RSSWanted: solutions to gang problems in the Yakima Valley
Yakima Herald-Republic
YAKIMA, Wash. -- More than 250 people filed into the Capitol Theatre on Tuesday night to hear about a problem that has reached into nearly every city in the state: gangs.
In an effort to mobilize communities to take a stand against a growing gang problem statewide, KYVE-TV Channel 47 brought cameras, producers and host Enrique Cerna to talk to law enforcement officials, lawmakers and the public about possible solutions.
The event , "Confronting Gang Violence: A Town Hall Discussion," will be televised at a later date. It drew the entire 15th Legislative District delegation, Yakima County commissioners and city officials from across the Yakima Valley.
Members of community groups mobilizing against gangs in Yakima, Toppenish and Sunnyside also were present.
As the Capitol Theatre became a studio for the broadcast, city leaders, lawmakers and law enforcement officials appeared to have left their titles at the door as they came together with a seemingly genuine interest to seek solutions.
A comment period was even open to engage the public.
"I'm heartened at the turnout," Cerna said, looking at the crowd. "Obviously, this is a concern of the community."
A spike in gang violence across the Yakima Valley this year has residents on edge and police trying to find resources to step up enforcement.
In Yakima County, at least seven of the 19 homicides this year are known to be gang-related. In Toppenish, drive-by shootings occur at least twice a month, and on March 5 one claimed the lives two young men.
Flanked by Yakima County Prosecutor Jim Hagarty and King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, Cerna asked about possible solutions and showed video clips of a former Los Angeles gang member who broke away from a gang, and a Toppenish family who lost their son in March to a gang shooting.
Hagarty admitted that the Yakima Valley per capita probably has the largest gang problem in the state, but it's something that everyone should be concerned about.
"The gangs are spreading and going into every area of the state," he said. "We're not alone."
Agreeing with Hagarty, Satterberg said he's seeing more teens committing violent crimes than ever.
Solutions ranged from devising community programs to steer youth away from gangs and reaching people in their homes to stiffening laws over juvenile crime.
One example of a flawed juvenile justice system is teenagers have to be caught carrying a gun several times before facing any stiff penalties, complained Satterberg.
"Then they shoot and kill someone, and then they're all of a sudden in adult court."
Former Tacoma gang member Marlin Henderson, 29, told the crowd why and how kids are getting guns.
"The problem for the kids is it becomes a source of power," he said of guns. "Kids get the gun at home, parents aren't supervising it very well, they steal it, sell it for $50 and then it's on the streets."
But locking everyone up isn't a single solution, he explained.
A taped interview told his story, how his parents were addicted to crack cocaine and how he was picked on for being a light-skinned black.
One day at age 12, his anger over his parents' drug use led him to beat up another boy. That's when gang life began for him.
He said it was the love of his wife and his grandmother's words telling him to pray that eventually began to pull him from a life of gangs.
He told prosecutors that former gang members who have changed their lives stand the best chance of reaching youth. Both prosecutors agreed that efforts need to be made on a community level, and gang awareness and intervention need to be brought into homes.
Hagarty told Henderson he appreciated hearing his first-hand experience and insight into possible solutions.
Satterberg then leaned to Hagarty and said: "You and I are not the best messengers."
* Phil Ferolito can be reached at 509--577-7749 or pferolito@yakimaherald.com.
Gang forum televised
* "Confronting Gang Violence: A Town-Hall Discussion" airs on Oct. 29 at 7 and 10 p.m. on KYVE-TV Channel 47 and on KCTS 9 in Seattle.
Gang-related homicides in the Valley
Of Yakima County's 19 homicides so far this year, at least seven are considered gang-related homicides. Here is a list of those that police say are gang-related.
* Jan. 4 -- Jesus Tlaseca Sosa, 22, was shot to death by gang rivals at an AM/PM minimart in Sunnyside. Police later arrested suspect Oscar Torres, 25.
* March 5 -- Estevan Silva Jr., 17, and 20-year-old Israel Diaz were fatally shot in Toppenish by a gang rival. Days later, police arrested suspects Anthony Sanchez, 22, of Buena and his sister, Isabel Sanchez, 20, of Wapato.
