Gang War: Bangin' In Little Rock

Jose Sibrian, with Vratsinas Construction Co., grouts a wall Thursday at a new building under construction at the Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center in Alexander.

LITTLE ROCK — Several new classrooms and dorms at the state’s six youth-detention centers are nearing completion, marking the latest milestone in Arkansas’ effort to revamp its juvenile-justice system.

So far, most of the construction projects are coming in at or under budget, which totals about $17 million solely from federal stimulus money the state received in 2009.

“This is really a perfect storm for juvenile-justice reform because we’ve had all of these programmatic changes - the approach to juvenile justice in general, education, therapeutic treatment and assessment and early intervention - on one side of DYS,” said Julie Munsell, a spokesman for the Department of Human Services, which oversees the Youth Services Division.

“On the other side, they’ve been given the opportunity to literally restructure the different campuses.

“I think it’s going to make a huge difference.”

For years, the state’s juvenile-justice system was plagued by failures in education and youth safety, but the Youth Services Division pushed for new legislation and changes to combat many of those long-standing problems.

Still, the buildings where youths in state custody live and learn remained inadequate. Most are old, and some have been declared unsafe.

With the influx of federal stimulus money, Human Services officials saw a way to improve the detention facilities, which are called juvenile-treatment centers.

The construction effort, which included a focus on making the facilities more energy efficient, is the largest investment in new buildings for the division in decades.

The 5,000-square-foot education building at the Dermott Juvenile Treatment Center is virtually complete, down to having furniture in the classrooms. The price tag for the four large classrooms filled with the latest technological advances for schools, storage rooms and teacher work areas sits at $685,000.

“[Teachers] didn’t have anything before [in terms of workspace],” said Jerry Walsh, executive director of South Arkansas Youth Services, which is contracted to run the facilities in Dermott, Mansfield and Lewisville.

“In the original buildings, education was basically an afterthought. This is coming back and correcting that.”

Students should be in those rooms sometime this month.

Nearly identical buildings at the Colt and Harrisburg juvenile-treatment centers should be open in March. Combined, the construction has cost the state $1.19 million, about $70,000 less than expected.
Though some unexpected costs could still pop up, Youth Services officials said they don’t expect any major additional costs.

In Lewisville, the state decided to build new dorms and turn the old ones into new classrooms. Originally, the state had budgeted $985,000 for design and construction, but changes have increased that price to nearly $1.3 million.

State officials expect savings from other projects to offset those additional costs and say the end result will be worth the extra money.

The old military-style barracks in Lewisville aren’t as conducive to treatment, which is the goal for youths sentenced to state custody - not punishment - noted Ron Angel, director of the Youth Services Division.

The new dorms will house two youths to a room and will have break, study and recreation areas that Youth Services officials believe will foster a more therapeutic environment.

“To have these really nice education facilities as well as the dorms, I think we are far better off than we were,” Angel said. “I think it’s going to benefit the treatment of these kids and getting them back home and into the community.”

The biggest portion of the money - $7.8 million - is going toward the design and rebuilding of the entire Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Center in western Arkansas.

The boxy, 1960s-era buildings that make up the facility are small, rustic and in disrepair. Many have cracks in walls, shifted foundations and thin windows that let cool air out in the summer and cold air in during the winter.

Consultants told legislators in 2006 that the Mansfield center had met its “useful life,” but the state continued to use it. At the time, the buildings were described as“worn out, and, frankly, dangerous.”
Workers broke ground on the new buildings this summer, said Walsh of South Arkansas Youth Services.

The three new girls’ dorms, three new boys’ dorms and multipurpose building that will house classrooms, a cafeteria and workspace for teachers are about 60 percent complete. The dorms all have individual rooms, which Walsh described a huge step up, considering the old dorm rooms housed 12 people each.

The construction price tag is now at about $6.852 million. The construction budget is $7.1 million.

The buildings all should be in use by June and will provide more than 37,200 square feet of space.

“Mansfield was so small,” Angel said, pointing out that classrooms were so cramped desks were shoved against the wall with the chalkboard. “That was unacceptable to me.”

Though Mansfield is the largest and most expensive project the state undertook, it was not the most contentious.

That claim went to the construction project at the Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center, which many people still know by its old name, the Alexander Juvenile Correctional Facility.

It is the state’s largest youth lockup and is reserved for the 120 most-serious offenders.

For years, legislators and child advocates have called for the closure of that facility. Some complained about the state spending any money at all for new buildings there.

But Angel moved forward with plans for a 21,500-square-foot education and cafeteria building that will include 15 classrooms, a library and enough space to use for recreation.

Right now, the project is about 45 percent complete. The state has spent $3.7 million of the $5.3 of the construction budget.

“We’re trying to show these young people there is a better way to live and give them treatment at the same time,” Angel said.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 01/03/2011

What are the issues in your area?

2011-01-03T16:02:00.002-06:00

Are you experiencing gang related issues in your community? What age groups are engaging in the activity in your area?

For more information email me at Steve@GangWar.com

Peace- Live it or Rest in it.

Peace Through Knowledge

2011-01-03T14:14:00.002-06:00

Google Group Full of Resources

2011-01-03T14:07:00.002-06:00

Facebook | Gang War- Prevention, Intervention and Treatment of Youth Violence Issues

2010-02-23T07:05:00.000-06:00

Facebook | Gang War- Prevention, Intervention and Treatment of Youth Violence Issues

Greenhouse Poetry SLAM at DYS

2009-11-11T11:21:00.001-06:00

Meet Jacob Watson, Thea Foundation award winner.

2009-08-18T11:05:00.001-05:00

Visit the Thea Foundation for more information.

Will You Stand by Me?

2009-08-05T11:42:00.001-05:00

Small town gangs are as bad as the big town gangs...

2009-08-05T06:08:00.001-05:00

Six jailed in McNeil after dead man found

Officials say rape, killing tied to gang

By Ginny LaRoe

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

LITTLE ROCK — A group of men who authorities say have been terrorizing the town of McNeil in gang-related violence appeared before a judge Monday to face charges.

Four of the men are charged with first-degree murder. Two of the men are charged in the rape of teenager.

The slaying of a man whose battered body was found in the center of a highway last month was the latest and worst in the string of crimes that members of this gang are behind, said David Butler, the deputy prosecutor in Columbia County.

Dennis Cross, 40, was beaten with a brick and dragged to the center of U.S. 79 on the southern edge of town, police said. A motorist ran over his body before dawn on July 23. Whether he was dead or alive when he was crushed is still unclear.

“We think this group of young men was doing numerous crimes and that the members of the community of McNeil were basically afraid to come forward,” Butler said.

Authorities say Tony Cardell Christopher, 21, was the “ringleader” who ordered the killing. He is charged with engaging in a continuing criminal gang, a felony.

Butler said he is also considering charging Christopher with capital murder, meaning the death penalty would be a possible sentence if he is convicted.

Christopher and another man, Kwasi McKinney, 25, of Magnolia also are being held in the rape of a teenage girl.

Last month, the 17-year-old reported that “gang members” raped her at a Peach Street home. Butler said the rape doesn’t appear to be part of a gang initiation.

“However, I think there were some other beatings that involved this group that were initiations,” he said.

Also jailed on charges of firstdegree murder are Terrance Manning, 29; Rashan Parham, 33; Kevin D. Curry, 22; and Josh Carrington, 17. Carrington is being charged as an adult.

The suspects, all from Mc-Neil, were being held on various bail amounts Monday evening, jailers said.

The murder victim, Cross, had a few minor run-ins with the law, police said. But he “had never hurt a soul in his life to my knowledge,” Arkansas State Police investigator Scott Clark said.

“He certainly did not deserve what he got,” Clark said.

Investigators continued to work on the case Monday evening, looking into other crimes that could be connected.

Butler said he hopes the arrests will make the town of about 600 people in the northern part of Columbia County feel safer.

“Now they can sit on the front porch like they did before,” he said. “We think it will return the community to the peaceful community it was before.” Information for this article was contributed by The Banner-News of Magnolia.

Every Child Needs a Connection to Family

2009-07-27T08:04:00.002-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Now, Meet Kareem Moody

2009-07-21T16:06:00.002-05:00

Kareem is an amazing soldier in the war to save our kids. He's been around a long time in several capacities. His latest project is one called "The Network for Student Success" which operates at the North Little Rock Campus of Pulaski Technical College. He and his staff work very hard to retain young Black men on campus, and to make them a success at their studies. He is speaking at a meeting of City Connections and Mentoring Central.

Meet a Real Hero from Pine Bluff, AR- Sgt. Richard Davies

2009-07-08T13:12:00.001-05:00

Hope In Action! Excellent Gang Prevention and Intervention Ideas

2009-06-29T06:54:00.002-05:00

This video is from several years ago but still has a most timely message. It is about 30 minutes long but I encourage you to watch it especially if you are looking for some creative intervention and prevention ideas. Onward!

Arkansas Youth Challenge- From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

2009-06-20T06:39:00.001-05:00

Guard program helps teens change lives

Classes, service projects put graduates on right path, families say

By Evin Demirel

Saturday, June 20, 2009

LITTLE ROCK — Sixteen-year-old McKenzie McGeahy knew she needed to change direction.

In Harrison, she had been “running with the wrong crowd” - drinking, using drugs - until her mother, Cynthia McGeahy, learned about the Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge online and signed her daughter up for the 22-week program.

On Thursday, McGeahy joined 57 other teenagers graduating in the program’s 32nd class at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock. Cadets marched in lock step through friends and family packed into Davis auditorium to receive diplomas, awards and scholarships.

Heads held high, they “left faced” on shined black boots.

“She’s a lot more respectful of people,” Cynthia McGeahy said afterward.

“Yes, ma’am,” her smiling daughter said.

The program, designed for 16- to 19-year-olds who are high school dropouts or in jeopardy of dropping out, provides students with 200 hours of basic high school math, reading and writing that can lead to high school diplomas or General Educational Development diplomas.

Sponsored by the Arkansas National Guard in conjunction with the governor’s office andthe state Department of Education, the program stresses academic, social and physical development. It aims to produce “a well-rounded individual,” said program director Robin Gifford.

The cadets wake up at 5 a.m. on school days to exercise, then have normal school hours before retiring to do homework.

“When we’d get back to the barracks, we’d study for hours,” said Jade Byrd, 17, of Fayetteville, who said she was four grades behind at the program’s start.

She has since improved by three grade levels, mostly by honing her math skills, shesaid.

Overall, the graduates improved their scores by an average of 1.5 grades, Gifford added.

Every Thursday, cadets performed community service including helping disabled children, walking dogs from animal shelters and working at food banks. They also were involved in local cleanups and clothing donations, McGeahy and Gifford said. Altogether, the graduates logged 4,292 hours of community service. The cadets were required to put in 48 hours each,Gifford said. They averaged 74.

Such activities helped the teens mature, cadets and family members agreed.

Shealese Washington of Brinkley said her son, cadet Darion Washington, 16, was failing school and was disrespectful to older family members.

Sensing that Darion was headed for deeper trouble she entered her son into the program as a “preventative measure.”

Now, the teen “respects himself” and “values others’ opinions,” she said.

His new found goals include getting a job, earning a GED and one day entering the U.S. Air Force.

Twenty-nine cadets earned their GEDs, four joined the Arkansas Army National Guard and one joined the U.S. Navy during the program, Gifford said.

Many others, though, intended to earn their diploma or join the military, she said.

Mentors guide the cadets for one year after their graduation, she added. By the end of that year, about 85 percent of the students are working, going to school or in the military.

McGeahy plans to join the Air Force and then attend college to practice obstetrics and gynecology. McGeahy, who said she used to boss around her six siblings too much, is confident that she now controls her future.

Arkansas, Pages 11, 17 on 06/20/2009

Join the Gang War Group

2009-06-07T06:10:00.000-05:00

Join my discussion group by clicking here.

Need a speaker?

2009-06-04T17:18:00.005-05:00

Do you need an inspirational and motivational keynote presentation for your conference or training? Contact me for several available public and private presentations that have been developed over the years. Click here for more information. CEUs available for most disciplines.

What others have said:

Thank you for your excellent presentation to the Adjutants General National Security Seminar. Your insights on the dynamics of street gangs were well received by the seminar participants. Your lecture was timely, thorough and exceptionally thought provoking and set the stage for additional discussion within the group. We look forward to your return to the Army War College in the future.” John F. Connelly, Colonel, U.S. Army Acting Commandant U. S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania

This program is extremely informative and insightful for the novice. It really enlightened me and illustrated what gangs are all about.” Phillip J. George, School Psychologist Worcester Public Schools, Worcester, Massachusetts

"Steve doesn't just talk to kids, he shares with them. They open up to him, because he knows what he's talking about. His sincerity and concern are obvious to kids..." Dr. Ridge Hammons, Corpus Christi (TX) schools

"Your assembly made me realize violence is not just isolated to big cities and you also inspired me to try and start a conflict mediation group in our school. Thanks for caring about us." 10th grade student, Lathrop High School, Fairbanks, Alaska

"...the students I've talked to after you left were very positive about your visit with us. The ones I have in class who talk of gangs, etc. were very quiet...This is the third time I have heard you speak. Each time I am moved." M.A. DuMond, teacher, DeWitt (AR) high school.

"The response has not just been good from the parents but also from the kids. I have never and probably will never again see one person command 800 seventh and eighth graders without the use of a microphone. ... A lot of good things came from your visit to Lauderdale County. You showed us the facts but also gave us solutions that might work in our community. One thing is certain. We will never be the same." Margy Neil, Chairman of The Violence Stops Here, Ripley, TN.

"...I think we are too quick to say, it's not my problem. Instead we need to change our attitudes and try to do something positive and take back our communities. We should follow the example of Mr. Nawojczyk and get up and go out and do something..." 12th grade student, St. Mary's Academy, New Orleans, LA.

"You are such a strong yet humble speaker. It is interesting to see how you never get in the way of the message. The stories can stand on their own but your strong exhortations come through very clearly." Carol Martin, director STEP/Excel program (AR)

"...I really liked Mr. Nawojczyk, he made me think about things going on around me...I am going to try and be a good role model for my little brother and sister now." 8th grade student, Rose City Jr. HIgh School, AR

Kool Aid Interview

2009-06-04T09:22:00.001-05:00

"Kool-Aid" aka Benjamin Hopkins was a teen when he was involved in the Folk gang scene in the Arkansas area. He appeared briefly in the HBO documentary, Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock. Shortly after it aired, Benjamin was sentenced to prison. These are some of his thoughts...

Benton County (AR) Does PAL

2009-06-04T07:52:00.000-05:00

The Benton County Sheriff's Department has started a Police Activities League (PAL) in Northwest Arkansas.

This is only the second department in Arkansas to have a PAL program.

North Little Rock's PAL has been operational for over ten years with huge success. Good luck to the Benton County Sheriff's Department on this most exciting adventure. The youth of Benton County are the true winners.

Click here to watch a news story about it.

Went to Boys State Again Today-- Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago--

2009-06-03T16:34:00.002-05:00

During the first week of June for the last 16 years I have loaded up in my car and traveled the 30 miles to Conway for my yearly rejuvenation.

Back when the gang violence was at epidemic proportions, I was serving as the Pulaski County coroner and had developed a national reputation as being one who was knowledgeable in the dynamics of gangs.

For some reason, the people who put on the American Legion Boys State each year thought my message would be a good one for the thousand or so high school juniors from around the state to hear.

My first year, I was a nervous wreck. I knew that high school boys are always some of the hardest to reach. I labored over the content of my talk and finally settled on just being myself. I would simply tell them of my “conversion” from being a person who felt the answer to the gang problem was more jails, tougher laws and meaner cops to a person who understood that in order to effectively deal with the problem communities must balance suppression and enforcement with prevention, intervention and treatment programs.

I told them stories of young mothers who I had to sit with and counsel them over the loss of a child. I told of how families struggled to get through the life-changing events caused by a child who made a poor decision.

I encouraged the Boys Staters to engage in some sort of public service as a career. If they weren’t destined for that, I told them to stay involved in their community. I challenged them to become “agents of change” for their generation.

After my first speech to them those long years ago, I got a five minute standing ovation that brought me to tears. It seemed to go on forever. The fires of my hope for the next generation was stoked. And, it gets stoked each year.

I always learn more from the young men at Boys State than I teach them. I don’t teach really, I just reflect on my nearly 25 years of studying death. After all, what you do when you study death is done to benefit the living.

I look forward to many more years of my trek to UCA and the feeling of hope in my heart that is always greater on the trip home than it was the trip up.

Next week, a trip to the delta country and a completely different set of young men.

The following Tuesday, I was headed the other direction from North Little Rock. This time I was making my 9th trip to the Tucker Maximum Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections to speak to the 9th class of the U.N.I-TY program. UNITY was started by an inmate serving life without parole, a prison psychologist and a Correctional Officer Captain. The acronym stands for You and I Teaching Youth. It is a program that is mostly attended by lifers and former gang members. They meet for about 15 weeks and work on many problems inmates deal with on a daily basis.

It is a lot different looking into the eyes of these broken but hopeful souls than it is into the eyes of the Boys Staters. One can’t help but wonder if their circumstances had been different when the inmates were younger if their lives would have taken a different turn.

When I converse with the men at the prison, I am also someone instilled with a little hope because they are so willing to share their lives, which in turn helps me to do my job.

Both audiences make me realize we are all in this together. Somehow, whether you are a ward of the state or a future leader of our state or country, there is a common bond. The need to connect. The need for nurturing caring adults in the lives of children. To turn a worn out phrase, it truly does, it seems, take an entire village to raise a child.

Now I’ll wait until it is time to either go to Boys State or prison again. In the meantime, I’ll continue to share the messages shared with me.

