Outside experts address Southcentral gang activity

April 19, 2008

The Anchorage district attorney's office will have a dedicated gang prosecutor soon. (Kyle Stalder/KTUU-TV)

by Leyla Santiago
Friday, April 18, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Gang signs, including graffiti, tattoos and hand gestures, can be seen all around the state.

Southcentral community leaders are aiming to address the problem before it grows out of hand, and have welcomed a group of national experts to town in order to help tackle gang-related issues here in Anchorage and on the Kenai Peninsula.

Leaders would prefer to see the region's youth engaged in healthy activities as opposed to the disruptive and illegal gang lifestyle.

On July 9, 2006, shots were fired in the midst of some healthy youth activity, though, at the Anchorage Football Stadium.

Police believe it was an inter-gang gun fight.

State, city and federal leaders are still talking about the incident and its consequences two years later, but this time, Outside help has come to bring a new perspective on the problem.

"We're not bashful about stepping out and saying we need some help to continue working and solve our problems," said Mayor Mark Begich.

The National District Attorneys Association is currently in town as part of the national technical assistance award program. Southcentral is among six U.S. regions sitting down with the team to learn anti-gang techniques used elsewhere in the nation.

"There's got to be the prevention, the intervention as well as the suppression activity," said David Labahn, a member of the association and program sponsor.

The group is focusing on the disease rather than its symptoms.

"With all the pressures on the kids today and if they don't have strong mentoring, strong adult guidance, they will gravitate to where structure is," said Anchorage Police Department Chief Rob Heun. "And historically the gangs have had a much better mentoring program than we have."

Begich said it was important to realize that as Anchorage suppresses its criminal and gang activities, there was the real possibility they might "pop out" in the Kenai or Mat-Su boroughs.

And those arrested for gang activity will eventually re-enter the community.

The group is specifically looking at how to help change and refocus criminals' past behavior.

The Anchorage district attorney's office will have a dedicated prosecutor specifically handling all gang activity over the next year and in the future.

Contact Leyla Santiago at lsantiago@ktuu.com

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