* May 18 -- Leonardo A. Perez, 20, of Yakima is fatally shot somewhere around the 1000 block of North Fourth Street in Yakima. No one has been charged with his death.
* June 27 -- Oscar Garcia, 16, died 10 days after he was shot in the head in the 400 block of South Fourth Street in Yakima. Police said he was a known gang member. No arrests to date.
* Sept. 29 -- Yorbane Ortiz, 17, of Yakima is shot dead near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Willow Street about 9 p.m. A witness says a car pulled alongside Ortiz before shots were fired.
* Oct. 10 -- Nicholas J. Jimenez, 20, of Yakima was shot to death when someone opened fire on him and a 16-year-old former Yakima boy who were standing outside a house that hosted a party in the 700 block of North Fourth Avenue. Police say they were part of a group that gathered after the funeral of Yorbane Ortiz.
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Society needs to make gang affiliation a felony that is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Obviously, we need to find a much cheaper way of running prisons so we can start incarcerating these degenerates.
Report ViolationIf the prisons weren't considered country clubs and were punishment for crimes committed they wouldn't be quite so popular.
Sentenced to life, do 7 years.
Sentenced to 3 years and out for time served.
In this the feds are right; sentenced to 7 years, do 7 years.
"One example of a flawed juvenile justice system is teenagers have to be caught carrying a gun several times before facing any stiff penalties, complained Satterberg."
This is only one example of the TOTAL FAILURE OF THE STATE-RUN JUVENILE SYSTEM. It is unbelievable that kids need to be convicted of FIVE FELONIES, (not just gun violations) before they are penalized and must serve time in the DH, or wherever.
Another example is the State's "Right to work" laws, that PREVENT jobs for teenagers - jobs that used to keep them busy and off the streets in their spare time. One commenter stated he would like to see the State do a comparison study between kids injured or killed on the job, versus the number of kids killed or injured as a result of gang violence.
THIS WAS A VERY PROVOCATIVE QUESTION, AND DESERVES AN ANSWER.
In a veiled criticism of guns in the home and a possible reason to add one more attack, as I see it, on our Second Amendment rights, the reporter only partially quotes the statement:
"The problem for the kids is it becomes a source of power," he (a former gang member, Henderson) said of guns. "Kids get the gun at home, parents aren't supervising it very well, they steal it, sell it for $50 and then it's on the streets."
The rest of the statement here was that the kids also steal MOST of their guns in burglaries from somebody else's home. This is a significant omission in that it implies that the parents are supplying all the guns, when in fact, the most come from burglaries of others.
It remains to be seen if this forum provides a meaningful and TIMELY result to control gangs, or is only another in 3 generations of nothing but a bunch of hollow words and promises. They had better hurry and close this door as the horse is escaping from the barn.
Boy, I bet this kinda talk wasn't prevaliant at this gathering. Economics and Society 101 say's the top 1% of wealth is distributed evenly among the richest Americans. That would be your private investors that fund new prisons and lobbyist to push for harder punishment of gang offenders. The equation breaks down like this: poor people (minorities) are the the target group of this formula. They are at risk to be victims of violent crime and criminal activity is common in their neighborhood. Not excusing the behavior, but youth re-act to these conditions by forming gangs as counter intelligence to provide security in a high risk enviroment....
Report ViolationThey are recruited at a very young age and are enticed by status symbols of wealth aqquired through criminal activity. They enter a less then resourceful juvenial system that basically monitors there activity until there adults. Then they hit the big time, if not before age 18 by conviction of violent crime. In this area, there is a perfect mixture of a large target population, a perfect trafficking pipeline location and a ratio of law enforcement officials compared to size of area and density of gang concentration. It's simple math, conditions for old western justice and statistics above any average in the state. Just listen to conversations in circles of youth at school, juvenile detentions, county jail and state correctional facilities. It's all there, I wonder if anybody thought of asking the gang members themselves for solutions. They probably have a better understanding of these circumstances.
Report ViolationMaybe waterboarding the little creeps might help? While we are at it, waterboard the parents! Oops that would be considered cruel and unusual punishment and may hurt thier feelings. Better just let them kill each other and look Politically Correct! LOL
Report ViolationThere are many issues and different scenarios why a child joins a gang.
