Attorney General Announces Statewide Anti-Gang Effort

TALLAHASSEE - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and members of the Gang Reduction Strategy Executive Committee today released their statewide gang reduction strategy, developed to address the threat of criminal gangs and gang violence.

The strategy focuses on the three key goals of stopping the growth of gangs in Florida: prevention and intervention, law enforcement, and the rehabilitation and re-entry of offenders back into society.

"Today we are presenting a blueprint for a safer Florida," McCollum said. "This statewide strategy ... provides real direction that for the first time tackles this growing threat to our neighborhoods from a statewide prospective."

The strategy will be implemented through the creation of seven regional task forces throughout the state, with the first task force to be launched on Sept. 9 at St. Petersburg College. The attorney general said he expects about 300 people to attend.

These regional task forces will organize their own strategies to deal with local gang issues, he said.

"We'll be there helping them every step of the way," McCollum said. "We're not talking money, because we don't have money to give them."

Instead, his office will staff a full-time position to work with the regional task forces and a representative from each state agency involved will be involved with each task force, he said.

McCollum stressed the importance of coordination and cooperation among community leaders, charitable organizations and the business community.

One objective is to provide effective intervention programs for young people who are the most likely targets of gang recruitment and identified young gang members.

"Prevention and intervention are key to stemming the growth of gangs in Florida," said Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman, Jr., an Executive Committee member. "If we can block these at-risk youth from entering gangs in the first place, we will stop the cycle of criminal activity before it begins."

The regional task forces will also look at intense community policing and mentoring programs to reduce gang recruitment, McCollum said.

"Derrick Brooks Charities and the Florida Consortium of Urban League Affiliates support the gang reduction strategy because of its three prongs: prevention/intervention, law enforcement and rehabilitation and re-entry," said Darrell Daniels, director of the Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Programs for Hillsborough County.

"This holistic approach allows us to continue our efforts in prevention, intervention and awareness. We believe the strategy will allow us to reduce the proliferating gang problem in the state of Florida."

The law enforcement component will include improving the collection and sharing of gang information among authorities. It will also set priorities and target the most problematic or dangerous gangs, gang activities and gang-related prosecutions across Florida.

"We're working to deliver gang training to Florida law enforcement," said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey, a member of the Executive Committee. "This training, coupled with an enhanced collection and exchange of information, will bolster the enforcement activities underway."

The strategy also emphasizes the importance of working to provide incarcerated gang members with job training and other rehabilitation skills. It will attempt to expand opportunities for programs designed to help offenders prepare for re-entry into society upon completion of their sentences.

"Since most of our inmates will eventually return to society, substance abuse treatment, education and vocational training are vital in helping these former inmates become law abiding members of society," said Department of Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil, also an Executive Committee member. "When people can support themselves, they have a reduced likelihood of turning to crime."

Re-entry objectives also include counseling and mentoring these former gang members so they will turn away from gang membership and/or participation and toward becoming productive members of society when released. Funding for the rehabilitation and re-entry programs will be pursued from private and federal sources.