Big Bang for Suburban Gangs

For years gang problems have hidden in the suburban small towns, because their crimes were spread across various jurisdictions. In burbs dominated by established white residents, locals assumed gangs drew only Hispanics and other minorities and were therefore a transient problem. Increasingly, though, suburban gangs are gaining footholds in suburban high schools, attracting white teenagers, including girls--a development guaranteed to get suburbanites' attention.

Accordingly, suburban officials are educating themselves about gangs whose names are well known to urban law enforcement, talking with state police and cooperating among themselves to identify and fight gang activity. In Westchester, north of Manhattan, last week, a seminar on "Gangs in a Suburban Community" drew county bosses,teachers, police and youth workers to hear local law enforcement describe the signs of gang infiltration, including "hand signs, graffiti, tattoos, mysterious bruises and a stark change in attitude" toward education, parents and violence, according to a Mount Vernon, N.Y., detective. He was joined by former gang members who urged them to find ways to engage teens in after-school programs, judged the best way to keep them out of gangs.

In Massachusetts, where small cities outside of Boston like Lynn and Lawrence have had active gangs for years, the state police are concerned that gangs are broadening their area of activity and are already cracking down. A conference held in Topsfield in Essex County will address how local and state authorities can work better
together.