And here is an article written about a previous visit to Boys State in 2004:

Coroner, former gang leader tell Boys State of harsh street war realities
By KODY FORD
Log Cabin Staff Writer

Ten years ago, an HBO documentary, "Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock," prominently featured two central Arkansans - then Pulaski County coroner Steve Nawojczyk and a Crip gangleader named Leifel Jackson.

A decade later, the two men stood on the same stage in Main Hall at the University of Central Arkansas speaking to Boys State delegates about the dangers of gangs and the gang culture.

Nawojczyk served as Pulaski county coroner from 1983 to 1994. He became famous on the streets and on television because of his desire to stop the deaths surrounding gang violence; he used photographs of slain members and bystanders.

Nawojczyk said at first it was hard infiltrating street culture, but the photographs, which gang members often called Nawojczyk's "ghetto pass," allowed the coroner to move unharmed in and out of gang territory.

But not after having a hit put on him by a prominent Crip/drug dealer. The hit was later repealed.

From 1992 to 1993, Little Rock had a higher per-capita murder rate than Los Angeles and New York. In 1988, the Centers for Disease Control sent Nawojczyk a directive saying to report all deaths of African-American males under age 19, because the homicides among this demographic were being considered an epidemic.

He stressed that often victims of gang violence are not gang members but are bystanders.

Nawojczyk says, "Bullets don't have names on them."

This year, according to Nawojczyk, 10,000 people will die from gunshot wounds and 400 of those will be under 18.

Throughout his time reaching out to inner-city youth, Nawojczyk said the gang members and at-risk youth belonged to the "Five-H Club," meaning they were "hopeless, homeless, helpless, hungry and hugless."

Nawojczyk, who currently serves as Director for Juvenile Services for North Little Rock, says the key to stopping violence is simple.

"These kids join gangs because they want identification, recognition, belonging, discipline, love and respect," said Nawojczyk. "Every community must offer this to children."

After he finished, Nawojczyk brought Jackson to the stage. The former gangleader made a confession.

"A long time ago, I put a hit on Steve and if it had gone through, I wouldn't be standing here today," said Jackson.

Jackson thought Nawojczyk was an undercover narcotics officer out to infiltrate Jackson's drug ring. Eventually, Jackson realized why Nawojczyk was visiting his neighborhood.

Jackson, who spent eight-and-a-half years in prison before being released about two years ago, had a thriving drug ring in the Little Rock area. At its peak, Jackson says he was making around $80,000 a day. Shortly before he was arraigned, Jackson's home burned along with the $1 million in cash he kept inside.

"I always cared about the community," said Jackson. "I'd take kids to skate every few weeks, buy them shoes or food if they needed it. I thought selling dope helped the community.

"But how do you justify people dying by taking kids skating and buying them shoes? You can't."

At age 12, Jackson began smoking marijuana and by 14 he was mainlining hard drugs including cocaine. He said he fell prey to two myths growing up.

"I heard two lies growing up," said Jackson. "My mother always said 'Go to school and everything will be all right.' I went but I never paid attention. Also everyone said you could just smoke a little marijuana and everything would be okay because it wasn't addictive. Marijuana is a gateway drug."

Today, Jackson has turned his life around. He works as a mentor and tutor at the Sherman Park Our Club in North Little Rock. Jackson feels Our Club is a better way to serve his community.

Recently, Jackson finished filming a sequel to Gang Wars. In the film, Jackson visits with gang members from the original film as they speak out about how gang membership destroyed their lives.

The Boys State delegates seemed very moved by the speakers.

"Leifel made me realize that we have major crime problems here in Arkansas, not just in Los Angeles or New York City," said John Sims, a student at Conway Christian High School.

"His complete turnaround is remarkable since he was in the middle of the gang culture."

Cop Kills Cop and Riles Up NYC

2009-05-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

City Year! Yes!!!

2009-05-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

A Day in a City Year from City Year on Vimeo.

Steve and the former Mayor of Springfield (MO) chat about youth violence

2009-05-16T21:08:00.000-05:00

Rapper T.I. Moving to Arkansas...

2009-05-16T07:11:00.005-05:00

T.I. is moving to Arkansas, but not to enjoy our beautiful state. He is being put into the Federal Correctional Facility in Forrest City, ARKANSAS.

T.I. was convicted on gun charges. It is hoped those who listen to and admire this man will learn from his errors. It is also hoped, he will have learned his lesson and will work hard to turn the tide of violence when he is released.

Story here.

Mentoring Central in Arkansas

2009-05-10T11:57:00.003-05:00

The Mentoring Central Board of Directors met not long ago in North Little Rock, Arkansas to begin planning their vision to provide well grounded adults to become mentors to the youth of North Little Rock, and perhaps beyond.

The group's president, Dara Booth, can be emailed at DaraBooth@yahoo.com if you desire more information.

Mentoring works. This program will change lives and neighborhoods.

The Grief, Anguish and Anger Go On and On and On...

2009-05-05T07:19:00.001-05:00

From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Man who shot 6-year-old girl convicted again

Mom recalls hitting car floor, grabbing baby as bullets flew

By Linda Satter

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

LITTLE ROCK — It was nearly midnight on May 12, 2008, when Lashandria Washington, weary from a day of work, parked her car in the lot of the North Little Rock apartment complex where she lived and walked around to the rear passenger door to unload her 7-month-old daughter.

“As soon as I opened the door, I heard a lot of shots,” the young mother recalled Monday from the witness stand for Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims in a bench trial of Ricky Dale Smith, 21, the man accused of firing the shots.

After an hour-long trial, Sims convicted Smith of three counts of attempted murder, three counts of committing terroristic acts and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and sentenced him to 110 years in prison. The sentence is to be served consecutively to a sentence of life without parole that Smith is already serving for the December 2007 shooting death of Washington’s 6-year-old daughter, Kamya Weathersby.

The child died when gunmen sprayed the Little Rock house where she lived with her mother, two siblings and her mother’s boyfriend with 42 bullets in a pre-dawn attack, killingher as she lay in bed watching cartoons with her 3-year-old sister, Desiree, who was grazed by a bullet.

In January, Smith was convicted of capital murder and four counts of committing terroristic acts, and was sentenced to life without parole for the Dec. 29, 2007, killing of Kamya. Four months earlier, another jury convicted his half brother, 19-year-old Kevin Lawrence Banks, on the same charges, and Banks also is sentenced to life without parole.

Testifying on Monday about the 2008 shooting, Washington recalled being “pushed in” onto the floorboard and pulling the baby’s car seat over toward her as she went.

“I prayed this wouldn’t be my time this time,” she remembered.

The 27-year-old mother recalled lying still until her boyfriend, Antoine Demetrius “Turtle” Jones, 29, who had been in the front passenger seat, urged her to get up, and the three ran to her cousin’s house nearby, where they called 911.

“I was just hoping to make it,” Washington said.

Jones - who prosecutors said was the intended target in both attacks - had returned fire at a passing car, but it had kept going, and the couple feared it would come back.

In a nonjury trial that lasted just over an hour Monday, Sims also heard the testimony of a woman who lived about five blocks away, who said she was awakened by the sound of a car crashing into another at West 47th Street and Pike Avenue.

The woman, who didn’t attend the trial but whose earlier testimony was read into the record, identified Smith as the man she saw - as she stood on her porch in her pajamas - jump out of the driver’s seat with a long gun on a strap. She said he paused momentarily under a streetlight and then, upon seeing her looking at him, ran the other direction.

Defense attorney Lea Ellen Fowler challenged the woman’s identification of Smith, who the woman at first told police she couldn’t identify.

Officer Richard Gray of the North Little Rock Police Department testified that he arrived at the intersection at 11:35 p.m., where he found that a 1998 Nissan had collided with a Buick that was turning onto West 47th Street. Both vehicles were extensively damaged, to the point that each car’s air bag deployed, Gray said.

Gray testified that he found a .45-caliber handgun with 11 rounds in the clip and a leather holster on the Nissan Maxima’s floorboard. DNA samples taken from the Maxima’s deployed air bag matched a cheek swab taken from Smith, a state Crime Laboratory technician testified.

Outside the apartment complex at 4920 Augusta Circle, detective Michael Gibbons testified that he found 16 shell casings and saw several bullet holes in the 1998 Cadillac that Washington had been driving. One bullet pierced the window next to where Washington’s baby was sitting in a car seat, he said. One went through the rear passenger door. And one, he said, went through the passenger headrest and lodged in the back seat, where it would have hit the baby if Washington hadn’t moved her car seat out of the line of fire.

After the convictions of Smith and Banks for Kamya’s death, prosecutors in March dropped charges against another brother, Marqus Tyrell Smith, citing an “unreliable” witness.

Prosecutors said the convicted men and one other unidentified man were after Jones because Banks feared that Jones had told people that Banks had killed another man, Brent Pettus, 25, just days before Kamya’s death. Banks was convicted in Pettus’ death in November.

After court Monday, Washington said she was glad that Smith was convicted again, and she is confident he won’t be getting out of prison, ever. But, noting that he still faces federal charges, she said, “It still ain’t over.”

“I don’t know them, and they don’t know me,” she said, “but they took somebody from me that didn’t mean anything to them.”

Arkansas, Pages 9, 14 on 05/05/2009

The Hate of Today Continues to Amaze Me

2009-05-01T16:09:00.002-05:00

5 indicted in Donaldson cross burning

The Associated Press

Friday, May 1, 2009

Donaldson (AR) — Five Arkansas men have been indicted on suspicion of burning a cross in a woman’s yard because they suspected she associated with black men.

The Department of Justice announced Friday the indictment of the five men, all from Donaldson. The federal grand jury indicted the men on suspicion of civil rights charges, and all but one face charges of making false claims to the FBI.

The five men pleaded not guilty in a hearing Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant. A trial date is set for June 12 in Hot Springs.

Indicted were 20-year-old Jacob Wingo, 21-year-old Dustin Nix, 29-year-old Clayton Morrison, 38-year-old Darren McKim and 42-year-old Richard Robins.

My YouTube Channel- Bookmark it.

2009-05-01T05:33:00.001-05:00

Cradle to Prison Facts

2009-04-29T07:39:00.002-05:00

Facts about the Arkansas Cradle to Prison pipeline. Click.

Reclaiming Futures

2009-04-26T15:52:00.000-05:00

Reclaiming Futures.

IIR- NYGC

2009-04-20T08:17:00.003-05:00

The Institute for Intergovernmental Research offers a great page on their website that keeps up with current news items from around the nation that have to do with gangs and youth violence. Click here for that page.

Did you know that 31% of school kids in urban areas report gangs in their school? To find out lots of information that will benefit you and your efforts to curb youth violence, click here.

Gang War One and Two-and Ain't No Deny'n

2009-04-18T19:10:00.002-05:00

And this is "Ain't No Deny'n- Gangs and Violence"

Tweet Ticker

2009-04-17T13:25:00.003-05:00

You will note to the right-----------> a new "Tweet Ticker". I will be tweeting frequently with interesting tidbits. It's a great way to get new info. Join me at www.Twitter.com/GangWarSteve

Gangs Exist-- Denial Comes Just Before Disaster

2009-04-16T05:31:00.001-05:00

The War On Drugs Cost Clock and Racial Shift in Prison Population...

2009-04-15T18:23:00.004-05:00

The Cost of the war on drugs is shown here.

Racial Shift in Drug Prisoners-From the Washington Post.

Forbes looks at the use of marijuana and cigarettes at the same time. Not so good for users of both. Verdict out on pot alone, at least in this study.

Hispanic Home Invasion Crime

2009-04-13T09:07:00.007-05:00

Police: Little Rock man shot dead in robbery

The Associated Press

Monday, April 13, 2009

Police say a Little Rock man is dead after he was shot during a robbery at a southwest Little Rock apartment.

Police say a man broke into the apartment on Base Line Road and robbed 30-year-old Oscar Gonzales and four others in the apartment. According to police, the robber then shot Gonzales in the lower chest.

Gonzales later died at Baptist Health Medical Center.

Police have made no arrests. Gonzales’ death is Little Rock’s 13th homicide of the year.

*********************************************************************************

The above story was in the daily paper in Arkansas this morning. It seems that there are a lot of crimes being perpetrated upon the Hispanic population in the Arkansas area. A Google Search turns up a lot of hits related to Hispanic related crime.

Is this a trend in your area? Do Hispanics commit crime mostly against other Hispanics? I'd like to hear from you in the comments section.

It is a difficult statistic to arrive at since many times when a Hispanic is the victim of a crime, they go unreported because the victim fears an "official" contact with the authorities.

UPDATE: From New Orleans-- And from Mississippi--

GANG-INTERVENTION.ORG

2009-04-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

Click here to visit Gang-Intervention website.

Leaving Maximum Security Prison

2009-04-12T09:02:00.004-05:00

Here's some raw footage video that was shot while we were leaving the Tucker Maximum Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections. We had been there videotaping members of the UNITY program for a project we are putting together. WARNING- THE MUSIC BED CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE-

North Little Rock PAL and Mentoring

2009-04-12T06:26:00.009-05:00

There is a group in North Little Rock called "Relationships First" that is putting together a mentoring program and clearinghouse to help the youth of their community. NLR Alderman Cary Gaines is spearheading the effort with the assistance of a great number of other people in North Little Rock. This is a great example of a community working together.

Local video production experts, Doug Krile and Leonard Chamblee are lending their considerable talents to the project. They have been gathering information in order to produce a video to describe the importance of mentoring in the life of a child. What better place to show this than at a PAL event? PAL has been mentoring the children of North Little Rock for a decade now.

Krile and Chamblee spent their Saturday visiting the North Little Rock Police Activities League at PAL's North Heights Ball Fields. They conducted many interviews and learned a great deal about PAL. In 1999, PAL fielded one team of about 12 players in their baseball league. Today the have over 40 teams with 530 kids participating! PAL is a true testament to those involved in its day to day success.

At Saturday's event people like NLR City Attorney Jason Carter and Asst. City Attorney Bill Brown, NLR School Assistant Superintendent Bobby Acklin, (photo right) NLR Police Officers and many many others were there giving of their time to offer young people a safe and fun outlet.

Below is a short clip of one of the interviews conducted by Chamblee and Krile.

Please visit regularly for more information about the exciting project that will be a model for every other community!

Some Good News from Chicago

2009-04-06T18:52:00.002-05:00

BY MEGAN COTTRELL / Staff Writer

April 06, 2009 | 8:00 AM

Kelvin Canon's wake up call happened in 1981, the year he was put in prison for home invasion and armed robbery. His family, he says, just couldn't believe he did it.

"I led two different lives. One life was where people knew me as a good person, a nice and caring person and the other was in the gang," says Canon.

Growing up as a kid in Cabrini-Green, Canon was a model student, his teachers say. Someone who they never would have guessed would rise up the ranks in the Chicago's Gangster Disciples.

But even more surprising than his spiral downward into the gang was his rebound. Canon came back from prison to rise leader in his community, fighting for decent housing and a safe neighborhood for the families there. After four years of serving as the local advisory council president, he's retiring this year to let others take the lead.

Growing up in public housing, Canon had a happy childhood, he says, not what you might think when you hear "Cabrini-Green." He remembers spending Sunday mornings at church where his father was a Deacon and going to the park with his seven brothers and sisters.

A Cub Scout, he was always playing in the nearly never ending baseball and football games going on in the field at the corner of Division and Halsted, near his home in the tall white buildings there.

One of the only violent incidents he can recall was in 1968, the rioting that occured right after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Canon was just five years old when it happened.

"I was a little kid, but I was just big enough to look over the window sills and see a lot of people breaking into staores and tearing stuff up and looting, but I didn’t understand what it was," says Canon.

At Schiller elementary, he had Secretary of State Jesse White as his gym teacher. White remembers him as a good kid, someone he could count on. He gave his student the nickname "cannon ball," which stuck.

"He was always the perfect gentlemen," says White. "He was just a model student in terms of following the rules and not getting in trouble."

It wasn't until high school that problems started. His parents divorced, Canon says, and he started following the wrong crowd.

"My father wasn’t around. My brothers were doing there own thing. I just felt that something was missing," says Canon. "That’s where everything kind of began as far as being a gang member."

He quickly got involved in trouble, what he calls "terrorizing the community" - jumping people, breaking windows, destroying property. It culminated one night when he and his friends broke into apartment 305 at 1230 N. Burling St., the building where he now lives.

Canon went to the state penitentiary from 1981 to 1984, and when he got out, something in him, he says, had changed. When he left, his son was only three months old.

"I told myself I would never go back go jail. I would never go back to the penitentiary," says Canon.

A Cabrini resident, Cora Moore, saw how he was struggling and offered to help.

"She told me ‘I can help you, but you have to let them gangs alone," says Canon.

Canon went to the leaders of his gang and explained his situation, respectfully asking to retire so he could take care of his family and turn his life around. They consented, and Moore got him a job working as a janitor for one of CHA's senior buildings. From there, he became a part of the resident management organization at Cabrini, became a deacon in his church and concentrated on raising his kids.

A few years later, the position of president opened up on Cabrini-Green's leadership council, and Canon ran and won.

Since then, he's been working to make progress on the Plan for Transformation, trying to find a compromise between taking care of resident's needs and moving the plan forward.

"I’m pushing for them to build things up and put people in before tearing up everything," says Canon.

It's a hard role to be in, says Alderman Walter Burnett (D-27), but Canon has played it well.

"He tries to work on behalf of the community, but at the same time, he saw the big picture, and saw that the community needed a place to stay," says Burnett.

Burnett says it took a lot of humility for Canon to step down as a gang leader and just become a regular guy in the community, and Canon has carried that humility with him into his work as the LAC president.

