Let's teach our children in school to avoid gangs
Finally! Some of our community leaders, Dr. James Wyatt of the Moses Cone Trauma Center and Detective Ernest Cuthbertson of the Greensboro Police Department, are speaking out about the growing problem of gangs in our community.
Hunter Hills West Neighborhood Association had the privilege of hearing Darryl Kosciak, Youth First and The Hope Project (gang prevention) coordinator, and Matthew Hogan of the Guilford County Court Alternatives, present an educational guide for a better understanding of this growing subculture. The information was shocking but very informative.
I asked if this information is being offered in our schools and the answer was, "No. The Board of Education will not approve it." How can that be? Why would a board member not want this?
We teach drug, alcohol and smoking prevention. Why not gang prevention? What are we to do? Wait until the kids are in the justice system? It is too late by then.
If we do not teach gang prevention to our children, we are asking for trouble. We will see more violence, death and destruction of property.
I urge each citizen to contact his or her Board of Education member and school principals and demand that gang prevention education be included in all school curricula.
You will be saving a life, or two or three -- maybe your child's.
Pamela Smith
Greensboro
Editor's note: Guilford Superintendent Terry Grier has expressed interest in beginning such a program and has met with police about it.
Comments (1)
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Interestingly enough, Det. Cuthbertson reported: "Gangs, he said, flourish for three main reasons — racism, prejudice and cultural bias." I guess this means that it's not their fault that they are members of gangs...it's someone else's fault as a result of racism, prejudice and bias. If that is their message, then I would prefer that they do not take it to the schools.
You will note that the focus of the gang units are gang prevention, not law enforcement.
Three years ago, Det. Cuthbertson and Captain Crotts made a presentation to the school board proposing a pilot School Watch program for five schools. The proposed School Watch Program was modeled after the Community Watch program and was a proactive approach to school safety and crime prevention. The design and purpose of this program was to work in a collaborative effort to provide training regarding safety and crime awareness including gang related issues or concerns; serving the purpose of validating identifiable issues that disrupt the learning process and correct misinformation. After Deena Hayes verbally attacked the officers and accused them of trying to make snitches of the kids, the board tabled the program. As a result, the pilot program never saw the light of day. Deena Hayes single-handedly killed the program. It seems that she would prefer having gangs in schools than her babies being turned into snitches. After all, as Cutherbertson said, kids turn to gangs because of racism.
Posted on September 1, 2007 9:21 AM