Gang Activity

3 goals that parents and communities should seek to reduce the adverse impact of gangs, its associated violence and its devastating life-long impacts are:      

  • Raise your gang awareness level.
    The majority of parents today have no idea what is going on in the corrupting abyss of street gangs. These mothers and fathers do not realize gangs have a very strong and constant attraction to our children. From so called "youth groups" (who are led by 47 year old men) to "Rap Artists" (who are/were street gang members) to camouflaged socially conscious, self-help/save the children organizations (Growth and Development-new spin, new name-Gangster Disciples) and political action groups (21st Century V.O.T.E.-Gangster Disciples), our socially/culturally conscientious, community involved, fashion minded, want to be "cool" kids are targeted by these sneaky, street-wise criminals.

  • Supervise your children.
    Our kids want, need and expect clear limits on their activities. So do the right thing and set them, right with reasonable consequences for violations, and most importantly, make the call and stick to your decision. Being "the nice guy" only makes a mockery of your disciplinary efforts in the eyes of your child. Know who your kid's friends are and what he/she is doing with them

  • Get involved with your children, your neighborhood and your community.
    Do you know your neighbor two or three houses down from you? The majority of people do not. Take an active interest in your child's school. Get to know the teachers and volunteer to support activities. Participating in your child's activities and interests will be time well invested in his/her future.       

Please answer the following questions and add up your score to determine whether gang activity is developing in your neighborhood.     
  • Is there graffiti on or near your neighborhood or community? (5)
  • Is the graffiti crossed out? (10) 
  • Do the young people in your community wear colors, jewelry, clothing, flash hand signs, or display other behaviors that may be gang related? (10) 
  • Are drugs available in or near your community? (10) 
  • Was there a significant increase in the number of physical confrontations within the past 12 months in or near your community? (5) 
  • Is there an increasing presence of weapons in your community? (5) 
  • Are beepers, pagers, or cellular phones used by the young people in your community? (10) 
  • Has there been a 'drive-by' shooting in or around your community? (15) 
  • Have you had a "show-by" display of weapons in or around your community? (10) 
  • Are the truancy rate and/or daytime burglary in your community increasing? (5) 
  • Have racial incidents increased in your community? (5) 
  • Is there a history of gangs in your community? (10) 
  • Is there an increasing presence of "informal social groups" with the unusual names that have words like: kings, disciples, queens, posse, crew? (15)       
Add up your score:
0 - 20 points = No Problem
25 - 45 points = Emerging Problems
50 - 65 points = You Have Problems
70 + points = There Are Serious Problems
At 50+ points a need exists to develop a gang prevention and intervention program.      



Important Links

No categories found.

You Recently Viewed...

Popular Articles

No popular articles found.

Copyright 2010 Columbia County Sheriff Office - Sheriff Mark Hunter

4917 East US Highway 90 | Lake City, FL 32055 | (386) 752-9212

Contact Us | E-mail Policy and Disclaimer


Under Florida law, email addresses are public records.

If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity.

Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.