"Anytime that Kelvin was asking for something for the community, it would be for the people in the community, not for himself," says Burnett.

White says he's extremely proud of how his old student has come back from his days in the gang, something he says you don't often see in the neighborhood.

"Canon's been down that road, and he's now working to encourage others not to follow him there," says White.

Local Advisory Council elections came again this week, but after a four year term, Canon didn't run again. He's enjoyed working for the community, he says, but now it's time to give other people a chance to work on behalf of their neighbors. He'll still be involved, he says, and he's proud of what he's been able to accomplish for his neighborhood.

"I was in the books as a part of the black gangster disciples. Now I’m in the books as part of the history of Cabrini," says Canon. "Back then, it was illegal what I was doing, now I can take credit for what I’m doing and be remembered."

He regrets the harm he did to his community as a gang member, but carries those lessons with him today.

"I led two different lives," says Canon. "In the end, God gave me enough time to choose between them."

Staff Writer Megan Cottrell covers public housing for the Daily News. She can be reached at 773-362-5002, ext. 12, or megan [at] chitowndailynews [dot] org

Why Chicago Kids Kill One Another by: Edward Hayes

2009-04-06T12:01:00.001-05:00

Now that we have officially added the thirty-first child to our Chicago Public Schools (CPS) death watch, a morbid body count that was established here by super non-educator, Paul Vallas, let’s explore the chain-of-reasoning that drives children to kill one another. I’ve had hundreds of professional encounters with Chicago gangs, most often they were members of either the Vice Lords, or the Gangster Disciples, and over one two-year period, the Latin Kings and the Two-Sixers. However due to the limits of my experience and the mathematics of column space, I will confine my opinions to analysis of black-on-black mayhem. Notice that I capitalize gang names, and I also speak of them in the same tones I’d use when mentioning equivalent criminal enterprises like AIG, ENRON, or the Illinois Governor‘s office. Why? Because it is not smart to underestimate your adversary.

The universal attraction to gangs: Despite what the ACLU, NOW and Code Pink might want to believe, boys have an anthropological attraction to strength, physical strength, demonstrative physical strength. It is no happenstance that men spend billions of dollars on sports, and go nuts with the beginning of the football season. The end of the college basketball season is called March Madness, not March Niceness.

The first casualty of childhood: Long before the Santa Claus con is debunked, and the Easter Bunny is thrown overboard, the mommy myth is destroyed. Right about the third grade, boys start the physical process of becoming men. If you don’t believe me, grab an angry nine-year old, but put the coffee cup down first. Oh, they won’t say anything, but boys see that mom is kinda little and the only reason mom can punish them is because the boy permits it. The renown village fear of mama is merely ghetto code for respect.

The ghetto nightmare: If a nine-year old can resist mommy, what in the heck can she do to fight off the barbarians when they storm the gate? Answer: Call daddy. Therein lies the rub. In seven out of ten black families, there is no daddy to answer the call. The third grade man-child realizes that he is the family protector, mama though beloved, is just noise.

The cultural Imperative: Black boys are reared in homes where spanking is considered normal punishment. They go to schools where street fighting is not only expected, it is mandatory. The only reliable path out of poverty is contact sports. Before the Michael Jordan era, the community’s biggest heroes were always boxers: Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali. Furthermore, the first American institution outside of sports to level the playing field for black men was the military. Visit Fort Huachuca in Arizona and you will be greeted by the larger than life statue of the legendary Buffalo Soldier that stands guard at the main gate. And you wonder why black men are have an affinity for violence?

The urban way: As our nation developed from a mercantile colony to an industrial powerhouse, strong-hearted immigrants poured into our cities, rolled their sleeves up, joined with ex-slaves and built a super power. And while they were at work and their wives were struggling with the new language, their rough-and-tumble children were beating the socialism out of each other on the streets of New York, Chicago, and every other big city. The father of modern Chicago, Mayor Richard J. Daley (the elder) was himself a made member of a sometimes violent Irish street gang, the Hamburg Club.

Theo Shirek in 2002, wrote: Even the Irish were in further separated into groups, the Dashed Irish lived in the north northwest of Bridgeport, the Canaryville Irish lived in the south of Bridgeport, and the little area around the church of the Nativity of Our Lord was where the Hamburg Irish lived. . . . And the youth of the area had the Hamburg Athletic Club, which functioned as a baseball club, a mechanism of the political machine, and even a youth gang. This club would be the start of Daley’s political life.

The guns: Street violence with fists, Louisville Sluggers, bicycle chains, and switchblades have been routine artifacts of urban existence, but it was the introduction of drugs that opened the door to handguns and tricked-out automobiles. It is here that we must insert the corporate element. Blacks do not control the importation of drugs, nor do they manufacture firearms. Nevertheless, once established, drug distribution networks must be defended. Big money, bigger guns. Besides, the explosive potential of a ergonomically perfect man-tool is as irresistible as the temptation to see what it can do. Power, as Chairman Mao Tse Sung famously said, ‘comes from the barrel of a gun.’

The killing: ENRON is not to blame when one child shoots another, the shooter is fully at fault. Angry, dysfunctional, and UNGUIDED children, when overwhelmed by the factors listed above, become an anti-social force so vile and irrational that they are no less lethal that the terrorists we are fighting in our ‘Overseas Contingency Operations.’ (Jeez!)

The pathos: As a principal I was constantly at war with the silly attempts to give children self-esteem. Esteem is earned, not bestowed. Ironically, self-contempt is a dish served to structure-less children in mouth-size bites that take a collective toll early in life. Your typical CPS shooter values little in life, least of all himself. Ralph Ellison’s classic novel Invisible Man captures this malady perfectly, and that was a half-century ago. Indeed, a boy starts off life in 70% of black homes without a father, then he enrolls in a sub-par school system with an 85% female faculty which has a 100% prohibition on prayer and patriotism, and little regard for developing manhood. On the other hand, street gangs have creeds, oaths, and multiple symbols of masculine allegiance. Connect-the-dots.

Darwinian evolution: Any organism, once it grabs a foothold, will scratch, claw, and evolve to survive.

An eight-grade youngster, Danny, who’d just moved here from New York told me a chilling tale, and I don’t chill easily. Danny, a Latino lad, said that the gangs depended on two natural phenomena to sustain a continuing line of recruits. The first, single-parent homes, and the second, bad teachers. I was shocked when Danny told me that when the gangs encountered a caring teacher that was blocking the recruitment of a sought-after boy, the gang took action.

The gang would enroll a member in that school just so the gang member could engage that teacher in an incident that would result in the teacher taking a punch at the kid so that the teacher’s reputation would diminish and he would lose the power he had to thwart their recruitment drive. Most excellent counter-insurgency. Never underestimate your enemy.

Author: Edward Hayes
Examiner.com

Troubles in RI ?

2009-04-05T05:41:00.000-05:00

Stressed RI gang mediators bracing for violence

By Hilary Russ, Associated Press Writer | April 4, 2009

PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Carlos Bryant drives the city streets in a beat-up blue Buick sedan, looking for kids who are like he used to be: dangerous and misguided.

He sees an 18-year-old he knows -- a "shooter," Bryant calls him, the term for someone known for having fired on rival gangs.

The teenager hails him from down the street. Bryant fishes out a flyer for an iron worker apprenticeship and hands it to him.

"He doesn't have anything to do. He's very smart, but very dangerous," says Bryant, a so-called street worker with the Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence, a nonprofit peace and mediation group.

Police, public school administrators and others credit the group with having helped curb gang retaliations and shootings. But they fear budget woes and layoffs -- cutting four of its 13 street workers -- will reverse the gains they've made in stemming violence.

"They're doing all they can do, but if something doesn't happen really quickly, I'm scared," said Anthony Hubbard, director of YouthBuild Providence, a school and construction training program that often accepts kids referred by the institute's street workers.

The institute gets most of its $1.3 million budget from foundations, donations and occasional government grants. But lately it has seen private donations shrink and now is facing a $300,000 budget shortfall. At the same time, the demand has gone up for services, which also include counseling for people whose loved ones have been killed and re-entry support for kids getting out of juvenile detention.

"Everyone is sending an apology," said Teny Gross, the institute's executive director. "It feels a lot more desperate. There are VIPs of banks and investment places that used to donate to you that are now themselves out of a job."

And that means even fewer jobs to offer kids with a history of gang connections.

"Now when people come and say well, can you help me, I want to do the right thing, it's become a lot harder," Gross said.

Already, street feuds have been escalating, creating more work for remaining street workers.

Providence Police Detective Sgt. Michael Wheeler, head of the city's gang unit who credits the street workers with helping reduce retaliations, doesn't have the exact number of gang-related incidents for the year so far but says the usually cool winter months have seen several gang-related incidents, mostly between two groups.

"I think (street workers) definitely make a difference with what happens with the kids on the street, in a positive way," Wheeler said. "I respect the fact that these are people who are from the neighborhoods and trying to work with the kids and trying to settle disputes before they get where they're at."

In January, police say a 17-year-old riding a public bus was stabbed in the stomach by rival gang members.

In mid-February, two 19-year-old men were shot as they sat in their car the drivethru of a fast-food restaurant.

In March, a 17-year-old was fatally shot at a backyard party. Days later, a 17-year-old associate of a rival gang was allegedly shot in retaliation.

"This has been a miserable few months," Gross said.

It's been so bad, in fact, that Gross brought in counselors for his own staffers to help them deal with the stress and avoid burnout.

Bryant, 45, has seen both sides of street violence.

When he was younger, Bryant would spend his days high on cheap beer and gin. He spent 18 months in jail for breaking and entering in the early 1990s -- a time during which his brother was killed. But instead of seeking vengeance, a friend helped him get clean, and get a job.

He's spent the past seven years trying to do the same for others, being on call 24 hours a day.

"There's only a few of us right now," Bryant said, "and a lot of work to be done."

When Will They Learn? When Will It End?

2009-04-04T15:58:00.003-05:00

From KARK-TV Channel 4. Guns Guns Guns. When will it all end? Now we have two families that are devastated.

Horseplay with Gun Kills Center Ridge Teen

Reported by: Betsey Martin, KARK 4-News

Saturday, Apr 4, 2009 @02:58pm

A Center Ridge teen is dead this weekend, after a friend accidentally shoots him.

Eighteen year old Jeremiah Bradshaw died last night after a friend fatally shot him in the Walmart parking lot in Morrilton.

Police describe the incident as horseplay.

A 24-year-old man from Center Ridge aimed the gun at Bradshaw and pulled the trigger about five times.

The fifth shot fired a bullet landing in the victim's chest. The gun belonged to the suspect and he told police he thought the gun was unloaded.

Bradshaw died at the hospital Friday.

KARK spoke to Bradshaw's family and friends who are reeling with the loss. Bradshaw is a senior at Nemo Vista high school.

Right now, police have not charged the suspect, but the investigation is ongoing.

More Death. Leifel Jackson's Nephew Killed Creating More Grief For His Mother--

2009-04-02T04:36:00.002-05:00

(Anthony Jackson, Dem-Gaz Photo) ---------------------------->

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

2 brothers fatally shot 15 years, 2 blocks apart
As he lay dying in ’94, 1st bade 2nd goodbye

By Jacob Quinn Sanders
Thursday, April 2, 2009

LITTLE ROCK — As Toboris Molden lay dying from a gunshot wound on a February night 15 years ago, he took care to say goodbye to his grandmother, his mother and his two younger brothers.

The youngest brother was Anthony Jackson, named for his father and just a year old at the time. On Wednesday, their mother again grieved the loss of a son. This time it was Jackson, who was 16. Little Rock police found him and a family friend each shot in the head inside a red 1999 Pontiac Sunfire at 2:30 a.m. stopped in the intersection of West 22nd and South Valentine streets.

That is two blocks from where Molden was shot.

“My son got shot on [West]Martin [Street], and now this one got shot on Valentine,” their mother, Debra Smith, said as she stroked her forehead with her long green fingernails. “Fifteen years apart. I can’t question God, but I want to know why.”

Jackson was her fourth son, older only than Smith’s 11-year old daughter. She described him, as mothers tend to do, as respectful and a “good boy.”

She said she knew he wasn’t perfect. He ran away a couple of years ago after a stint in a juvenile hall to avoid a sentence of boot camp.

“He said he’d rather live on the streets than go to boot camp,” Smith, 48, said.

He met people on the streets, people his mother called “not the right kind of people.” Jackson started selling drugs to make money and survive, she said. He had not been to school in at least a year.

“Everybody knew Anthony was selling drugs,” Smith said. “It wasn’t no big secret. But when I just saw him on Sunday, he come by my house and he told me he was thinking of turning himself in. He wanted to start a new life. I don’t know if he knew how to do that yet.”

Little Rock police found Jackson dead in the Pontiac shot in the back of the head, sitting alongside the body of Kenneth Marion, 57, a neighborhood handyman witha long record of drug abuse and prison stints.

“I have been getting phone calls all day with people trying to tell me something they think about what happened,” Smith said. “I just don’t know what the truth is yet.”

Investigators had made little progress in the case Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s still early,” Little Rock police spokesman Michelle Hill said. “We’re confident we’ll keep progressing in the case and get toa positive outcome. Somebody called in hearing the shots, so we know there are witnesses out there.”

One of Jackson’s uncles is Leifel Jackson, a former drug dealer who claims the title of co-founder of the Original Gangster Crips gang in Little Rock. His life is sufficiently different today that Gov. Mike Beebe considered granting him a pardon in January.

“We were close,” Leifel Jackson said of his nephew. “He loved his Uncle Leifel.”

Uncle and nephew talked regularly, sometimes about life on the streets.

“I was talking to him a few months ago, or maybe a year ago, and he told me how proud he was of me for turning my life around,” Leifel Jackson said. “He said it let him know that no matter how deep he was in his own mess that there was always a chance that he could turn his life around.”

Just as each child is different, Smith said, her reaction to Jackson’s death is far different from how she felt when she lost Molden.

Molden was known as a good child, always home by 9 p.m. He avoided the gang life that consumed many of his peers growing up around West 22nd and South Valmar streets in the years before his death.

He was 15 when he was hit twice in a drive-by shooting at 22nd and Martin. At least one bullet entered his body from the back as he tried to hop a fence. The angle of his jump put the bullet on a path to his heart, his mother said.

He ran a block and banged on his mother’s back door until she opened it.

“He told me he was shot,” Smith said. “But I couldn’t find any blood. He didn’t look like he’d been shot. You couldn’t see anything on him.”

Molden’s mother and grandmother helped him lie down. More relatives gathered around, including 1-year-old Anthony Jackson.

“We were telling him to hang on, that he was going to make it,” Smith said. “But I guess he just knew. He told us to be quiet, said he had to say goodbye to everybody. He said goodbye to me, to his grandmother. He said goodbye to his brothers.”

Taken to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital, Molden died in surgery just before midnight.

A decade and a half later, Smith sat on her overstuffed couch wearing a white Barack Obama T-shirt and fighting her memories and her emotions.

She no longer lives in the neighborhood where she grew up, the one that claimed her two sons, having moved two years ago to a house just west of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. It was from there that she went at 3 a.m. to try to get close to Anthony Jackson after police told her he was dead.

“It wasn’t like with Toboris,” Smith said. “I didn’t get to see Anthony. I didn’t get to say to him that I loved him. I didn’t get to touch him. I still haven’t seen Anthony’s body.”

There is one way in which Smith said she hopes Molden’s death will be different from Jackson’s. Though Little Rock police arrested two people in Molden’s killing, one was acquitted, and charges were eventually dropped against the other.

“He never got justice,” Smith said. “It wasn’t like people didn’t know who did it, but nobody wanted to be a witness.”

For that to happen in her younger son’s case is unacceptable, she said.

“Not this time,” she said. “Somebody saw something. Somebody knows something. This will not happen again.”

Encouraging Words

2009-04-01T10:48:00.006-05:00

The following is a letter from an "Encourager" who works with the STEP Ministry, an amazing mentoring program that has been ongoing in the Eastgate area of North Little Rock for 23 years.

STEP member Carol Martin, who trains Encouragers, always tells me that if a mentor is in it for themselves, they are in it for the wrong reason. Those that develop good mentoring relationships with youth, however, are always rewarded. Frequently mentors talk of they lessons the children taught them.

One person can make a huge difference in the life of a child, even if it is only an hour a week. This hour invested reaps no telling what sort of benefits, now and down life's road.

Here's the very moving letter:

This school year I signed up to be an Encourager at ABC Elementary where M and S (my children) go to school. The Encouragers program is a mentoring program through STEP Ministries where you meet with 2 children, 30 minutes each, 1 day a week-helping them with homework or simply playing a game. This is my first year as an Encourager and I want to share a story.

I “encourage” a 4th grade girl. I’m going to call her Jane. (That’s not her real name) She is very pretty and she is very quiet. She lives in a 2 parent home with 2 other siblings. Her parents are into some serious drugs. Serious. Her father is illiterate and he only finished 6th grade. Her mother doesn’t “work” outside the home because her husband is afraid she’ll cheat on her.

Yep. Jane tells me stories of parties and guns at her home. And my heart breaks every time for her. Jane can barely read (i’m guessing maybe a 1st grade level) and is struggling at math. Mom was using drugs while she was pregnant with Jane and continues to smoke them around her children now. Jane’s brain isn’t that of a normal 4th grade girl….but her heart is.

The 1st 5 weeks of Encouragers, we have been working on multiplication facts. Her 0’s, 1’s and 2’s. Jane cannot do them. At all. She made an F in math on her report card (which didn’t suprise me). Something made me ask her about her spelling. Which she replied she makes mostly F’s on all her spelling tests. So I suggested to Jane that we take a break on the multipication facts and switch to her spelling words. This was yesterday (Thursday).

