As part of its continuous commitment to keeping Cary one of the safest places to live in America, the Town of Cary has upped the ante on gang prevention and begun a comprehensive publicity campaign to help educate the community about gang activity and gang prevention in Cary. A new Web section as well as public service announcements, flyers, brochures are some of the tactics the town will be using to suppress gang activity in Cary. The measures come on the heels of the Cary Town Council’s proclamation in support of gang prevention measures, including declaring May 2008 as Youth Gang Awareness and Prevention Month.

Residents can now access gang awareness and prevention tips on the Gang Prevention section of the Town’s Police Department Web site at townofcary.org/depts/pddept/gangawareness.htm. In addition, residents can also read more about the signs of gang activity in the June edition of the Town’s BUD newsletter. Also, PSAs will begin running in early July on Cary TV 11, the local government access channel, and the PSAs will also be available on the Video Section of the Town’s Web site later this week at townofcary.org/med/video/video1.htm.

“While we’ve been really fortunate to not have the level of gang-related problems common to so many communities our size, we do know that we have young people in Cary that are attracted to gangs,” said Police Chief Pat Bazemore. “Our goal is to use suppression, intervention and prevention strategies to address this issue now before it becomes a much larger issue.”

Statistics show the number of people in Cary affiliated with gangs at just below 100, compared to an estimated 3,000 gang members in Wake County, 14,500 in North Carolina, and 1,000,000 nationwide. In Cary, 33 of the total 6,793 crimes reported in 2007 had some known link to gangs, which is down 33 percent from 2006.

Also part of the campaign, representatives from the town will be going out in the community to speak to local civic and professional groups, including local parent-teacher associations, community watches and homeowners’ groups. During the presentations, town staff will share key facts and messages on gang prevention. Town staff will also distribute printed materials, including the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s “Parents Guide to Gangs” brochure, during special events and presentations.

The Town of Cary’s plan for gangs was developed by an intra-agency group of Cary Police. About 23 members of the Cary Police Department are working with the new gang community.

“We’re going out into the community to encourage citizens to not be afraid to get involved; the safety of our community and the future of our children depend on it.” If you think a member of your family might be in a gang or considering joining a gang, get help by calling the Cary Police Department at 469-4366 or Wake County’s gang hotline at 256-0919.

(source: Town of Cary)