Addressing Gang Activity in Wake County
WCPSS Efforts
The Wake County Board of Education adopted policy 6424 on gang and gang related activities in 2005. The policy is clear in stating opposition to gangs and the need for administrators to work closely with law enforcement to suppress gangs.
Policy 6424
The policy defines a gang as “any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of criminal acts, or the purposeful violation of any WCPSS policy, and having a common name or common identifying sign, colors or symbols.” The policy further states that “No student shall commit any act that furthers gangs or gang-related activities.”
Suppression, Prevention and Intervention
The school system seeks to stop the spread of gangs through the use of suppression, prevention and intervention.
The school system security office works with law enforcement, school resource officers and other agencies in the suppression effort. The security staff works with law enforcement to stay up to date on the latest information about gangs and activities. They share this information with school principals, staffs and system administrators.
The school system Student Services Department works with local community groups, faith groups and school administrators in the prevention and intervention efforts
Community Resources
Gang Resistance Is Paramount (G.R.I.P.)
This program, a component of the Wake County Public School System’s Counseling and Student Services (CASS) Department, provides anti-gang lessons to elementary, middle, and high school students.
CASS Gang Intervention Assessment Diagram
This document, which is scheduled to be implemented during the 2008-2009 school year, will provide guidance to school social workers and counselors in assessing the level of gang participation by a student. In addition to the assessment of possible gang involvement, interventions are prescribed at each level of gang involvement in an attempt to respond to any emerging issues that the student may manifest.
Hispanic/Latino Outreach Parent Training
The Hispanic/Latino Outreach Program provides parent training to Wake County schools with high Latino populations. One component of the parent training is gang awareness.
Gang Awareness Training
The Wake County Public School System’s Prevention Services Department works collaboratively with the school system’s Security Office, Wake County Human Services and community agencies to provide a two-day training for employees focusing on gang awareness and prevention. Day One of the workshop focuses on gang identification and suppression efforts. Day Two of the workshop focuses on gang intervention and prevention efforts.
Gang Awareness Video
The Wake County Public School System Security Office provides a series of three gang awareness videos available to all Wake County Public School System employees on the school system’s intranet site.
Faith-Based Initiative
The Wake County Public School System’s Prevention Services Department has as one of its goals for the 2008-2009 school year “to create and establish continuous relationships with Wake County faith-based organizations of all denominations and faiths to support students.” The focus of this relationship will be on encouraging faith-based organizations to provide support to students through mentoring/tutoring in all Wake County schools. This collaboration will have the potential to increase the capacity of schools who work with students needing academic support and encouragement.
Membership on the Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership (WCGPP)
The Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership, a collaboration between Wake County Human Services, the Wake County Public School System, law enforcement and community agencies, provides leadership in preventing and combating gang involvement in Wake County. The partnership meets on a regular basis to develop both short and long range plans to address gang involvement. The Partnership, working with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), has attempted to strengthen the reach and breadth of its work on gangs. Using a Comprehensive Gang Model developed by OJJDP, the Partnership is dedicated to using multi-agency collaboration to combat gang involvement. The focus of the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative will be on relationship building with community leaders. The Partnership has received a federal grant for this purpose.
Membership on the Social Intervention Committee (of the WCGPP)
This committee explores programs for intervention/prevention and discusses how to educate the Wake County public regarding gang awareness, including providing work sessions and training.
WCGPP Street Outreach Committee
This committee works with Visions of Hope, a mental health agency, to assign mental health services to identified gang members.
Wake County Gang Info-Line: (919) 256-0919
Provides information, support and references to agencies for persons with questions regarding gang involvement.
Participation in the Third Annual Youth Summit at Martin Street Baptist Church
This event, held July 10, focused on encouraging Wake County youth to pursue positive alternatives in the Wake County community.