An educational effort by the Leavenworth Police Department and the concerned citizens of the Leavenworth area.
Lee Doehring
Chief of Police
Myths About Gang Members
What Is a Gang?
How Did Gangs Form in Leavenworth?
How Are Gangs Identified?
Why Do Our Youth Join Gangs?
How Do I Know If My Child Is Involved?
Addressing Gang Problems
Photographs of Graffiti
MYTHS ABOUT GANG MEMBERS
There are no gangs in Leavenworth.
Gangs consist only of underprivileged kids.
Gang members are male minorities.
All gang members are juveniles.
Gangs are for social activities.
My children can never be exposed to or be a gang member.
WHAT IS A GANG?
A gang is three or more people who bond together for criminal or anti-social activity.
HOW DID GANGS FORM IN LEAVENWORTH?
Like other cities, our youths were influenced by non-residents, and believed joining a gang would be fun and exciting.
Some of today's popular music and movies glorify gang activity.
Gang members have been seen in the local high school, middle schools and even at the elementary schools getting our youths interested in what they are doing.
The police have identified several active gangs in the Leavenworth area.
HOW ARE GANGS IDENTIFIED?
In some cases the gang members are proud of their affiliation and freely admit their gang membership. Many members openly display tattoos, brands and wear their gang colors visible for all to see.
In other cases the police learn of their identities through affiliation and where they hang out.
During this time the gang members can be seen using hand signals which are a form of silent communication, and displays their affiliation which they belong or associate with.
WHY DO OUR YOUTH JOIN GANGS?
There are many reasons our youth join gangs.
These reasons include the excitement of gang activity, peer pressure, attention and the financial benefits.
In some cases the youths are not actively discouraged from participating in the activities by their parents. In some cases the parents encourage the activity, due to misunderstanding the dangers associated with the gang lifestyles.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD IS INVOLVED?
Your child may be involved if they start drawing the symbols associated with the gangs.
The child starts wearing the common colors the gangs wear and refuse to wear certain colors. Your child starts using nicknames for all his/her friends and do not want you to know who the friends are.
ADDRESSING GANG PROBLEMS
The problems associated with gangs is not just a police problem. There are no sure solutions to the problems, and everyone must get involved to help.
Some of the problems created by the gangs are the criminal activities, narcotic violations, weapon violations, and the fact that the females are sometimes initiated by unprotected sexual acts with the male members, there are pregnancies and diseases.
Just recently, the local church organizations have formed a committee to talk to the youths of Leavenworth to find out what they are concerned about.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF LOCAL GANG GRAFFITI