Although the whole class has 20 spelling words on their test on Friday, Jane only has 10. They are: few, dew, new, blue, knew, grew, truth, thumb, stuck…and I can’t remember the other one.

I asked her to spell grew, to write it on her paper. She looked at me, then her paper, and wrote “gru“. I asked her to spell “truth“. She wrote “thut“. Here it is the Thursday before her spelling test on Friday and couldn’t spell one single word on that list. Not one word!!! She has no one to help her, no mama to review her spelling words with her. Her sweet, sweet teacher does a fantastic job at doing everything she can to help her and set her up for success but Jane just can’t do it. Or so we thought…

Jane and I spent our 30 minutes yesterday writing the words. I’d say a word and tell her how to spell it and she’d write it on her paper. Still misspelling it-even after hearing me spell the word out loud to her. But at the end of our time together she had spelled all 10 words correctly twice without me helping her at all.

With permission from her teacher, I went to see Jane this morning and we went over her spelling words right before the test. She had remembered how to spell 8 of them. I reminded her of the differences between “new and knew”, again. And then I left her to take her test.

When I got in my car I prayed for Jane. That somehow she would at least get a C or even a B. That just this once, she could be successful in something and be proud.

Later this morning, I later got a phone call from Jane’s teacher. Jane wanted to talk to me.

“Mrs. S--, I made a 100 on my spelling test.”

I thought my heart would burst into a million pieces. (And yes I cried, right in the middle of Kroger) I was so proud of her. And I can’t wait to see her this afternoon.

Often times it is a pain to have to stop in the middle of my day to go to the school for 1 hour to help 2 girls I barely know. Many times I don’t want to. I know I have encouraged Jane .

But what she doesn’t know, and may never know is that she has encouraged me. Encouraged me to not overlook the ones who have nothing or noone. Encouraged me to help the father/motherless. (even though she has a father and a mother…she is still father and motherless.) Encouraged me to help the helpless. Encouraged me to even be thankful of what I have at my own home. (Heck-we don’t even review our spelling words and both my girls make 100’s every time.)I take that for granted and I shouldn’t.

Thank you Jane, for encouraging ME!

Mrs. S--

Oxnard CA To Spend $400k To Combat Gangs

2009-03-29T06:12:00.004-05:00

Click here to read the story.

Like I have said many times on this site and in other places, any community that hopes to have success in combating gang and youth violence must balance suppression and enforcement programs with prevention, intervention and treatment programs.

For more information about programs contact me at GangWarSteve@comcast.net.

(Photo of NLR Firefighter Brian Thomas, who has been a mentor in our city for several years, poses with two buddies from the Boys and Girls Club.)

Teens Against Gang Violence-- Massachusetts

2009-03-26T05:38:00.002-05:00

Click here to go to the Teens Against Gang Violence website. Looks like a good thing happening up in Massachusetts.

Follow My Tweets, or is it Twitts, Hell, whatever...

2009-03-23T14:16:00.004-05:00

Click here to sign up for my tweets on Twitter. The address is www.twitter.com/gangwarsteve

Also, there is a great resource site called KNOW GANGS.

Another Day of UNITY

2009-03-16T04:44:00.008-05:00

Deputy Arkansas DHS director Steven Jones encourages inmates to stay involved in their children's lives despite their current circumstances. Jones' talk was well received and one inmate said he had been highly motivated by Mr. Jones' words.
In the above photo, left to right are Captain J. Davis, Doug Krile, Leonard Chamblee, Alvin Williams and Alderman Cary Gaines. Davis and Williams are two of the co-founders of UNITY. Krile and Chamblee are working on a video project for Alderman Gaines who is forming a mentoring coalition and outreach group in three of the four wards of the city of North Little Rock, AR.

On March 12, another visit to UNITY at the Tucker Maximum Unit was done. This time it was to not only exchange information, it was also a day of videotaping of several inmates so they could express the importance of strong mentors for the youth of every community in not only Arkansas, but nationally as well. In the bottom photo, inmate Alvin R. Williams, a co-founder of UNITY, is interviewed by Doug Krile. Inmate Steven Miller is seeen awaiting his turn at the mic.

The inmates, many incarcerated for life, all said that they felt sure if there had been a strong positive role model in their lives when they were young, none of them would be where they are now. Many times, as Alvin Wiliams said, a gang leader stepped in to that role of a guiding adult.

The group also held an exchange with Mr. Steven Jones (top photo), the Deputy Director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Jones oversees DYS and was interested in the inmates thoughts about prevention and intervention efforts, and how important programs were for communities to keep youth out of the grasp of the states's juvenile justice system. You might remember that the Juvenile Justice Reform Report had been left with UNITY participants so they could provide feedback.

NY Hospital Employees Learn Gang Signs, Tulsa Gang Member Arrested and 17 year old shot in gang feud --

2009-03-14T09:21:00.007-05:00

Click here to read about a hospital that felt a need to train their employees to recognize gang involved patients and families.

And, click here to read about a gang member in Tulsa charged with plotting to kill a police officer.

Plus, in R.I. a 17 year old is shot in what authorities are describing as a "gang feud."

How Stupid Can You Get?

2009-03-10T06:00:00.005-05:00

<---------- Balthazard Senat

ILLEGAL RADIO STATION BUSTED IN FLORIDA

ORLANDO, Fla. — Federal Communications Commission officials and deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's gang unit busted a pirate radio station they say was reportedly broadcasting information on where to buy drugs.

Authorities say the "Street Heat" broadcast included live advertisements for criminal gangs and discussions of where to buy drugs and find prostitutes.

Balthazard Senat and Christopher Robert Roth were arrested Friday and charged with unauthorized transmission and possession of cannabis with intent to deliver. Officials say Roth was a DJ for the radio station.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office and a person answering the phone at the Orange County Corrections Department had no information on whether the men had retained attorneys.

BREAK FREE in Tallahassee

2009-03-06T06:25:00.002-06:00

Click here to view a nice public service in Florida to help parents and others deal with gangs and violence. Good to see communities stepping up to the plate on the prevention and intervention side. Steve

Sent to me via E-Mail

2009-03-05T07:23:00.001-06:00

From my email in-box. The clip bears a look-see. Steve

The Compton Cricket Club team just uploaded their first cricket rap music video onto youtube. Am trying to get it played on a few media websites at the moment but going slowly.

Link to video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKa2mp5ePes&feature=related

One of the team members younger brothers was an innocent by stander in a drive by the day i was in Compton in February with the team to do a photoshoot with a major apparel company to publicize a major national soccer clubs new jersey. He was 20 years old and it made the LA times. This tragic event definitly brought it full circle why ive been involved with the club for so long now trying to get them to Australia.

kind regards

Hugh Snelgrove

Now You See It---Now You Don't

2009-03-03T01:34:00.000-06:00

Click here for an article on tattoo removal sent to Gang War by the author, Rick Barker.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

2009-02-26T11:36:00.005-06:00

For information on booking Steve Nawojczyk please visit:

Here!

And for educators and parents, there is a great new resource to join. Click here to get to Teachers Against Gangs.

From Fifteen Years Ago...A Little About Me.

2009-02-13T19:17:00.001-06:00

Coroner's crusade against the killing

By Tony Moser
Special to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Friday, March 12, 1994

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. -- For Steve Nawojczyk, a pensive Saturday drive through the mean streets of Pulaski County is like paging through an old photo album filled with nothing but the saddest of souvenirs.

He's a man whose mind teems with images of the meaningless, tragic waste of young lives; images of the bodies he's scraped off these streets. They are lives lived dangerously and taken casually; the lives of frenetic, impatient young men whose futures sail away with a bullet through a bloody exit wound.

Finally, these lives - which were so often led in a cruel haze of drugs, alcohol, gangs and desperation - leave nothing behind but an inert mass of flesh for Coroner Nawojczyk and his staff to zip up in a body bag and deliver to the state Crime Lab for autopsy.

Nawojczyk -- a rumpled, affable man of 41 who does his grim business in scruffy cowboy boots and bluejeans, while alternating between a Sherlock Holmesian pipe and well-savored cigars -- will step aside as Pulaski County coroner when his term ends in January 1995.

He hasn't given up on slowing the exponential growth of public carnage, but he feels he must move on.

He's seen all the body bags he can handle for right now.

"It's gotten to the point that it is affecting me personally," Nawojczyk says of his job.

Normally a loquacious sort, he slows to a crawl and chooses his works with a sad lethargy.

"More and more, I'm finding it hard to look at the people I encounter as just 'victims' and 'perpetrators,' he explains. "I look at a crime scene and, instead, what I see is two lives that are ruined -- the life of the person who is killed, and the life of the person who did the killing. I look out beyond the crime at hand and I see thousands of young kids who desperately need some direction and meaning in their lives, and I'm frustrated by the way our society is responding to this tragedy."

So Nawojczyk has spent much of his free time for the past several years bearing an urgent witness; taking his message of gang violence, urban decay, and the breakdown of families and communities to those who might not fully hear it otherwise.

Equipped with both still and video cameras, he combs the gang-haunted 'hoods of Little Rock and North Little Rock, befriending hundreds of troubled youths -- black and white -- and documenting their despair. He's distilled the fruits of this labor into a three hour audiovisual and lecture extravaganza that he takes to all sorts of gatherings of public officials, school administrators and church groups and, on a recent day, to a convention of regional public housing officials.

MAN ON A MISSION

Now, in case Nawojczyk -- who began his career as Garland County Coroner and was also director of the state Crime Lab during Bill Clinton's first administration -- is beginning to sound like just another bleeding heart, well, think again. He's an enthusiastic booster of local police agencies, and favors "zero tolerance" enforcement to hit hard against criminals with guns and kids who bring weapons to school. His lectures include a bitter denunciation of so-called "gangsta rap" music and its glorification of murderous mayhem.

Yet he also believes that, as far as today's inner-city problems are concerned, traditional ideological divisions are almost irrelevant. And he views such alluringly simple penal palliatives as "three strikes and you're out" as prodigiously shallow.

"There's an old African proverb that says, 'It takes a whole village to raise a child." We have to bring everyone on the board to become part of the solution. People from way to the right of Rush Limbaugh and people from way to the left of Ted Kennedy are going to have to come together somewhere in the middle. We can't leave anyone out, and we don't want to leave anyone behind."

Today Nawojczyk says old prejudices and the intransigence of the political system may finally be ripe for conquest, because the public demands it.

"Look around you -- we live in a world of cryptic fear," he says. "Fear alone isn't constructive, but people are beginning to learn that they can't run away from these problems; that they're everywhere. It's not just a black thing or a central Little Rock thing. It's affecting everybody. That's something people need to realize."

Indeed. A reporter mentioned spending his early childhood days in the Beaver Cleaverized womb of the Park Hill and Lakewood neighborhoods of North Little Rock, circa 1950's and 60's. Nawojczyk then drives to a park next to a Lakewood Property Owners' Association swimming lake, the scene of many sepia-toned memories, and points out the gang graffiti that now adorns the area.

Isolation -- suburban cocooning, white flight, all those tiny little apartheids of geography and of the spirit -- aren't working for anyone, he said. Murder is now the nation's leading cause of death among teen-age males.

The Centers for Disease Control has classified this phenomenon as an "epidemic." And during the decade in which he has served as coroner and deputy coroner, Nawojczyk has watched the county's homicide rate go from 38 in 1983 to 111 last year.

In short, it sickens him.

At first blush, of course, Nawojczyk's personal case of sensory overload may sound like the stuff of bad jokes, i.e.: Just how awful is violent crime in Little Rock? Why, it's so bad, even the coroner can't stomach it anymore.

But Nawojczyk is a man with a mission.

Call it preventive coronering if you will. He puts it thusly: "Everything I do in the investigation of death is to benefit the living."

That's why he's turning his experiences -- his meticulously compiled heaps of amateur sociology and late 20th century urban history -- into a living testament. His lexicon is a melange of death and hope, and he'll offer this witness to anyone with the patience to listen.

THE KILLING FIELDS

Driving down a street on the outskirts of North Little Rock's Silver City Courts housing project, Nawojczyk points to a decrepit dwelling where a recent homicide occurred, one of the many landmarks he notes as he roams through the killing fields.

Then he lets a melancholy half-smile cross his face, and says, "You know, it's terrible that I can drive all around the county and mark my path by listing every killing that happened on the streets I pass. But that's what it's come to."

He winces when people refer to him as a "gang expert," and explains, "The experts on gangs are the gang bangers themselves. You have to go talk to them and get the story firsthand if you want to know what's going on. So that's what I try to do. I'm not an expert, I'm just someone who hopes I'm shining a little light on the reality of what's happening in our community."

His record of this "reality" is often decidedly unpleasant. Nawojczyk displays the autopsy photograph of one of two teen-agers who were shot dead in a foiled liquor store robbery last year.

It was a celebrated case: A clerk at the store vanquished the young duo in a flash of urban combat and was hailed by some as a hero.

Nawojczyk knew the kid whose corpse looks up from the picture, frozen forever in two dimensions. This kid and his accomplice, ages 14 and 15, were among the youngest and newest members of their gang. According to the buzz on the street, a gang leader had coerced them into robbing the store so he would have walking-around money. And in the gang, the cost of refusing such a suggestion can be death or worse. Another gang banger, age 13, was told the only way out of the gang was to kill his own mother.

"It doesn't lessen the crime, and it doesn't justify it by any means," Nawojczyk says. "But it's an example of what's going on in our city. These kids turn to the gangs for the types of things they're not getting at home: Recognition, belonging, discipline, love and respect. I can understand that. I was an Air Force brat who moved around a lot, and my parents got divorced when I was 12. If the present gang structure had been in place then, I might have gone right into a gang. But luckily, I had the Boy Scouts and sports to provide those things for me."

There are many more cases that haunt Nawojczyk as he drives to the scene of each crime; to the spots of blacktop that bear silent witness. There is the 10-year-old boy who had most of his left upper arm blown off in a walk-by shooting in east Little Rock and the 18-month-old boy whose lower body was shattered in the same hail of bullets.

He has a picture of the 10-year-old -- a heart-stopping, stomach-turning photo. Most of the flesh has disappeared, leaving behind more air than boy where his shoulder ought to be. It look as though a shark bit him, leaving behind its gnarled calling card.

And then there was T-Bone, a 19-year-old banger who Nawojczyk sought out after seeing his name repeated again and again in the gang graffiti around town. T-Bone was morose, surly and mad, but something about him got to Nawojczyk.

"I finally found him right here," Nawojczyk said, as he drove by the spot. "I said, 'T-Bone, why do you want to live like this?' and he kept saying, `Man, I just wanna be free! I just gotta be free!' Once, he even said, `I wanna be like you. I wanna have a house and a job and a nice car.' But then he went back to `I just wanna be free.'"

The phrase puzzled Nawojczyk, who does, after all, come from another sociocultural world. But he finally concluded that "free" simply translated into getting out of the pervasive poverty of the "hood," the incessant imploding of opportunity, the water-torture diminution of the human spirit.

T-Bone is dead. Shot in the back on Cumberland Street.

VICTIMS ON THE HORIZON

But even as Nawojczyk picks up the broken bodies, he glimpses the next victims on the horizon. Among his collection of Arkansas' unfunniest videos is a tape that helps explain why. For every attack, there is retaliation, in a vocabulary that mistakenly regards "respect" and "fear" as synonyms.

The smirking face of an angry, sullen 19-year-old black man burns with rage as the amateur video runs. The face is that of a Little Rock gang member, sitting outside a tired old house, drinking malt liquor at 10 a.m. with his "homies."

The occasion, it seems, is that of a crude wake. They are toasting the memory of a fallen comrade-in-arms, who was "smoked" -- killed by gunfire -- by members of a rival gang. The young man on the video is vowing revenge. He's going to "smoke" the rival bangers who "smoked" his homey.

Nawojczyk, who can be heard talking to the young man on the tape's audio track, shuts off the VCR with a sigh and a rueful shake of his head. Then he walks over to a slide projector and flips on the power.

It is another autopsy photograph; the fallen homey of the angry young man from the tape. Metal tubes are protruding from his mouth and skull, mementos of a forensic pathologist's grisly duties.

Nawojczyk has reached out to dozens of these young men and boys over the last 10 years, only to watch them turn up days, weeks or months later on one of the cold, shiny slabs that are the unforgiving emblems of his trade.

"I'm the first to say that I don't have the solution. I don't pretend that I do," he says. "But I do know that it's going to take all of us working together, without political posturing and backbiting, to find the solution. That's the first step."

Obviously, what the community has done until now hasn't worked, he said. Little Rock's per capital homicide rate surpassed those of New York and Los Angeles. This phenomenon -- the city that produced a president suddenly becoming a crime capital -- has brought a steady stream of national and international reports and TV crews to Nawojczyk's office, where they find autographed pictures of Clinton with inscriptions of praise for the coroner's "long support and friendship."

Indeed, it was while he was escorting a crew from Home Box Office through the city a few months ago that Nawojczyk suddenly found himself caught in a cross fire from rival gangs. For the first time in his life, he felt the white heat of bullets whizzing past his ear. It drove home the message even more cogently than before.

"Until you've experienced it yourself -- until you've been there and felt it -- you don't really know what it's like," he said, reluctant to talk further about the incident. "It's just another illustration of the fact that none of us are immune."

Not even the smallest among us.

Nawojczyk tells of an 8-year-old boy he met recently riding around on his bicycle in front of a crack house, with a cellular phone in his hand. When the coroner asked the tyke what he was up to, the kid unabashedly explained that he was paid $50 a day, for four hours work, and all he had to do was keep a lookout and punch in a code on the cell phone if he saw the cops coming.

