Gang info urged

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Aug. 9, 1996

By Devlyn Brooks

Staff Writer

The Bemidji Youth and Gang Prevention Task Force met Thursday for the third time in as many months to discuss community action toward prevention and intervention of potential gang activity in Bemidji.

The crowd ranged from concerned parents to concerned residents to local professionals who work with kids to a former -gang-member-turned-concerned-citizen. However, what the more than 20 people gathered agreed on was that before much more could be done, more people -- including the area's law enforcement agencies -- need to be made aware that there is a gang problem in Bemidji.

"My son tells me he is part of a gang -- the mighty Latin Kings," said a parent. "So, I want to learn more about gangs. When I talk to my son, I feel stupid. There has to be some kind of knowledge to put out to the parents."

Christine Chastek, a gang researcher and original task force member, said that is the reason the task force should develop some type of informational pamphlet that could teach parents about gangs, because parents are the ones that are not knowledgeable, not the kids.

Others in attendance were concerned about what they thought is an indifferent attitude toward potential gang activity by local law enforcement agencies.

"It sounds like probation and law enforcement people are minimizing the problem," said Gary Russell of the Evergreen House, "but the community is taking it seriously. I think Fargo had a complacent attitude, and they're in over their head now."

Spencer Brandt, who operates a local tae kwon doe school, said when he called the Sheriff's Department to find out the location of Thursday's Youth and Gang Prevention Task Force meeting, he was transferred to three people before he found someone who could tell him. After it all, he was given the wrong location -- the location for the last meeting.

"How about educating our law enforcement," said the parent whose son is in a gang. "They don't believe we have a problem. They think there is a lot of (gang) wannabes. The problem is a lot worse than anyone thinks."

"And the wannabes are doing stupider things to get into the gangs than the gang bangers themselves," Brandt said.

The audience was broken into two discussion groups -- one on gang education and the other on public policy -- to help establish the future focus of task force endeavors.

The education discussion group listed eight issues participants thought the task force needs to begin to address: preparing information about gangs for the community; continuing lectures about gangs to the community; providing information about gangs to kids; contacting school administrators about gangs; providing information about alternatives to gang members or wannabes; and educating the judicial system, local law enforcement agencies and health care providers about gangs.

The public policy discussion group listed six issues the task force needs to address: making sure the current curfew law in Bemidji is constantly enforced; developing mentoring programs for parents of kids involved in gangs and all concerned citizens; revitalizing the neighborhood watch and community policing philosophies; developing more proactive extracurricular activities that are not necessarily school-oriented for children; developing a community zero tolerance policy toward graffiti; and encouraging area law enforcement to develop a position that would monitor gang members, gang activities and gang information.

" Gang-bangers can be anywhere, any place at any time," Chastek said. "I think it's paramount that we educate the people (of Bemidji), and pull this out from under the covers. We need to take a proactive stance."