1. Family is in a gang. They are prepped into being a gangster.
2. Family is not stable. Child skips school or drops out.
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So really it boils down keeping kids in school. Wether they need a learning disability identified and accommodations are made to help the student succeed.
And the parents need to be held responsible. I have heard stories of kids getting arrested taken to juv. detention, parents pick them up and an hour later the kid gets picked up again. I say fine the parent $100 the first time, and make the parent stay a night in jail the second. Some people refuse to comply, till it hits them in the pocket book.
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Also refuse any business to any gangster, wether that is housing, food stamps or welfare checks. The 3 basic needs of survivial.
It's really our own laws that create this situation.
Drug laws create the black market that support gangs financially.
Child labor laws give gangs extra power by being able to recruit kids who want to earn money and respect.
1 to both Nick and paparoach for their comments on this.
The thing you don't understand is, gang members don't care that you want to prevent gang crime. Lock up 10, 10 more will be recruited in. It is a cycle that won't stop, Yakima has 3rd & 4th generation gangsters now, it is too deeply rooted in the community. It won't go away.
Just look at YPD's crackdown on gangs, they were able to quiet it for a month or two with the extra patrols, but as soon as they let their guard down.. BAM BAM BAM.. A series of shootings, 2 dead. It came right back.
There is no easy solution to the valley's gang problem. Youth gangs have been around forever and will continue to be, no matter what you do.
However, there are ways to step in and stop a potential member from ever joining. It requires dedication and money, but then, what plan doesn't if you want it to succeed? As someone who was born and raised in Yakima and was known to drag the Ave for something to do in the '70's due to there not being anything else to do in this town, I have a few ideas that might help out.
1. Parental involvement!!!! If you know where your kid is at all times, more than likely, he/she isn't in a gang. Volunteer in school. Be a part of 4-H, Boy/Girl Scouts, Soccer, or any other youth activity. But of course, if your parents are already gang members, this isn't going to work.
2. STOP BABIES FROM HAVING BABIES! With 40% of all children being born to single moms, the kids have no one at home to teach them.
3. Make goals reachable. I don't know too many kids in first or second grade who want to grow up to be a gang member. Unfortunately, a child who sees no future for themselves will fail. Make college affordable, even free for at least the first two years at a community college or trade school. Faced with no possible way of continuing their education, what kid feels like finishing HS?
4. Give the kids in this town something to do! At least when I was a teen, we were allowed to drag the Ave. It was an innocent event every Friday and Saturday night. We couldn't afford to go to a movie (our only other option), so we would just drag the Ave, pulling over and talking to friends.
Yakima needs a teen center. This has been my complaint for the past 30 years. Turn a building like the old Costco store (is it still empty?) into some place for the kids to go. Apply for a membership card that is swiped when you go in and out so that it is known who is there at all times. Have basketball, a large screen TV for movies each night, private rooms (with glass walls) for kids to get together and study, video games, computers for studying, etc.
The center could be "staffed" by high school students in the area volunteering (don't they need volunteer hours to graduate?). Every day could be a specific high school's day to volunteer.
Have out-of-uniform military wander around for security. Have people in the community there to help kids with their homework. Have college information available, etc.
Yakima is neglecting it's greatest resource, our youth. It will take involvement to show these kids that there is a better way and it is reachable.
The time to act is now.
Great ideas SciPhiMom! I especially like the idea of using the old Costco building. It's plenty big enough and it's in a good location. If we as a community truely want to get behind the kids and help make a difference, we will ALL need to pitch in. Parents and seniors can volunteer to help supervise the center...where theres a will, theres a way.
Report ViolationYes! We need to keep the discussion going because some of the topics were not delved into deeply enough at the forum.
We need law that allows and encourages kids to work outside of school! It is good for them, good for all.
We need parents that parent their kids.
I know people would be upset by this idea but I am ok with having uniformed ARMED National Guards on every corner -- why don't we put our own task force to work on our own soil? It is time to end the nonstop burglarization of homes while people are at work. We can be proud of our community members who put themselves at risk in uniform or not in uniform, to help keep the peace for all, including police, teachers, military, security, and citizens who use their guns appropriately such as the fellow who held two guys who were trying to burglarize his home.
