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At its monthly meeting this morning, the City Manager’s Gang Advisory Board reviewed its progress in a number of ongoing areas around gang prevention, as well as determined some new, immediate priorities. The board’s efforts include developing summer jobs for youth, improving community access to a crime prevention hotline, and renewing emphasis on neighborhood groups and services to those areas most burdened by gang activity. Better communication with diverse groups throughout the city, such as the rebirth of the city’s Race Relations Council which met last week, were also discussed as a way to improve relations between residents and government agencies. Created as an outgrowth of the city’s gang prevention summits held over the past few years, members of the Gang Advisory Board include the city manager, superintendents of both the police and the schools, the district attorney and staff from his office, Middlesex Community College president and her staff, a representative from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, as well as youth provider organizations, and other members of the community. 

From the start of today’s meeting, the news was not great as Acting Police Superintendent Lavallee explained that gang activity in the city had increased since March, and with warmer weather, those incidents will likely continue to rise. He also noted that increased police presence in high-gang areas tended to displace activities to other locations rather than simply reducing them. A key problem with reducing gang activity is the lack of cooperation from victims and witnesses, mostly due to fear, which is why improving access to hotline reporting services and outreach to the community are seen as essential components to reducing gang-related crime. News on the summer job front, however, was not as bleak. The city expects to offer about 200 jobs through grants, the Career Center, and the Workforce Solutions Group, and anticipates at least that many summer opportunities through private businesses in the area. The city has contacted about 500 employers and some have already indicated a willingness to provide summer work for Lowell youngsters. As yesterday’s Boston Globe article demonstrated, jobs can be a life-altering experience for many young people. Increased community awareness of the board’s existence and efforts was another focus of today’s discussion, so expect to read more about the board’s efforts and how you can help. The problem of gangs and their impact on our community will not be solved over night or by one group working alone—rather it will require multiple actions over the long haul from all members of our community.