Is it the gangs, or the violence at issue?
SYRACUSE --
The New York Gang Investigators Association is meeting in Liverpool this week, at the Holiday Inn Electronics Parkway, and it's telling law enforcers that gangs are growing in all parts of the state, city, suburbs and rural areas.
President Andy Grascia says the point is to stem youth violence, and that more than police have to understand gang signs--like the intimidating messages of graffiti--because the whole community is at risk.
In Syracuse, the Media Unit is doing its summertime performances in Syracuse parks, with the message that gangs, or as founder Walt Sheppard calls them, turf crews, are not the problem, the violence they bring is. Sheppard says some cities have turned gangs into community action organizations.
Gang Investigators are lobbying for a new state law, defining gangs to make it easier for law enforcers to do their jobs. Both sides agree the cycle of violence will not go away until economic and family issues are fixed.
More information: New York Gang Investigators Association www.nygia.org
Media Unit performances, through August 13th:
All performances are at 1 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Scheduled dates include:
Thursday July 15, Northeast Community Center
Friday July 16, Libba Cotton Grove
Monday July 19 Schiller Park
Tuesday July 20 Wilson Park;
Thursday July 22, Skiddy Park
Friday July 23, Kirk Park
Monday July 26, Westmoreland Park
Tuesday July 27, Southwest Community Center
Wednesday July 28, Huntington Family Center (2:45 p.m. show)
Thursday July 29, Ward Park
Monday Aug. 2, McChesney Park
Tuesday Aug. 3, Frazier School
Saturday Aug. 8, Clinton Square
Friday Aug. 13, Renaissance at the BeVard Festival, Mulroy Civic Center, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
