Let fallout of gang sting trigger new initiatives

In May 2006, federal, state and Youngstown officials joined forces to capture and indict 29 members of three criminal street gangs on the city’s South Side. Those officials then trumpeted the sting as sending a strong message that crime and hooliganism would not be tolerated in Youngstown.

Fifteen months later, some critics label the long-term impact of that ballyhooed bust underwhelming.

Of some 29 arrests, only one youth has been sentenced to serve time in a Department of Youth Services facility, nine received probation, and five had their charges dismissed. The rest of the cases remain pending in Mahoning County’s clogged judicial docket.

Further fueling the criticism is the fact that several of those swept up in the May 2006 dragnet have since been re-arrested. They include Reshaud Biggs, charged with aggravated murder in connection with the shooting death of Anthony Perez last December, and Dion D. Weatherspoon, 19, also charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of William “Mike” Burr last month.

Does such recidivism and dearth of jail time reinforce the image of the county’s criminal justice network as “dysfunctional,” as a federal court-appointed special master overseeing the county jail called it two years ago?

No simple answer

We think not. After all, gang crime in cities across the United States remains a growing, complex and seemingly unsolvable problem. One sting, netting only 30 of an estimated 800 gang members walking and terrorizing the streets of Youngstown, does not a far-reaching solution make. And we’re not adequately informed on the cases of individual defendants to second-guess judges on the probation granted to many of them.

The fallout from the bust, however, should signal to authorities that multi-pronged actions from law enforcement, community agencies and families must be aggressive and prolonged if gang membership and the evils that too often follow it are to be discouraged. Because gang initiations target young people and because gang activity often leads to increasingly serious criminal behavior, the sooner such meaty, ongoing and comprehensive deterrence begins, the better.

Toward that end, one bright spot on the local horizon is the new Youngstown Police Athletic League, which is offering recreational and educational activities for city youth as an alternative to delinquent acts, criminal behavior and association with gangs.

On-going efforts

Such community outreach should be complemented with ongoing law enforcement initiatives. Participants in the 2006 sting should regroup and resolve to more continuously monitor the streets to rid them of vile gangbangers. The value of long-term coordinated strategies was demonstrated in Youngstown several years ago in the multi-agency Gun Interdiction Project. That zero tolerance campaign resulted in 350 arrests over 10 weeks. In those same 10 weeks, the city recorded only one homicide.

Another critical piece to the gang-deterrent puzzle is family. Parents must do their part to discourage children from slipping into the anti-social influences of gangs. They must adopt their own familial zero tolerance code, forbidding gang attire and gang affiliation. Too, they should keep children involved in sports or other positive group affiliations so they won’t be tempted to join gangs because of idle time.

To be sure, gangs have been with us for decades, even centuries. It’s unlikely that even the most aggressive and well planned strategies will completely rid American cities — including Youngstown — of the vermin. But saving even a small percentage of young people from the potentially devastating consequences of gang membership is well worth the time, money and energy spent on an ongoing coordinated anti-gang offensive.