Urban gangs that began in large cities like New York, Chicago and L.A. often migrate to smaller cities, rural areas and suburban areas where there are untapped drug markets, higher profit potential, less competition and less overall gang-awareness. But Gwinnett authorities are well aware of gang activity. Police Chief Bill Dean reinstated the force's gang unit shortly after assuming leadership in 1998. Witnesses say the duplex was a center of activity, with young people always coming and going, drinking, partying and playing loud music into the wee hours, but some neighbors have expressed shock that gang activity was happening in their back yards. Communities that deny gang presence do themselves a disservice, police say.
Gangs are everybody's problems.
Over the past weekend, for example, three people were injured in two separate drive-by shootings in Lilburn and Norcross. Upon request, he meets with community groups, civic organizations and churches. While midnight basketball programs and other types of activities designed to keep boys off the streets and out of gangs are commonplace, authorities interviewed for this story could not recall similar diversionary tactics specifically geared toward girls. How to reach teenage girls is a complex sociological, psychological issue with no solid answers. With the breakdown of the traditional family structure, maybe there needs to be more community-based outreach to teenage girls, Silva says.