That would beep his bosses' pagers inside the house, so they could scatter before the police arrived.

"Then I asked him what he did with the money," Nawojczyk recalls. "And the kid, for the first time, looked a little sheepish and said, 'Well, I keep $5 for myself." So then I said, "'What do you do with the rest?' And the kid answered, 'I give it to my mom so she can pay rent, and buy food, and pay the light bill.'"

Nawojczyk is encouraged, though, by positive signs he sees in the community. He downplays his own efforts, and is growing more reticent about giving interviews. He says he'd just as soon direct the attention to men such as the Rev. Hezekiah Stewart whose work with families and mentoring programs at the Watershed Agency are models for what Nawojczyk hopes the future will hold.

"There are a lot of people out there doing a lot of very good work," he says. "But we're always going to need more."

New Contact Informaton for Training and/or Assemblies

2009-02-08T13:22:00.000-06:00

All of my bookings for speeches, trainings, lectures and consultations are now being handled exclusively by:

Motivated Proformance Inc

Susie Gold - susie@getumotivated.com
Toll Free 866-465-7073

Thank you for your continued interest in what I have to say about juvenile violence and gangs in America and beyond.

Steve

Another Visit to UNITY

2009-02-05T17:20:00.007-06:00

North Little Rock (Ar) City Council member Cary Gaines (foreground in above photo) and I traveled to the Tucker Maximum Security Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections to visit with members of a program called UNITY. Gaines and others in his district are in the process of forming a mentoring program called LifeGuide. Simply put, mentoring works.

Alderman Gaines held an information sharing session with the twenty or so inmates who were in attendance.

The UNITY program was founded by inmate Al Williams (standing left), Captain Jack Davis and prison psychologist Robert Moore. UNITY strives to change the participating inmates' lives by making them embrace, wait for it, unity. Get it? We all know that change comes from within. UNITY works on making individuals look into the mirror every morning and analyzing why they have ended up where they are and how they can make the best of their lives. It is a noble undertaking but one worthy of support. AETN is working on a documentary about this quite innovative prison program.

Warden David White told us that UNITY is the only real program in his 550 man unit. Tucker Max is where inmates end up who fail to integrate into other units of ADC. White says he has seen a clear difference in many of the participants.

I also gave the men an assignment. I left them each a copy of the JEHT report and asked that they review it thoroughly so they could offer me insights from someone who has been immersed in the correctional system for years. Many inmates in UNITY also had contact with DYS in their earlier years. They have offered to tell me of their experiences. I look forward to my next visit in about a month to get their thoughts.

It is always an emotional event for me and today was doubly so because of the heartfelt and personal information shared by all those present.

The video below is the opening ceremony of UNITY.

The Killing, Sorrow and Anger Keep Going Strong

2009-02-05T15:28:00.001-06:00

3 arrested in killing of cooking woman

Shots into family home proved fatal

By Jim Brooks

Thursday, February 5, 2009

LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock police arrested three men on capital murder charges in the Jan. 27 shooting that killed Virginia Brown as she cooked for a house full of family.

On Tuesday police arrested Justin Eason, 20, at a North Little Rock parole office and on Wednesday arrested his brother, Deandre Eason, 23, and Corey Allen, 24, at an apartment at 4600 Schaer St. in North Little Rock, police said.

All three were charged with capital murder and 13 counts of committing a terroristic act.

Brown was inside her home at 3201 W. 23rd St. on the evening of Jan. 27 when two cars pulled up outside the house and several men fired into the house. No other people inside the home were injured, butBrown was shot in the back of the head.

She died Jan. 30.

On Jan. 29, police arrested Ed Harris, 27, after a witness inside the home reported seeing him and three other men known as “Fat Man,” “Strap” and “Bookie Head” shoot at the house.

Harris first was charged only with 14 counts of committing a terroristic act, but one of the terroristic act charges was upgraded to capital murder after Brown’s death.

Royce Weaver Sr., who said Brown was his wife, told detectives he was robbed a few days before the shooting by his cousin Harris, along with Fat Man, Strap and Bookie Head, detective Kevin Simpson wrote in an affidavit in support of an arrest warrant.

Weaver “stated that sincethat day he has received several calls and text messages from them warning him not to report the incident to police or they would do something to him and his family,” Simpson wrote.

When police arrived at the home shortly before 10 p.m. Jan. 27, they found Brown in the kitchen with a bullet wound in the back of her head. There were 13 other family members inside the house: Weaver, a 19-year-old woman, two 18-year-olds and nine children between the ages of 1 month and 16 years old.

So many bullets were fired into the house that a neighboring residence with 10 people inside was struck by bullets that passed all the way through Brown’s home.

Brown, 37, was taken to UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, where she was placed on life-support systems. The Rev. Earnest Franklin said he was with the family Friday afternoon when the machines were disconnected.

“Her family was gathered around her, and we had a prayer and said goodbye,” he said.

Police arrested Harris on Jan. 29, the day before Brown died.

After her death the family moved out of the house on West 23rd Street, which caught fire late Saturday. When Little Rock firefighters arrived there shortly before midnight Saturday, they found the upstairs of the house ablaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but firefighters believe gasoline had been poured inside the house and then ignited.

Harris was being held Wednesday in lieu of $1 million bond in the Pulaski County jail, while the other three men were being held without bail.

Arkansas, Pages 7, 16 on 02/05/2009

Former Gang Leader To Be Pardoned- Leifel Jackson Has Done Good With His Life

2009-01-17T14:09:00.011-06:00

Ex-drug dealer among 9 up for Beebe pardon

By Jim Brooks

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Gov. Mike Beebe announced Friday his intention to grant pardons to nine Arkansans, including a man who claimed to have founded Little Rock’s “Original Gangster Crips” in the early 1990s and spent nearly 10 years in prison on drug convictions.

Leifel Jackson, 47, known as “O.G.” during his criminal days, said that during his time in prison, he learned to read and began thinking about the damage his drug dealing had caused.

After his release in 2001, Jackson began working with organizations tackling youth violence, activities that authorities cite in support of his pardon.

Beebe spokesman Matt De-Cample said he knew of no law enforcement agencies that opposed the proposed pardon.

“I can tell you generally that any pardon application that we look through, what the person has done with their life since their conviction and jail time is taken into consideration,” De-Cample said.

Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley, who normally objects to pardons for convicted felons, didn’t oppose Jackson’s application.

“Given my track record of raising Cain about clemencies in the past, this is one where I think the power can be exercised properly,” Jegley said.

“I’ve been watching Leifel Jackson since he got out of prison ... and I’ve had several conversations with him.”

Jegley said Jackson has given him some insight into what is happening on the streets.

“He’s not a snitch, don’t get me wrong, but he has a perspective that is helpful,” the prosecutor said.

Jegley said any doubts about Jackson’s sincerity were overtaken by the man’s good intentions since his release.

“At first I was a little skeptical, but I’ve been convinced, not because of anything he’s told me, but because he’s shown me that he has turned his life around,” Jegley said. “I wish more of the people who go through the system could say the same thing.”

Attempts to reach Jackson on Friday were unsuccessful.

Jackson was featured in a pair of HBO documentaries on gangs in Little Rock, the second of which concentrated on his efforts to keep children out of gangs. He founded the group Reaching Our Children and Neighborhoods.

The program works with 60 children between the ages of 6 and 18, giving them a place to gather after school and during the summer to study and play.

“We give them an opportunity to just be kids,” Jackson said, in an October interview with Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.’s weekly publication Sync. “To be kids and be around other kids.

“We deal with academics, but we deal with behavior as well,” he told the publication. “A lot of kids are not able to be kids today. They have to grow up so fast. ROCAN plays a part in giving them a chance to be a kid long term. It gives them a safe place to be a kid.”

Maumelle Police Chief Sam Williams, who spent more than 20 years with the Little Rock Police Department, several of them as commander of the department’s Special Investigations Division, had a different perspective on Jackson’s proposed pardon.

“If the authorities that are making those decisions feel like he’s eligible for a pardon, I can’t argue,” Williams said. “Maybe he has turned his life around, but I’m always skeptical.

“I do know this - during the course of his life he did a lot of harm, but he would probably be the first or second person to admit that,” Williams said.

“He dealt a lot of dope,” Williams said. “I can tell you that.”

Gang Members Discuss Gang Life and Its Ramifications

2008-12-25T06:45:00.003-06:00

This clip is from "Ain't No Deny'n" a documentary produced in 1996. The lessons in it are eternal.

HOHO- WHOOPS- Click Click- Sound of Handcuffs-- HO

2008-12-23T05:14:00.002-06:00

Santa photo land two in jail

Orange police say the men were in violation of an active gang injunction when they flashed gang signs in a mall photo with Santa Claus.

By DOUG IRVING

The Orange County Register

ORANGE – Two suspected gang members have landed on the naughty list – and in jail – after police say they posed for a picture with Santa Claus while flashing their gang signs.

Uriel Oliva, 18, of Anaheim, and an unidentified juvenile now face up to 18 months behind bars. Prosecutors have charged each of them with three counts of violating a gang injunction by associating with known gang members and giving gang hand signs.

An officer found the Santa photo in a keychain while searching Oliva during a probation check last week. Police determined that Oliva and five or six other people shown in the photo had posed with Santa at the Village Mall in Orange – a designated safety zone under the gang injunction.

Police are still searching for a juvenile shown in the photo, and are trying to identify the others who were there. Sgt. Dan Adams said police would not release the picture with Santa until they had identified everyone in it.

Oliva was being held on $15,000 bail and an immigration hold, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Adams described him and the other known suspects as documented gang members who had been served with the gang injunction when it went into force in July.

As for Santa?

“I think he was just doing his job,” Adams said. “When people come to take a picture, he takes a picture… Santas are busy guys right now.”

A Chilling Tale From Chilly Chicago

2008-12-21T06:33:00.004-06:00

Pulling the trigger on Violence from the Chicago Sun-Times.

U.S. and Mexico Add 1.4 BILLION to Drug War

2008-12-20T00:00:00.001-06:00

According to this CNN story Mexico and the U.S. are gearing up to spend over a billion dollars in the "War on Drugs".

I hope that a big portion of this money is used in Prevention, Intervention and Treatment rather than just the suppression and enforcement side.

Until the use problem is addressed, any money spent will be lost in the abyss of what is currently labeled "The War on Drugs".

Rehab clearly works. It might not work on the first try or even the second or third, but there are a lot of rehab programs that are quite successful, and not just the celebrity kind. Rehab, like most therapy, should be an entire family event.

Even with the slow progress of some addicts, it is much cheaper, and better for our country, than locking them up. I strongly urge everyone reading this to read the book, Gates of Injustice by Alan Elsner. It is an amazing journey into the reality of America's prison system where you will learn facts like; there are more people in prison in the U.S. than occupy the cities of Boston, San Francisco and Washington D.C. combined.

The statistics on the numbers of people in prison for drug crimes is overwhelming...and expensive. You can click here to view the "drug clock" and see how much is being spent on the war on drugs.

Here is PBS' timeline of the war on drugs.

Here are some interesting stats from the Bureau of Justice.

It's time to move on. To change the way we've been doing things. Hopefully the new federal administration will strive to make things different, and better.

What are your thoughts about all of this? Comment or email them to me.

A Football Coach, But Oh So Much More---

2008-12-15T06:31:00.002-06:00

Take 12 minutes of your day and click here to watch a 60 Minutes piece about USC's football coach Pete Carroll.

You might just find inspiration in it. I did.

The JEHT Report and Helpful, Hopeful Weblinks

2008-12-06T06:19:00.005-06:00

The State of Arkansas' Division of Youth Services is in the midst of a huge shift in the way they do business.

DYS Director Ron Angel is intent on the Division helping local communities try and deal with their children closer to their own homes in order to help keep families together. The goal is to provide services in several regions across the state. When children are held in facilities so far from their homes, many times families are unable to make routine visits to the child, which is critical to their recovery. DYS is moving to fix that.

A push to help communities with prevention and intervention services as well as creating a better residential environment for those who must be kept in a confined setting is underway.

Some time back, the JEHT Foundation entered a relationship with the State of Arkansas. After months of study, they released the Juvenile Justice Reform in Arkansas report written by Pat Arthur and Tim Roche. Its tenets have been embraced by Mr. Angel and Department of Human Services leaders and the paradigm shift has begun. SPECIAL NOTE: Click here to read how the JEHT Foundation's noble mission was cut short by a man named Madoff.

We all know the importance of P.I.T. (Prevention-Intervention-Treatment) in addition to strong firm and fair law enforcement in effectively dealing with juvenile issues in any community.

There are many intervention and prevention programs around the country that are doing great things. Seek out some of those in your community and offer your support and assistance.

Here are a few links you may be interested in:

Download the Current Trends and Realities of Gangs Report Written in 2006 here.

Visit the Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice here.

Let Our Violence End is a local Arkansas prevention program and more.

ROCAN is a prevention program run by former gang leader Leifel Jackson.

STEP Ministries is an amazing faith based mentoring program in No. Little Rock, Ar.

New Futures for Youth has been around since 1988.

Youth Bridge is located in the Northwest part of Arkansas.

If you desire more information please feel free to email me or leave a comment on this post.

Here are some interesting news stories for you to check out today:

Police say charter school may bring gangs.

Parents told lack of love strengthens gangs.

And, from South Africa: Cops Vs. Gangs, Who's Winning?

14-88

2008-12-01T15:35:00.003-06:00

Former Binghamton (NY) City Council President Tony Massar points to graffiti found in his city several years ago.

If you remember, the two men who recently were arrested for allegedly making threats on Barack Obama were also going to kill 88 Black Americans and "behead" 14 others in observance of their skinhead belief system. The 88 stands for either Heil Hitler since H is the 8th letter of the alphabet; or the 88 "precepts" of the neo-nazis. The 14 refers to the 14 words supposedly written by David Lane which is a mantra of sorts for hate groups.

Of course, AB stands for Aryan Brotherhood, a hate group mostly found in prisons. For more information, visit www.SPLCenter.org or www.Tolerance.org.

The bottom photo is a picture of suspect Daniel Cowart's car taken when he was arrested by authorities after the Obama plot came to light.

Gangs In the Military

2008-12-01T06:30:00.001-06:00

Click here for an I-Team investigation of gangs in the military.

More here- this one has great video of gang graffiti in Iraq.--

From My YouTube Page

2008-11-29T08:46:00.014-06:00

The below comment came from my YouTube site.

You can click on the title of this blog or on the link in the blogroll to get to a group of videos I've posted. The commenter refers to Silver City which is a housing development off of Pike Avenue in North Little Rock.

They frequently use the number 701 and SCC in their graffiti since that is the street address of Silver City.

The top photo was taken at Eastgate which is another housing development several blocks to the east of Silver City and it clearly shows an alliance between the SCC and Eastgate areas since there is no disrespect or "x"ng out occurring. Graffiti still must be removed in a timely fashion after it is recorded and read.

The bottom photo was taken in Silver City a few years ago when the "701" first started appearing in local tags and on school work of students in the school district. It was several months before there was graffiti showing an affiliation with the Folk Nation.

"i remember riding back to lr on a greyhound and some guy started commentin on the bangin on little rock shit like it was a joke, it was way more gritty in the 90s than now and you cant even tell by that hbo shit, most of it wasnt even shot near little rock, rose city maybe, but i dare that motherfucker to walk through silver city courts on a sunday and show some disrepect, same shit that happened then would happen today, alot of motherfuckers in big cities never ever seen a swarm like silver city"

NOTE: IF YOU LIVE IN THE NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS AREA AND HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL GRAFFITI OR GANG ACTIVITY CONTACT YOUR LOCAL POLICE SUB-STATION OR CALL THE NLR PD AT 501-758-1234

Washington DC to Fight Gangs in a Novel Way

2008-11-29T06:00:00.004-06:00

The nation's capital has long been plagued with crime and some of that crime is caused by gangs. Of course this is happening all across the U.S. and even beyond our borders. The Washington Post has a story on what the proposal to deal with gangs consists of. Click on the excerpt below to read the full article.

[...]
"With a judge's approval, the government would be allowed to set up neighborhood "safety zones" deemed off-limits as meeting places for those identified as members of the designated gangs. Other restrictions could include a curfew, a prohibition on defacing property with graffiti and a ban on using private property without the written consent of the owner. Gang members who violate the court-imposed prohibitions could be fined up to $1,000 or be jailed for 30 days to one year. People not originally identified as gang members could later be added to the injunction; the boundaries of the safety zone may also be altered with court approval to adjust for gang movement."

Please let me know what you think about this approach by leaving comments. If you know of any good intervention or prevention programs and reentry initiatives for youth from around the country, please leave me a comment about those too. Or you can email me at GangWarSteve@comcast.net Steve

Student in Georgia Suspended for alleged Gang Drawing--

2008-11-27T08:22:00.005-06:00

Click here to read the story from Georgia.

What are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments section. Do you think the school and police handled it properly?

Do you think schools in your community deal honestly with gang issues?

(Note: the photo was taken in a small public park in North Little Rock but is representative of the same type of drawing referred to in this story.)

More Shots Fired on a College Campus in Arkansas

2008-11-20T05:43:00.003-06:00

Only a few weeks after a drive-by killing on an Arkansas college campus, there has been another shooting.

This one occurred in Arkadelphia some 70 minutes from Little Rock. Click here to read the local ABC affiliate's report.

A Sad Day In My Life

2008-11-16T05:20:00.002-06:00

If you are a pet lover, I just lost a most wonderful friend in my life. You can click here to visit my personal blog to read more about Candy.

