child's lives in order to minimize the impact of a gang.

One way to do this is to get the children involved in sports, he said.

"It gets them off the street," Rosales said, "and they learn discipline and teamwork."

Gardner Academy parent coordinator Luanne Solares also understands what is needed to prevent youth from becoming involved with gangs.

"Parents need to take responsibility for providing a home life and extracurricular activities for their children so that they have everything they need at home," Solares said. "If that's not being addressed at home, especially at an adolescent stage, they look somewhere else, and that's one of the draws to gangs."

Gardner resident Robert Jones also points out these young people are not merely "thugs."

"They're not just the lowest denominators," Jones said. "These kids need an education. They just haven't had an opportunity or positive role models."

Calderon said the police are given the task of stopping gang activity. "But we respond and clean up the dead, deal with the gang rapes and see the beatings, " he said, "and it happens all too regularly."

Calderon said more needs to be done.

The recent incidents only account for a small portion of those reported. The community needs to become aware of the telltale signs that indicate something may not be right. This way the community can become involved and report the information to the police, he said.

If a group of youth are congregating at 11:30 at night, residents have to make that call, he said.

"The community needs to take personal responsibility," he added. "What are you going to do to stop the violence? We need to be the beginning of a movement."

If residents continue to report all suspicious activity, it will send a message that this behavior will not be tolerated, Calderon said.

There is one known gang, a Norteño or red gang in the neighborhood, another Norteño gang in the Washington neighborhood and a Sureño or blue gang in the Alma neighborhood, forming a triangle of violence. None of the gangs get along, according to police.

Resident and former Gardner Coalition president Kevin Christman has lived in the neighborhood for almost 10 years and has seen the problem wax and wane but never completely go away.

"It's not going to be an easy process," he said. "It's a longer process than we all would like, but it's kind of like getting rid of racism. You do it a person at a time, a generation at a time."