The-Leader_2005-02-24_001 |
Previous | 1 of 24 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
This page
All
Subset |
if^^^^
immiim
Pai^ ifld OUng - pages 11-14
70th Year, No. 8 Freepori, N.Y. 11520
The Community Newspaper
Thursday, February 24, 2005
MUSICIANS /AM at "Motown and more" concert at the Freepprt Memorial Library on Sunday. .
Top photos by Paul Laursen
Education is key to gang containment
by Douglas Finlay
A raft of law enforcement officials, from an FBI task force to Nassau County community relations to Freeport's police chief to a New York City undercover detective, provided a riveting two-hour presentation last Tuesday, February 15, at the Freeport Library.
It explained nature of gangs and their modus operandi, and attempted to glean some answers from the 40-plus attendees while offering their own proposals they hope could stem the insidious gang epidemic threatening South Shore coimnu-nities. The meeting was sponsored by Legislator David Denenberg.
Myriad common-sense arguments were put forth throughout the evening by these law enforcers, such as the role proper parenting pla^s in keeping young kids from being recruited by gangs, how vulnerable kids are in being taken by the allure and proifiise of a family - gang, that is - that will take care of them, to society itself perpetrating the increasing violence with video games, to some vague notion that Snoop Dogg, a rapper and a Clip, has somehow become mainstream to certain media circles.
By now much of Freeport knows intimately
the names of gangs that roam its streets and intimidate its residents. MS 13, the Crips, the Bloods, SWP, the Latin Kings, Folk Nation, People Nation, Neta Association and the 18th Street Gang all come to mind. "They kill one another without the blink of an eye," remarked Hector Alicea, a member of the FBI's Long Island gang task force, headquartered in Hempstead. "They have no fear of police because they had it much worse . where they came from in places such as El Salvador."
Rick Smith, another member of the task force, defined a gang as "an individual or group who create fear and intimidation." In providing a five-minute video and slide presentation describing the colors, emblems and modus operandi of many of the gangs, Mr. Smith identified several members from pictures of gang members who are serving life terms in prisons, or who are death-penalty candidates - all young men and women in their early 20s who chose a life of intimidation. 'These are no more than thugs who don't care, hate everyone and will fight and kill anyone," Mr. Alicea added.
"I do not let gang members walk down the streets with their colors," he continued. He tells them when he meets with
them to think of people on the street who are intimidated by the colors, and who are worried about shopping or doing laundry.
"I tell thein to remember what it's like to be back in El Salvador," he said, referring to wholesale arrests and intimidation of gangs by law officials in a country without personal rights. By and large, he said, they respect his request.
"Kids join these groups because parents don't care," said Mike Woodward, Freeport's chief of police, a theme he would continue throughout the meeting. "The roots.of gang membership can be traced to a breakdown in traditional values," he continued, and often fathers are the abusers inflicting violence throughout the household. ,
"Children emulate what they see." He said kids are also bombarded with video games that involve shooting and maiming "so it becomes part of the norm to resolve a problem using violence."
Mixed signals
• Tedd Levy,, director of Freeport Pride, noted thafSnoop Dogg, a rapper and alleged member of the Crips, had become the center square on Hollywood Squares, indicating that (continued on page 2)
Freeport H.S. Cheerleaders - page 16
II iSii
iMMis'
- pages
- page 5
iifiigiilia
- page 16
iiMiia'iSil!
- page 21
www.freeportbaldwinleader.com
. i
Object Description
| Rating | |
| Title | The-Leader_2005-02-24 |
| Subject | Newspaper |
| Description | This is a Newspaper distributed locally within the Village of Freeport and Baldwin. |
| Creator | Linda Toscano |
| Publisher | L & M Publications, Inc. |
| Contributors | Scanned by Imaging & Microfilm Access, Inc. (Bohemia, NY 11716) |
| Date | 2005 |
| Type | Periodical |
| Format | PDF; TIFF |
| Source | Freeport Memorial Library |
| Language | English |
| Coverage | United States |
| Rights | This digital image may be freely used for educational uses, as long as it is not altered in any way. No commercial reproduction or distribution of this image is permitted without written permission of the Freeport Memorial Library, 144 W. Merrick Road, Freeport, NY 11520 or email: frreference@freeportlibrary.info |
Description
Tags
Comments
Post a Comment for The-Leader_2005-02-24_001