Study Links Violence and Gangs

2008-11-10T13:54:00.000-06:00

Crime study finds link between violence and gangs

ASSOCIATED PRESS

6:06 a.m. November 10, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO – A study on crime in San Francisco says a high percentage of the city's homicides can be blamed on gangs and career criminals.

In evaluating the 98 homicides in San Francisco in 2007, researchers with the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice determined that nearly half the killings can be linked to gangs.

According to the study, 46 of those homicides last year were gang-related.

Researchers also found that nearly three-fourths of the 38 suspects arrested in the killings had criminal records, with the average suspect having 12 previous arrests.

Last year's 98 homicides were the most in San Francisco in 12 years.

Police officials say they've been cracking down on drugs and gangs in five neighborhoods where the violence has been concentrated.

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, www.sfgate.com/chronicle

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20081110-0606-ca-bay-crimestudy.html

Pennsylvania Kids Prefer GANGS to Drugs

2008-11-10T08:07:00.000-06:00

Survey: Less substance abuse, more gangs

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 7 (UPI) --

Fewer Pennsylvania students in grades six to 12 admit abusing drugs and alcohol but more are involved in gangs, a U.S. survey indicates.

The 2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is voluntary and anonymous, and asks students questions about their behaviors and attitudes on drug, alcohol and tobacco use, gang involvement and related issues. More than 16,000 students from schools across Pennsylvania were randomly selected to participate.

The survey finds youth binge drinking is down. In 2001, 20.9 percent of 10th graders surveyed admitted binge drinking, compared to 16.8 percent of students in 2007, while 28.6 percent of 12th graders admit using marijuana, down from 40.5 percent in 2001.

However, in 2007, 7.1 percent of 10th graders said they belonged to a gang, compared to 4.6 percent in 2001.

Fewer youth said they are threatened or attacked on school property. In 2007, 20.7 percent of students said they had been threatened with physical harm at school, compared to 24.7 percent in 2003.

The report is at http://www.pccd.state.pa.us.

Imagine the Numbers

2008-10-29T01:00:00.004-05:00

In the previous blog, you learned of the drive-by shooting at an Arkansas college that killed 2, injured 1 and has now put 4 young African-American men behind bars.

What horrible decisions some of these young men made. What sort of hatred drove them to this?

The true facts of the case will come out sooner than later as will justice eventually prevail. But shooting into a group of people on a very busy college campus can not be excused regardless of the motives.

It's hard to imagine the number of people whose lives changed in the short time it took the shooter (s) to shower at least eight shots of flesh cutting mini-missiles into the air, targeting who knows what.

But I know this, bullets have no names on them and it is lucky more people weren't killed or injured. When you pick up a gun in anger you have no idea where the bullet may end up. Watch the attached PSA and think about the young people in your lives the next time you pick up or are around someone who is playing with a gun.

A quick horrible decision to pull a trigger causes us to think of the mothers who will no longer be able to hug their children. Think of the fathers who will never be able to toss a ball around with their son. Think of the brothers and sisters who will never be the same. And also remember each young man's extended family and how an entire community will be changed.

This has been a bad week for Arkansas in the national news. A young and beautiful news reporter was savagely beaten and died. Two lives were snuffed out in a senseless and very terrorizing event at a college and last but not least, a teen from Arkansas was arrested along with a co-conspirator from Tennessee for hatching a half-baked plot to kill more than a hundred blacks culminating with the assassination of Barack Obama. All the while these two were going to wear white tuxedos and top hats. Visit this website for information about hate groups and tolerance.

What is happening to us? If you are the praying sort, send a few extra up for all of those who have been touched by these tragedies. Our part of the world is not feeling well now. We will get better. The road is long...

Fear Grips Campus- From AP

Two Killed in Drive-By Shooting at U.C.A. in Conway

2008-10-28T07:18:00.005-05:00

Ryan Henderson, 18, and Chavares Block, 19, were both shot and killed in a drive-by shooting at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. You can click here for a short update or go to www.TheCabin.net for all the news about this horrible event.

While no official word has come from authorities linking it to gangs, the rumor has circulated among many UCA students that it is. Time will tell. It is certainly a "gang" like incident.

UPDATE 2: Click here for the mug shots of the suspects.

UPDATE:

This is from the UCA's website:

In an effort to provide the most comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information about the shooting incident that occurred during the evening of Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008, on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, UCA will release as much information as possible on its homepage at www.uca.edu.

UPDATE (Oct. 27, 10:30 p.m.): The UCA Police Department this evening is transferring the four suspects in Sunday's shooting incident to the Faulkner County Detention Center, where they will be detained pending charges.

The Faulkner County Prosecutor is expected to file charges against the suspects by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The suspects are:

Kawin Brockton of Conway, Black male, DOB 9-20-89
Kelsey Perry of Morrilton, Black male, DOB 4-14-89
Mario Toney of Little Rock, Black male, DOB 3-24-88
Brandon Wade of Lake Village, Black male, DOB 8-19-88

Perry is the fourth and final suspect to turn himself in to the UCA Police Department.

2008-10-26T17:15:00.001-05:00

I tell people all the time that to beat gangs we have to compete with gangs for our children. Here's an article from Brownsville, Texas.

What are your thoughts about this? Do you have any ideas or suggestions about dealing with the prevention and intervention of youth violence and gangs? Do you work in a program practicing intervention or prevention? I'd like to hear from you.

Leave a comment in the comments section or send me an e-mail to GangWarSteve@comcast.net

Regards, Steve

Family key to deter gangs

By Ildefonso Ortiz, The Brownsville Herald

October 25, 2008 - 8:53PM

Thoughts of loud music, flashy cars, baggy clothes and gang violence bring shivers of fear into the heart of Petra Martinez.

The 46 -year-old woman, who lives near Military Highway on the west side of Brownsville, is nervous that her young boys will grow into that lifestyle.

"When I was young I used to live in Houston," Martinez said. "And there it was very ugly, you would see them with their gang signs (graffiti and colors) and their cars. It was scary because they always had guns and would give drugs to the kids in the street."

Martinez now and has two teenage sons whom she meticulously watches over to keep away from bad company. That is why rough-looking men and flashy cars put her on the defensive.

According to Police Sergeant Jimmy Manrrique, Brownsville is not like other cities across the United States that have major gang problems and are forced to devote resources into gang units and task forces.

Therefore, Brownsville's primary prevention comes from good parenting. According to Jim Wright, managing director of Programs for the National Crime Prevention Council, parents are the first line of defense in the fight against gangs. A close relationship with children from a young age can prevent a life of crime.

"We encourage parents to talk as much as possible with their adolescent," Wright said. "To know who their friends are, what they like to do, and where they go."

When there are changes in these factors, there are usually causes for concern, he said.

"We encourage parents to teach their children positive ways of dealing with conflict rather than fighting it out or screaming," Wright said. "We also encourage them to talk to their kids about what friendship is all about, that friends don't endanger other friends, they help each other."

Although Brownsville does not have criminal activity that can be attributed to street gangs, police know of several members of prison gangs in the area, according to Brownsville police.

By definition, street gangs are groups of typically young individuals who gather for a purpose, much like any other club, Wright said. What makes them different is that they engage in criminal behavior.

"Many of the gangs are involved in drugs," Wright said. "So the violence revolves around that, they commit turf wars, retaliate a bad deal and there's always a sense of bravado that goes in with being in gangs that makes them more prone to violence."

There is a clear distinction between street gangs and prison gangs, Manrrique said.

"These people are involved in drug trafficking so they try to keep low, (and) we do see them pop out when they have conflicts amongst themselves," Manrrique said

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said that prison gangs are criminal enterprises that recruit and train inside jail facilities.

"These individuals are involved with the Mexican drug cartels in the transportation and distribution of drugs," Lucio said. "They are very dangerous because they make a pact in order to join the gang. That pact is for life, inside and outside. When and individual tries to leave the gang, they are likely to get hurt."

Cameron County and the nearby area have members of various prison gangs, mainly the Vallucos, the Tri City Bombers, Mexican Mafia and the Texas Syndicate, said Lucio, who also provided a description of each gang:

-Vallucos operate in both Cameron and Hidalgo Counties. They are identifiable by their tattoos which feature the letter V, palm trees or the number 22 since V is the 22nd letter of the alphabet.

-Tri-City Bombers are predominantly active in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo area. They derive their name from the three cities in Hidalgo County. Their tattoos usually have a round bomb with a fuse.

-The Mexican Mafia began in California in the 1950's by Mexican immigrants and has slowly moved into the area. They congregate near the Santa Maria area by F.M. 281. They have tattoos with the letter M.

-The Texas Syndicate, which also began in California features tattoos with the letter S and T. They also feature longhorns and other Texas symbols.

According to the sheriff, close to 40 percent of the inmates with gang affiliations that are being housed in the Cameron County jail system are members of the Vallucos. The jail also held 30 members of the Texas Syndicate and 9 members of the Mexican Mafia, he said.

When gangs clash in Brownsville, there is violence but the gangs don't cause a significant increase in the city's overall crime, Manrrique said.

"Three of the murders that we've had in recent years have been associated to prison gangs," he said. "On average, we've had about five murders a year for the past five years, so they are not a big factor here."

On Sept. 29, Daniel Alonso Garza 34, an inmate and believed by police to have been a member of the Texas Syndicate, was stabbed at least 12 times by three other inmates also presumed members of the same gang at the old Cameron County Jail, police said. This incident did not result in a fatality.

On Jan. 14, 2007, Steven Rodriguez, 29, was repeatedly stabbed and the back area and killed. His body was later found in a canal ditch on the 1200 block of Milpa Verde Street in the Southmost Area. Javier Chavez, 28 years old at the time, was charged with the murder. According to Sgt. Manrrique, Chavez had ties with the Mexican Mafia.

On Nov. 23, 2006, then 45-year-old Jose Torrez was gunned down in a drive-by shooting outside an abandoned home on the 3400 block of Gardenia Street. Torrez was hit 11 times. Jerry Perez, Enrique Bazaldu, Juan Carlos Aguilar and Victor Barrera - all known members of the Texas Syndicate - were charged with the crime.

On May 16, 2006, Jose Miguel Vasquez stabbed Port Isabel fisherman George Garza 33 times at Oliveira Park on El Paso Road. Vasquez was convicted in September and sentenced to life in prison. According to police, the murder was part of an initiation into the Texas Syndicate.

Lucio and Wright agree that individuals who are involved in school activities and sports are less likely to be influenced by gang members

"They (teenagers) are usually looking for a sense of belonging," Lucio said. "They may come from broken homes or may not have a positive role model, so they join these gangs to be part of something."

Shattered Lives in Colorado- From the CS Gazette

2008-10-25T03:02:00.000-05:00

Gangster gets 70-year term in athlete’s death

DENNIS HUSPENI

October 24, 2008 - 3:02PM

"This is a story of two people. One was headed for fame, and you were clearly headed for infamy. Unfortunately, your two paths crossed."

Fourth Judicial District Judge David Prince said these words to teenager Tyrief Reynolds as he sentenced him to 70 years in prison Friday for gunning down former Wasson High School star running back Diontea Jackson-Forrest, 19, last year.

The 18-year-old gang member and murderer apologized to Jackson-Forrest's family, which packed Prince's courtroom.

Reynolds previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder in the July 9, 2007, drive-by shooting near Printers Parkway and Airport Road.

Reynolds drove by in a car and fired repeatedly into the car Jackson-Forrest was riding in with his girlfriend Eileen Yakish. Shot in the neck, Jackson-Forrest died in Yakish's arms.

Both men were raised by their grandmothers.

Reynolds, whose parents died when he was a child, joined the Crips street gang and built a criminal record from his days as a youth, including almost killing a man in a mall parking lot, court records show.

Jackson-Forrest, who wore jersey number 22 for the Thunderbirds' football team, helped them get to the playoffs in his senior year and was going to college at Western State in Gunnison. He wanted to be as famous as Emmitt Smith, former Dallas Cowboys running back who wore the same number and has been described as humble and caring to all.

"He took his life," said Jackson-Forrest's grandmother, Mary Forrest. "I want to know why he wanted him dead. Kids don't do that. Why did his grandmother let him do the things he did. ... At 16 and 17 (years old) these kids know right from wrong."

Reynolds, who tried to kill himself in the El Paso County jail, said Jackson-Forrest was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I wish I could start over," Reynolds said. "Sometimes I wish I was in Diontea's place. ... I will do all I can while in (prison) to make amends for what I've done and try to make it better. I don't know what was going through my head at the time."

Many of Jackson-Forrest's family members and friends talked about what an inspiration he was to them and the pain they feel daily over his murder.

His uncle, James Jackson, said his nephew and Jackson-Forrest's twin younger sisters were taking the family higher because they were going to college.

"We were dancing and laughing and joyous," Jackson said. "We were moving to a different level. Then Tyrief showed up with his marauding crew and all the struggles and sacrifices we made to put that plan in place was dashed away."

The victim's father said he gave his son to his mother to raise because he didn't want him leading the gang life in California.

"I made the right decision to send him to my mother," said Jamison Jackson. "I didn't want him to be like me. I wanted him to be someone better than me."

Reynolds' grandmother chose not to speak. But Reynolds' attorney, Allen Gasper, spoke on her behalf.

"She expresses a deep sorrow to the victim's family. Her heart is broken - broken for their family and broken for hers," Gasper said.

Prince said he thought Reynolds' apology was sincere.

"An old philosophy goes the beating wings of a butterfly can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world," Prince said. "The way Diontea led his life proves that old saying. We're here because Diontea is no longer on this earth. While he's not, the promise of his life is unfulfilled. The promise of the lives he would have touched in the future is extinguished."

A Story About Leifel Jackson

2008-10-20T06:56:00.003-05:00

Remember Leifel Jackson? He was a CRIP gang leader who was featured in both of the HBO America Undercover Gang Wars documentaries. (There is a link in the blog roll to a location you can purchase the DVD.)

Leifel has been featured in SYNC Weekly here in Central Arkansas.

Click here to read the story. Click here to visit Leifel's Website.

Photo from SYNC Weekly.

Taggers Turn Violent. From the Bakersfield CA daily

2008-10-20T06:46:00.002-05:00

Taggers turning violent and becoming more like gangs, police say

By JORGE BARRIENTOS, Californian staff writer
jbarrientos@bakersfield.com | Saturday, Oct 4 2008 12:00 PM

Last Updated: Monday, Oct 6 2008 7:31 AM

They scribble on street signs, walls and mailboxes in an attempt to gain neighborhood fame. But some taggers, who are usually considered nothing more than a nuisance, are now turning into gangsters.

HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM?

The city gets about 20 to 30 calls a day to cleanup graffiti. Last year it was at about 65 calls a day, said Sean Cacal, city supervisor for the anti-graffiti program. The county graffiti program has also seen a drop in graffiti, said Rick Ward, who oversees the graffiti program in the county.

The drop, they say, is credit to the collaboration among law enforcement, probation department, the district attorney's office, schools and community's focus on stopping graffiti.

The city allocated about $1.7 million this year to fight graffiti. The county spends about $100,000 annually on paint and material alone.

Ten years ago, Bakersfield Police Department had no officers dedicated specifically to graffiti. There's been as many as four at one point, in 2006, but now there are two in place.

The Kern County Sheriff's Department has one deputy who investigates graffiti cases, but he does that part time.

When graffiti cleanup crews go out, they take digital photos of the tags and submit them to the officers. Officers then catalog them in a computer database categorizing them by nicknames and crew names. The departments are awaiting new surveillance equipment and a better database and mapping systems.

In the meantime, officials say, it’s important for residents to report graffiti to the graffiti hotline, 32-ERASE.

“If you don't buy a lottery ticket, you'll never win,” said graffiti police officer Mitch Galland said. “If you don't call us, we'll never catch them. That kid you see tagging could open up a whole crew for us.”

‘IT’S GOTTEN SERIOUS’

When Moses Ramiro Villegas, 18, was found shot to death Wednesday morning at the base of a Highway 178 pedestrian crossing, the Bakersfield Police graffiti unit, called GHOST, was called out.

Villegas was laying dead on top of graffiti. A partial footprint of blue paint could be seen next to his body.

Officials feared the escalating violence among taggers peaked, and the homicide was tagging related. It would have been the first of its kind in the city, officials said.

Fortunately, officials said, graffiti didn't appear to play a role.

Instead occurring more often these days are assaults among rival taggers. Using bats and chains, they are sometimes almost paralyzing each other, said graffiti police officer Jose Galvan.

“It's gotten serious,” he said.

Officials estimate there are about 30 or more multiple-member tagging crews in Bakersfield. Of those, about half a dozen are considered violent.

Law enforcement refused to identify any of the tagging crews for fear they would gain recognition.

STRIVE FOR FAME

The type of tagging has changed in the last few years, said graffiti police officer Mitch Galland. About 10 years ago, a majority of graffiti came from the “piecers.” They painted murals as a form of expression, and were seen as nonviolent.

A smaller percentage were taggers with no gang affiliation.

Only a few were “tag-bangers,” gang members marking gang territory with tags, or taggers affiliating themselves with gangs.

They all do what they do for the same reason — recognition.

“Most of the guys are driven by that,” Galland said. “They need to be famous.”

Now, the “piecer” population is dwindling. More prevalent now are tagging crews, but they are turning to violence.

Earlier this year, two rival tagging crews began fist fighting at South High School when one grabbed a bat and hit a rival in the head. The victim was sent to the hospital and was nearly paralyzed, officers said. The victim refused to give police information, however.

The full scope of the violence is difficult to measure because tag-bangers prefer to keep it “in house” and don’t go to police, Galvan said.

GANG TIES

The tag-bangers are not considered traditional gang members. They have no territory, and they don't kill each other, at least not yet,” said police Sgt. Steve London.