There is no easy way to deal with gangs. It may need to be ugly for a while until it is eradicated.
Overfifty,
I'm glad you agree. This is something I've been thinking about for over 20 years. I have it all planned out. The center will be open from 2:30 to 10:00 pm Sunday-Thursday and from 10:00 am to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
The front of the building can have an "open to the public" cafe to help fund the project (both sides will have access). If you want to go inside, you must have a photo card issued to you that you swipe to go inside (and upon exiting). A volunteer can be there to make sure you are who you claim to be. All backpacks must go through a detector. If you don't want to do that, then have lockers available to store your stuff you're not taking into the teen center.
Once inside, you can go to the movie area, where a movie is being shown and hang out. Or you can go to the computer room and work on homework, etc. In college, the library had "study rooms," about 10 by 12 feet, with a table and chairs for study groups (glass walls). Set up a Wi and have guitar hero contests, as well as other video games available. Have a library with popular magazines and books, an arts and crafts room with sewing machines, etc. The list goes on.
Have a basketball court set up, as well as a weight room. How about a place where musicians can set up and play in their own, glass-walled room. Maybe the basketball court can be converted to a dance floor once or twice a month.
Like I said before, active military OUT of uniform can be the security. I'm sure there's more than a few bored soldiers out at the Firing Center that would like to take part. Students and other volunteers can run the cafe, check people in and out, etc.
The costs would be for rent and utilities. Hopefully, the cafe would provide enough money to help with that. Businesses can also help out. Of course, there would be set-up costs.
When report cards come out, have gift certificates donated by area business for those with a 3.0 or over, as well as certificates for the cafe.
We CAN all do this. If Yakima really is serious about taking care of gangs, we need to do something to get the kids involved. Get 'em off the streets and doing something constructive.
Someday, if I ever sell my 4 book teen girl series, I pledge to give 25% to a center like this in Yakima.
Continuing thoughts...
Just how much money are we talking about that is currently being used for gang prevention? If this is such a serious issue for Yakima, maybe a grant could be obtained to convert a building like the Costco building into the center I have invisioned for nearly a quarter century.
When I was in high school, the county came to WV and asked the students what they would like to see at the Ahtanum Youth Park. The same could be done here. Go to the HS's and ask the students what they would like to see at the Youth Center.
I am ready, willing and able to jump into this project with both feet.
WE CAN DO THIS!!!!
The following letter appeared in the YHR during the summer of 1977...
"To the editor--In reply to Ed Quesnell's letter in the June 22 Herald-Republic about traffic problems on Yakima Avenue. I feel his remark that "the police should set up road blocks on the Avenue on Friday nights and issue $25 tickets for joy-riding to some of our crazy teenagers" was in very poor and narrow-minded taste.
I guess I must be one of those "crazy teenagers." But I am also a 3 year member of National Honor Society and this year graduated 30th in my class of nearly 200.
Am I so crazy? What's crazy is for a couple of my friends and me to put $3 in my car, spend $3 each to watch a two-hour movie and come home. An evening like this would cost $12 for the three of us, but we could just put $3 in the car and meet our friends on the Ave.
If Mr. Quesnell is so interested in getting teenagers off the Ave, why doesn't he head a badly needed committee to figure out something for teens to do in this town that doesn't cost two weeks' allowance."
* * *
I wrote that letter to the editor in 1977. Things have not changed, other than the price of gas and the cost of a movie ticket. My "allowance" was the $20 I gave myself each week after having worked 32 hours ($2/hr), the rest I gave to my mom for room and board. I was lucky. At least I had a summer job.
The point I'm trying to make is that things have not changed. We didn't have the gang problems back then, but now as then, there's not much for kids to do in this town but get into trouble. Thirty years ago, at least we had the Ave.
We need a teen center in the old Costco building!
Well, there is things to do just like back then.
I was on the ave, but I also spent 3 nights a week at the YMCA, working 3 nights and during the day. I went to sports events, went to the parks, went up in the mountsins and also went to church.
Guess what... these same things you can do today, so nothing to do is a lame excuse.
The bottom line is lack of core values, nothing more, nothing less.To many parents are just failing as parents.
No personal responsiblity, just trying to blame others.
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
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