One tagging-related incident almost turned deadly in July 2003. John Gardenshire, a Bakersfield resident, tried to stop Hector Melgoza from tagging on a sign. Melgoza shot Gardenshire, nearly killing him. He was later sentenced to 28 years in prison.

For now, assaults on rival crews are helping the district attorney's office add a gang enhancement, something new as of this year.

Craig Smith, a prosecutor in the juvenile department within the district attorney's office, said the gang enhancement in addition to vandalism could mean the difference between community service with probation compared to serving time in juvenile hall or jail.

Between July 2006 and 2007, the district attorney's office prosecuted 119 juvenile gang members. From July 2007 to 2008, that number more than doubled to 278. One reason for the increase is because of the attention brought against graffiti.

“Juveniles recognize they are being targeted,” Smith said. “This may not stop all of them, but it may stop some of them.”

Police arrested 19-year-old Noel Reyes Alegria, who goes by Trill, on Thursday. Police identified him as being a part of MOB tagging crew. He is set to be arraigned for two felonies Oct. 17 — vandalism and participating in a street gang. Vandalism, which is attached with graffiti crimes, above $400 is considered a felony.

Jorge Morales, 19, was also caught tagging when he was 17. He served some time in Lerdo Jail for it.

He said he thinks it's unfair that taggers could go to jail because officers consider them as gang members, he said.

“I don't really like it,” Morales said. “Going to jail for writing on the wall?”

Morales said he no longer tags because “it's not worth it.”

That's what officers are hoping other taggers say, London said.

“We won't give up, and eventually they will.”

A Terrible Homicide in Little Rock and Trial Set for Suspects

2008-09-14T05:52:00.001-05:00

Update: Kevin Banks of Little Rock was convicted for murder in this case. Two other defendants await trial...more developing.

Brothers set for trial in 6-year-old’s death

Prosecutors expected to cite role of drugs

By John Lynch

Sunday, September 14, 2008

LITTLE ROCK — Nine months after 6-year-old Kamya Weathersby died in her bed in a hail of gunfire, prosecutors are expected to reveal why she was killed.

The three Little Rock brothers accused of killing her are scheduled to stand trial on capital-murder charges this week.

The defendants are Kevin Lawrence Banks, 18; Ricky Dale Smith, 20; and Marqus Tyrell Smith, 21.

Police and prosecutors, spooked by the slaying of a witness, have played their cards close to the vest, revealing only as much evidence in court as the preliminary hearings require.

But what authorities have revealed signals they believe that disputes and feuds in Little Rock’s illegal drug trade played a role.

The trial, which is scheduled to open Wednesday, goes back to the night of Dec. 29, 2007, when Kamya was watching TV in bed with her 3-year-old sister, Jasirae Vick. Gunmen, wielding a rifle and a pistol, opened fire on their home.

The girls’ mother, Lashandria Washington, her boyfriend, 29-year-old Antoine Demetrius “Turtle” Jones, and their 2-month-old daughter, Aria, were asleep in a back bedroom.

When the gunfire broke out, police say, the adults heard the girls scream for help. The gunmen shot Kamya, barely two weeks past her sixth birthday, seven times, once in the head. One bullet grazed Jasirae’s leg.

Investigators collected 132 spent rounds from inside the home and 41 shell casings outside, court filings show. The gunfire almost destroyed the Martin Luther King Boulevard home, a detective has testified, describing the scene as a “war zone.”

Only last week, however, did prosecutors offer a motive for the gunfire. Even then, they qualified it as a partial motive.

In a hearing Thursday, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Johnson told Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza that the assault on Kamya’s homewas provoked after Antoine Jones accused Banks of killing Jones’ friend, 25-year-old Brent Pettus. Pettus had been killed nine days earlier.

Jones was the target of the assault on the house, Johnson said.

Piazza will preside over the brothers’ trial.

Johnson also told the judge that the three brothers and Jones shared “business” interests but didn’t elaborate. Jones has told reporters that he and Banks were friends.

Washington, Kamya’s mother, has said the shootings stemmed from a “misunderstanding.”

On Dec. 20, Pettus was found shot to death inside a still-running 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass in the 3200 block of Center Street, a couple of blocks from Jones’ mother’s home, court records show. Pettus lived about three blocks from Banks and his co-defendant brothers, Ricky Dale Smith, and Marqus Tyrell Smith.

Arrested on suspicion of Pettus’ slaying three days after Kamya was killed, Banks alone is charged with first-degree murder in Pettus’ death, with his trial scheduled for November. According to an arrest affidavit, Banks told a witness he killed Pettus when Pettus tried to “short” him of marijuana in a drug deal.

Three weeks after his arrest, Banks was charged with capital murder in Kamya’s killing. But a month later, after someone killed a witness in the Pettus case, authorities started sealing arrest warrants to protect the identity of other witnesses in both slayings.

Thomas Steven Okafur, 21, was a witness in Pettus’ case. Okafur was found shot to death Feb. 29 in a city park near Arch Street and Interstate 30. Police believe someone killed Okafur elsewhere then dumped him in the park as a warning to other witnesses. Police haven’t arrested anyone in his death, and prosecutors haven’t revealed what Okafur knew.

In May, police arrested the Smith brothers, half-brothers to Banks, and charged them with capital murder in Kamya’s death. Authorities haven’t disclosed what evidence led them to the pair. The brothers also face four counts of committing a terroristic act, which represents the shots fired at the rest of the family.

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for the brothers, whose trial may not start on Wednesday. Their attorney, Lea Ellen Fowler, may seek a separate trial for Ricky Smith, a move prosecutors said they will oppose. A hearing Monday will determine whether the defense is ready for trial.

The two key players in the case, prosecutors say, are Kevin Banks, one of the defendants, and Antoine Jones, who was asleep in the house when Kamya died and who is expected to testify against Banks.

Both defendant and witness have a history of run-ins with the law.

KEVIN BANKS

Court files show Banks was arrested in August 2006, about six weeks before his 17th birthday, after he and an accomplice tried to break into a home on South Center Street, about four blocks north of the place where Pettus later was killed.

According to an arrest report, a neighbor confronted Banks and Wayne Earl Jones Jr., then 18, during the burglary attempt at 2823 S. Center St. Banks and Wayne Jones, both carrying pistols, threatened the neighbor and another person at a home across the street, according to court files.

Police charged Banks with attempted residential burglary, aggravated assault and a misdemeanor gun charge.

Court files show Banks was placed into the custody of the Department of Youth Services in October 2006 and subsequently was incarcerated in the state’s Southeast Arkansas Regional Juvenile Program in Dermott in January 2007.

A February 2007 report from a caseworker shows that Banks “decided to display physical violence on his peers for no reason at all,” and a juvenile pressed charges against Banks, saying he caused bodily harm.

The worker also noted that Banks was “displaying a lot of negative behavior on his own.” A report later that month described Banks as a “very playful” youth who “takes things for a joke.” Banks told the worker that his most important goal was to earn his high school diploma, and he promised practice self-control and thinking before he acted, according to the report.

In March 2007, Banks was transferred to the Dermott juvenile correctional facility after being charged with inciting a riot and first-degree assault. An April 2007 report shows he waived his right to a trial and pleaded guilty to a charge that is not described.

About two weeks after his transfer, according to a June 2007 report, Banks was placed in administrative segregation for putting a broom in another resident’s face, which Banks blamed on boredom and described as “horseplay.” The report indicated this was hislast disciplinary problem while in custody.

The report said Banks would remain in custody until October 2007 but noted the discharge date could change depending on his behavior. The report shows Banks earned his high school diploma and raised his test scores by two grades.

It’s not clear when Banks was released from juvenile custody. Initially charged as an adult, his case was transferred to juvenile court in June 2007 by Circuit Court Judge Willard Proctor Jr.

In March 2007, Wayne Jones, a neighbor of Banks’ on Arch Street, pleaded guilty to all charges - first-degree criminal mischief, attempted residential burglary, two counts of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor weapons count - and was sentenced to five years probation with a $1,000 fine.

ANTOINE JONES

Antoine Jones, not related to Wayne Jones, drew a 10-year federal prison sentence when he was 18 for his role in the robbery of a Hope pharmacy in March 1996 with three other men: Charles Matthew Newsome, Willie Stephens III and Antoine L. Perkins. Jones was released in May 2005 to serve three years on supervised release and had to obtain court permission to move to Little Rock.

Barely a year out of prison, police arrested Jones in June 2006 on a first-degree murder warrant in the Halloween 2005 slaying of Earl “Lil Earl” Williams Jr. of Little Rock.

The 30-year-old Williams was found dead in the 200 block of East 27th Street in the Little Rock housing projects. Someone had shot him five times, including once in the face. He had a fully loaded revolver tucked in his coveralls. According to an arrest affidavit, detectives heard that someone named “Turtle” had killed. A man named Cornelius Chambers had been with him, documents show. Investigators determined Antoine Jones was the man known as Turtle. Both Chambers and Jones said they saw Williams the night he was killed but denied any role in his death.

Detectives moved to arrest Jones eight months later after 26-year-old Christopher Lashawn “Lil Chris” Perkins of Little Rock told them he witnessed the slaying.

Perkins claimed he was in a car with the men when Jones pulled a pistol and shot Williams during an argument about the April 2005 murder of Julian Christopher “Piru” Branch, according to the affidavit.

Perkins knew details about Williams’ slaying that only someone present during the killing wouldknow, according to the affidavit. But prosecutors declined to formally charge Jones in the slaying. They were concerned about building a murder case almost solely on the testimony of Perkins, who has a 12-year criminal history of violence and theft.

Jones’ next scrape with the law was on March 1, 2007, when he was arrested during a raid by Little Rock police and agents of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The raid took place just a couple of houses down from the Martin Luther King Drive home he would later share with Kamya and her mother. The target of the raid was 26-year-old Randall Devone Armstrong, court records show, suspected of drug-dealing after confidential informants reported twice purchasing crack cocaine from Armstrong at the home.

The raid netted three grams of cocaine, a 9mm pistol and a .45-caliber handgun. Armstrong is scheduled to stand trial on charges resulting from the raid Monday.

Jones wasn’t formally charged, but federal prosecutors tried to send him back to prison, arguing that the arrest violated the terms of his supervised release, which was set to expire May 1, 2007. At a hearing, Jones denied criminalwrongdoing in the arrest but acknowledged failing a drug test. The federal judge, James Moody, declined to send him to prison but ordered him to seek drug treatment, court records show.

The arrest would return to haunt Jones in May, when he was arrested on federal weapons charges during a warrants sweep that also nabbed Ricky Smith on a similar charge.

Jones is prohibited from having bullets and guns because heis a convicted felon. According to a federal affidavit, federal agents believe the .45 caliber pistol seized during the March 2007 raid belongs to Jones.

Jones also is accused of illegally possessing ammunition on two occasions: the night Kamya was killed and during a May shooting attempt in North Little Rock that targeted him, Kamya’s mother and their infant daughter. Jones is scheduled to stand trial on those charges in January.

Arkansas, Pages 21, 23 on 09/14/2008

Leifel Jackson Promo

2008-07-08T13:30:00.001-05:00

Read My Account of Pending Heart Surgery

2008-06-22T10:56:00.002-05:00

If you are interested, visit my personal blog where I will be posting updates on my pending heart surgery.

Special From the NLR Dogtown Wire

2008-06-17T06:51:00.001-05:00

(Steve Nawojczyk helped set up and ran the city's Mayor's Office on Youth Services from its inception in 2000. He recently left this directorship to take a job as the Program Administrator for Community Services at the Arkansas Department of Human Services. We asked Nawojczyk to share his long connection and experiences with the annual Arkansas Boys State. The following is his account.)

During the first week of June for the last 16 years I have loaded up in my car and traveled the 30 miles to Conway for my yearly rejuvenation.

Back when the gang violence was at epidemic proportions, I was serving as the Pulaski County coroner and had developed a national reputation as being one who was knowledgeable in the dynamics of gangs.

For some reason, the people who put on the American Legion Boys State each year thought my message would be a good one for the thousand or so high school juniors from around the state to hear.

My first year, I was a nervous wreck. I knew that high school boys are always some of the hardest to reach. I labored over the content of my talk and finally settled on just being myself.

I would simply tell them of my “conversion” from being a person who felt the answer to the gang problem was more jails, tougher laws and meaner cops to a person who understood that in order to effectively deal with the problem communities must balance suppression and enforcement with prevention, intervention and treatment programs.

I told them stories of young mothers who I had to sit with and counsel them over the loss of a child. I told of how families struggled to get through the life-changing events caused by a child who made a poor decision.

I encouraged the Boys Staters to engage in some sort of public service as a career. If they weren’t destined for that, I told them to stay involved in their community. I challenged them to become “agents of change” for their generation.
After my first speech to them those long years ago, I got a five minute standing ovation that brought me to tears. It seemed to go on forever. The fires of my hope for the next generation were stoked. And, it gets stoked each year.

The 2008 Boys State attendees fill the hall in Conway. (Steve Nawojczyk)
I always learn more from the young men at Boys State than I teach them. I don’t teach really, I just reflect on my nearly 25 years of studying death. After all, what you do when you study death is done to benefit the living.

I look forward to many more years of my trek to UCA and the feeling of hope in my heart that is always greater on the trip home than it was the trip up.

Next week, a trip to the delta country would bring me before a completely different set of young men.

The following Tuesday, I was headed the other direction from North Little Rock. This time I was making my 9th trip to the Tucker Maximum Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections to speak to the 9th class of the U.N.I-TY program. UNITY was started by an inmate serving life without parole, a prison psychologist and a Correctional Officer Captain. The acronym stands for You and I Teaching Youth. It is a program that is mostly attended by lifers and former gang members. They meet for about 15 weeks and work on many problems inmates deal with on a daily basis.

It is a lot different looking into the eyes of these broken but hopeful souls than it is into the eyes of the Boys Staters. One can’t help but wonder if their circumstances had been different when the inmates were younger if their lives would have taken a different turn.

When I converse with the men at the prison, I am also someone instilled with a little hope because they are so willing to share their lives, which in turn helps me to do my job.
Both audiences make me realize we are all in this together. Somehow, whether you are a ward of the state or a future leader of our state or country, there is a common bond. The need to connect. The need for nurturing caring adults in the lives of children. To turn a worn out phrase, it truly does, it seems, take an entire village to raise a child.

Now I’ll wait until it is time to either go to Boys State or prison again. In the meantime, I’ll continue to share the messages shared with me.

(Editor’s note: The American Legion Department of Arkansas inducted Steve Nawojczyk to the Arkansas Boys State Hall of Fame on June 6 for his contribution to the Boys State and the youth of Arkansas.)

REPORT TO BE RELEASED URGES JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM IN ARKANSAS-From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

2008-06-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Report: Lock up fewer youths

By Andy Boyle

Thursday, June 12, 2008

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ juvenile justice system needs to rely more on community-based programs rather than confinement, according to a report that will come out later this month.

More than 90 percent of youths committed in Arkansas are nonviolent offenders, and keeping them locked up increases their risk of future delinquency, the report found.

The report, not yet complete, was commissioned in January by the Justice Equality Human Dignity and Tolerance Foundation of New York in collaboration with the Arkansas Division of Youth Services. It essentially supports previous studies by the Disability Rights Center in Little Rock, a nonprofit federally funded group that advocates for the disabled.

“I think what [the report] says is we’re at a very important time for juvenile justice in Arkansas,” said Dana McClain, senior staff attorney for the Disability Rights Center, which released its findings more than a year ago. “And if we fail to take the opportunity we have here, our children are going to suffer because of it.”

A juvenile justice task force will use the report to identify problems in the system, said Julie Munsell, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the agency that manages the Youth Services Division. An assessment unit is visiting the state’s eight detention facilities and looking to divert some of the young offenders to less restrictive environments, she said, noting one of the report’s recommendations.

Saying incarceration should be used as a last resort, the report recommends developing a five-year plan for changing the system.

Moving youths to community-based facilities can’t start soon enough, but it won’t be easy, said Paul Kelly, a senior analyst with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a nonprofit group.

“We do not have the capacity currently in the state to handle all of these kids,” he said of community-based programs that would provide, among other services, substance abuse treatment and family therapy.

Refocusing the juvenile justice system also would save taxpayers money that could be reinvested in developing a “comprehensive array of community interventions proven to help youth stay out of trouble,” according to the report.

Each youth kept at a detention center costs the state $150 per day. The state pays $120 to $480 per day to keep a young offender at a specialty facility, such as the Arkansas State Hospital.

In fiscal year 2007, 621 youngpeople were committed to the Youth Services Division, and 403 of them were confined in specialty facilities, costing the state more than $23 million. The division’s budget for this fiscal year is $61.9 million.

Some of the offenders have committed such crimes as murder and rape.

“We recognize and acknowledge that some youth and some crimes will require some period of confinement,” said Bart Lubow, director of programs for high-risk youth at the Baltimorebased Annie E. Casey Foundation, which releases its 2008 Kids Count Databook today.

The problem of locking up young people who commit nonviolent crimes is partly cultural, Kelly said. People like a revenge system of justice, he said.

Pat Arthur, one of the authors of the report to come out later this month, said the task force is bringing together agencies that deal with similar matters, so one of the biggest difficulties will be finding a consensus. But she said the leaders of the state are making the right decision by trying to change a problematic system.

“I’m very hopeful for Arkansas youth and their families because there’s some real good leadership in the state right now,” she said.

Information for this article was provided by Carolyne Park of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Front Section, Pages 9 on 06/12/2008

Gang Related?

2008-06-07T07:06:00.001-05:00

Judge rules to allow gang-related claims

By Michelle Bradford

Saturday, June 7, 2008

BENTONVILLE - A judge ruled Friday that jurors will be allowed to hear evidence at a capital-murder trial next month that alleges the 2006 slaying of a motorist in Lowell was a gang initiation.

Benton County Judge Tom Keith also ruled that defendants Manuel Enrique Camacho and Serafin Sandoval-Vega will stand trial together July 8, despite objections from defense attorneys.

“I wrestled with this decision, but I’m denying the motion to sever the cases,” Keith said. “Keep in mind we can separate the cases in the middle of the trial, or even at the end if necessary. But I’m confident that neither defendant will be unfairly prejudiced by the other.”

Sandoval-Vega, 20, Camacho, 27, and Roxana Hernandez, 22, are charged in the May 6, 2006, shooting death of Daniel Ray Francis of Little Flock. The 32-year-old father of four was shot while riding in a friend’s car onU.S. 71B, prosecutors said.

Sandoval-Vega, who prosecutors say pulled the trigger, is charged with capital murder, while Camacho, the driver, and Hernandez, the front-seat passenger, are charged with being accomplices to capital murder.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Sandoval-Vega and Camacho. Hernandez, if convicted, faces up to life in prison. Her trial date is pending.

Next month’s trial for Camacho and Sandoval-Vega is expected to take up to six weeks. Jury selection could take a week, given the possibility the jury could have to decide on the death penalty for two people.

After Friday’s hearing, attorneys for Camacho and Sandoval-Vega talked to the defendants’ families who remained in the courtroom.

“We’re in crunch time now,” said Joel Huggins, a Springdale attorney for Sandoval-Vega. “We’ll be calling all of you into the office for interviews in the next week or two, and we’re optimistic there’ll be a fair trial.”

Fayetteville attorney Kent McLemore spoke through an interpreter to Camacho’s family, who declined to talk to a reporter.

“They’re scared to death,” McLemore said of the family. “[Camacho] is a husband, a father and a son, and his family loves and cares about him.

“They’re very worried what might happen,” he said.

Prosecutors said Francis was shot while riding with Tracy Stith, a co-worker at J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.

Stith told police that he and Francis had been in a roadway dispute with the three defendants and that both cars took turns cutting in front of the other and slamming on the brakes. After about 15 minutes, Sandoval-Vega stuck a gun out of the back-seat window of Camacho’s Honda Civic and fired, prosecutors said.

Sandoval-Vega, Camacho and Hernandez were arrested that night at a Bentonville convenience store parking lot where they had a pistol and a box of ammunition in the car, police said.

Al Valdez, a retired California gang investigator and an expert witness for prosecutors, testified at an April hearing that the killing was a gang initiation.

Valdez said Camacho seized an opportunity in a dispute with strangers to let Sandoval-Vega commit a crime to get into a gang.

Valdez, a regular guest on the History Channel TV series Gangland, said he made his determination in the case based on gang tattoos on Camacho’s body, on Camacho’s deep involvement with gang crime while he lived in California, and on statements that he and others made after their arrests in Benton County.

But an expert witness for the defense, Brian Contreras, who runs the nonprofit youth program Second Chance in Salinas, Calif., testified that the shooting lacks the characteristics of a true gang shooting. He said most gang crime is “gang-on-gang” and that most gang members won’t target an innocent person for an initiation.

Tim Buckley, an attorney for Camacho, said Friday that it’s been hard coordinating witness schedules and finding Spanishspeaking experts who are qualified to work on death-penalty murder cases.

“We’d had to work with the Mexican consulate to get some witnesses here,” Buckley told Keith at the hearing. “It’s been a complicated process, but we’re getting there.”

Keith denied a request by Buckley for a 60-day continuance to fine-tune the case and accommodate an expert psychiatrist in North Carolina.

“There will always be those moments of [adjusting] trial strategy up to the last minute,” Keith said. “We’ll adjust as we go along.”

Arkansas, Pages 14 on 06/07/2008

NW Arkansas Police to Share Gang Information- The Arkansas Democrat*Gazette

2008-03-23T07:16:00.002-05:00

Police want to share information on gangs

NW Arkansas officers see need for database

By Michelle Bradford

Sunday, March 23, 2008

LITTLE ROCK — When Rogers or Springdale police try to solve a gang crime, they have database access to information on hundreds of local gang members or their associates.

Smaller police departments in Northwest Arkansas, however, don’t have similar databases that show photos, tattoos and addresses linked to gangs such as Sureno, MS-13, Nortenos and Brown Pride.

The closest thing to a regional gang clearinghouse is the Arkansas Crime Information Center. While the information center shows felony convictions across the country, it listsonly 21 gang members in Arkansas. In Rogers, police have more than 200 in their gang database.

“If my city gets hit with graffiti by someone called ‘Snoop Dog,’ I can’t call up ACIC and say, ‘Is there a Snoop Dog in your system?’” Centerton Police Chief Lance Johnson said.

“With ACIC, you need a name, a date of birth or a driver’s license number, something to start with,” he said. “A lot of times we don’t have that kind of information at the front end.”

In Centerton, a fast-growing bedroom community west of Bentonville, the Latin Kings gang painted graffiti in January;no one has been arrested for it. Johnson wants a plan to create a Northwest Arkansas gang-intelligence network.

Such a database would let law enforcement officers add intelligence information as they get it. They could then check whether a suspect - who may be known only by a nickname, a tattoo or who he runs with - is on the radar of another department.

“If another department arrests a gang member and it turns out he lives in Centerton, I might not ever know until one of us picks up the phone and calls the other,” Johnson said.

CALIFORNIA USES DATABASE

Twelve agencies in Northwest Arkansas meeting under the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods’ Anti-Gang Initiative talked about starting a gang-intelligence database last year, but logistics and cost concerns put the plan on hold.

Bob Balfe, U.S. attorney in Fort Smith, said for a regional database to work, every agency would need to use the same criteria for entering information and someone would have to maintain the system.

“On top of that, there’s a huge funding issue with equipment and manpower,” Balfe said. “As stretched as many of the departments are just trying to get officers on the streets, it’s just not a top priority right now.”

Although there’s no central database, the agencies from Washington, Benton and Sebastian counties meet every seven weeks or so and share gang intelligence and leads on cases.

“Gang members don’t respect county lines, and that’s especially relevant in Northwest Arkansas where it’s not one large metropolitan area, but in fact a region with more than one county,” Balfe said.

“Everyone involved here knows how important it is that we all continue to communicate and collaborate on this issue,” he said.

In considering a regional database, the agencies looked at CalGang, the California Department of Justice’s gang database.

Wes McBride, executive director of the California Gang Investigators Association, helped design CalGang, an automated information-sharing system.

“It’s an electronic gang file built on a network that allows sharing between departments,” McBride said. “It may sound sophisticated but a gang file is a gang file. If you know your suspect drives a red Chevy, you enter that in, and you get a list of gang members who drive red Chevys.”

McBride, who is retired from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s office, said police can work to control and reduce gangs by banding together to train.

“Gang members in today’s world are very mobile, moving from one town to the next,” Mc-Bride said. “To stay on top of it, police need to form a task force and start training their officers to recognize gangs.

“Put on statewide training and roll it across the state.”

The Justice Department dedicated $10 million to Project Safe Neighborhoods in 2006, with an additional $30 million to fund the Anti-Gang Initiative.

The U.S. attorney’s office in the Western District of Arkansas has been given $694,000 for Project Safe Neighborhoods.

P roject Safe Neighborhoods pays for police agencies in Northwest Arkansas to get gang resistance and education training.

Agencies in Washington, Sebastian and Benton counties, where officials at the U.S. attorney’s office in Fort Smith say gang activity is most prevalent, have had the training during the past year.

Some are also providing gang intervention and prevention in English and in Spanish in schools.

‘GANG OVERTONES’

From March to July last year, some Springdale police officers worked on a part-time crime suppression team that identified, photographed and documented gang members in the city.

The officers also ran saturation patrols that focused primarily on curbing graffiti and property crime.

Sgt. Shane Pegram, who supervised the team, said officers identified about 150 people with ties to several major gangs.

To identify gang members, the team used a combination of criteria, including self-admitted membership, association with known gang members, frequenting known gang areas, “throwing” hand signs and having gang tattoos, Pegram said.

“The overall goal of the team was to identify crime trends in the city, and unfortunately, a lot of what we found had gang overtones,” said Pegram.

“About every gang there is in the country right now, we’ve had contact with in Springdale,” he said. “And other cities in Northwest Arkansas are seeing the same thing, too.”

A full-time crime suppression team starts next month, he said.

While Springdale isn’t using its data as an investigative tool, the Rogers Police Department uses gang data it has been compiling since 2005.

Cpl. Craig Renfrow, a gang investigator for Rogers, helped build a database of more than 200 entries of active and inactive gang members and their associates living in the city.

About 40 percent of those in the database fall under the category of Sureno or Mexican Mafia gangs, Renfrow said. The second-largest category - about 14 percent - consists of prison gangs and hate groups.

“We’ve got a solid knowledge now of what’s going on in the city, but the next step is to do something collectively as a region,” Renfrow said.

He said the Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville police departments have met independently of the federal group to share gang data.

The Benton County sheriff’s office is another agency that uses its own system to track gang members.

Jail commander Capt. Hunter Petray said about 90 gang members have been identified using the system, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those gangs are operating in the county. Many gang members are already doing prison time or were extradited from some other part of the country, Petray said.

Petray said the county forwards its gang information to the FBI but isn’t actively sharing the data with other agencies in Northwest Arkansas.

“There’s nothing set as far as regional sharing, but we’re always willing to share our gang file with any other law-enforcement agency that wants to see it or benefit from it,” Petray said.

Kelly Cradduck, a candidate for Benton County sheriff, is one of the people spearheading the effort to implement a regional gang database in Northwest Arkansas.

While campaigning, Cradduck, who teaches gang awareness to police and at area schools, is on leave from the Rogers Police Department, where he is a sergeant supervising the gang unit.

“We need a database where all the agencies can enter into it and take information from it,” Cradduck said. “That’s one of the biggest roadblocks right now.

“Even if everyone is collecting the data, it’s not compatible,” he said. “Not everyone is sharing information. When all you do is shove gang members two miles out of your city, you’re not fixing anything.”A united front These 12 Northwest Arkansas agencies form the initiative:

Bentonville Police Department

Benton County probation office

Benton County prosecuting attorney’s office

Benton County sheriff’s office

Fayetteville Police Department

Fort Smith Police Department

Rogers Police Department

Sebastian County prosecuting attorney’s office

Sebastian County sheriff’s office

Springdale Police Department

Washington County prosecuting attorney’s office

Washington County sheriff’s office

Arkansas, Pages 17, 23 on 03/23/2008

Another Wasted Life-When Will It End?

2008-03-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

High School football star killed by gangbanger.

2008-03-09T06:04:00.000-05:00

Nevets’ new challenge

By Mike Masterson

Sunday, March 9, 2008

LITTLE ROCK — It was Aug. 2, 1974, when the first editorial praising the tenacity and resolve of a young reserve deputy named Steve Nawojczyk (Na-voy-check) appeared in the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record.

As the newspaper’s editor, I had authored the piece, titled “They Would Gag the Truth.” Steve had refused to cave to political pressure after charging the chairman of the local Democratic Central Committee, W.C. “Bill” Mears, with driving while intoxicated and refusing to take an alcohol breath test.

At that point, B.W. Thomas, a municipal court stand-in judge, already had quietly dismissed the charges.

According to Steve, Mears had asked him that night on the highway if he knew who Mears was. Steve said he’d responded that Mears’ career was irrelevant to his condition behind the wheel. Afterward, Steve, whose day job was directing the city’s ambulance service, was badgered to drop the case, but he refused.

From the 1974 editorial: “Yesterday in Municipal Court a public official had a DWI charge against him dismissed by substitute judge BW. Thomas. . . . [R]eserve Deputy Sheriff Steve Nawojczyk never had to opportunity to explain his case. . . . We, like Mr. Nawojczyk and others in Garland County who still believe in honesty, integrity and those ethical principles in life that each person has to live with, will not refrain from printing the truth. . . . We have to ask the people of Hot Springs . . . Do we want a town where a man [who] is doing an honest job is harassed and threatened?”

More tenacious editorializing finally moved this case back onto the docket. The charges eventually were “undismissed” and he was convicted after Steve finally took the stand.

I later came to call Steve the Alphabet Man for what I believe are obvious reasons. Later, he was elected Garland County coroner and we pledged to watch each other’s back during my seven years there.

As friends, I soon became Ekim and he became Nevets. We got some twisted kick from spelling our names backward. He later would become Pulaski County coroner and a private investigator, and then executive director of the state Crime Lab under Bill Clinton. Not once did I see him sacrifice his principles to political pressure.

Steve earned national attention when he was featured as an expert on youth gangs in Little Rock for an HBO special. The subject of gangs would become his life’s calling, as further evidenced by the national recognition he shared while serving with the North Little Rock Office of Youth Services.

I relive this history today only because Nevets is beginning a new phase of his career. He’s becoming an administrator in the Arkansas Division of Youth Services for a pilot program called the Serious/ Violent Offender Reintegration Initiative. He is perfectly suited for this program in Pulaski County as it begins tracking serious juvenile offenders when they enter the system.

Steve says his goal is to shape a successful exit plan for each offender, adding: “We will work with the kid, their families and the communities where they will return to, hopefully, come up with a successful plan so they won’t re-offend.” He says it will be his responsibility to help DYS Director Ron Angel make sure that the program is effective and beneficial to the state. Most important, Steve will be charged with salvaging the young lives he will be mentoring.

“Hopefully, the program will be taken statewide,” he said.

He also will be developing a community outreach program to help communities effectively deal with juvenile crime and violence.

“This new administration and Deputy Director Steven Jones are intent on changing things at DYS,” he told me. “Mentoring will be a critical element to success. We can’t help anyone who doesn’t want to help themselves.

“I’ll never forget asking a gang leader why it was so hard for him to leave the gang. He responded that he had become addicted to the life, the adrenaline rush and the power.

“No doubt it will be a big job,” Steve added. “Part of the challenge will be that some communities will be wary of a youth returning.” Steve believes that if he prepares properly, many kids with problems will realize they need the help. These troubled young men and women couldn’t have a more devoted role model, mentor and champion than Nevets the Alphabet Man, who as a young man himself stood resolute for what was true and right in the face of powerful and negative influences.

———◊-———

Staff columnist Mike Masterson is the former editor of three Arkansas daily newspapers.

Editorial, Pages 97 on 03/09/2008

Copyright © 2008, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.

Bobby Banks' Crew Seems Not To Have Been Affected by his Incarceration

2008-03-07T08:13:00.002-06:00

From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Slain man was witness in killing

Prosecutors listed him in case against drug kingpin’s cousin

By Andy Davis

Friday, March 7, 2008

LITTLE ROCK — The man who was found shot to death last week in Interstate Park in Little Rock was a witness in one of two pending murder cases against Kevin Banks, cousin of incarcerated drug kingpin Bobby Banks, court records show.

In a Feb. 7 filing in Pulaski County Circuit Court, prosecutors listed Thomas Steven Okafor, 21, as a witness against Kevin Banks in the Dec. 20 killing of Brent Pettus.

Okafor was found in the park near Arch Street and Interstate 30 about 7 a.m., Feb. 29, police said.

He lived with his great-uncle in a small blue house at 309 W. 33rd St., just around the corner from the 3200 block of Center Street, where Pettus, 25, was found dead of gunshot wounds in a car with its engine running.

Lt. Terry Hastings, a spokesman for the Little Rock Police Department, declined to say whether police believe Okafor’s killing is related to the Pettus case or what information Okafor had provided.

“We are looking into his murder at this time, and we have no suspects at the moment,” Hastings said.

Pulaski County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Johnson declined to comment on the Pettus or Okafor cases.

According to an arrest affidavit, a man identified only as “Witness 2” told police that the shooting followed a botched drug deal.

The witness said that just before the shooting, he was in his car with Kevin Banks, 18, a block from where the shooting happened.

Banks left to buy marijuana from Pettus, the witness said. The witness said he then heard at least three gunshots in the area where Banks had gone.

The witness told police that he had started to drive off when he heard Banks call his name. Banks, armed with a shiny revolver and looking upset, then got into the car, the witness said.

The witness said Banks later told him that Pettus had tried to “short” his marijuana, the affidavit says.

Banks told the witness, “I got into it with the nigger, and I had to shoot him,” the affidavit says.

Okafor’s great-aunt, Carolyn Williams, said Thursday that Okafor, who sometimes went by his middle name, worked at the Wal-Mart on 700 S. Bowman Road.

“He had just gotten a job,” Williams said. “He was trying to find an apartment and buy a car.”

The night before Okafor was found dead, someone saw him standing in front of the house on 33rd Street with a man who was wearing red pants, a red shirt and a red bandana, Williams said.

Okafor had been renting a car, Williams said. On the day the body was found, at about 1 p.m., the family was notified that police had found the car, Williams said.

Hastings said he didn’t have any information on the car.

Kevin Banks has been in the Pulaski County jail, where he is being held without bond, since his Jan. 2 arrest in Pettus’ killing.

He faces a first-degree murder charge in Pettus’ death. He is also charged with capital murder in the Dec. 29 shooting of 6-year-old Kamya Weathersby at the girl’s house at 2715 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and with first-degree battery in the Dec. 5 shooting of three men in the 2600 block of the same street.

Bobby Banks, leader of the 23rd Street Crips in Little Rock for several years, was sentenced in July 2006 to 55 years in prison after being convicted of leading a large cocaine-trafficking operation. He is being held in the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy in Inez, Ky.

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