A violent street fight near West New York Middle School last year prompted officials to organize a teachers’ gang awareness workshop that was recently held at every school in that town. Police told teachers that even symbols scribbled on kids’ notebooks could be signs of gang activity.
Meanwhile, in Union City, School Resource Officer Eddie Antommarchi teaches GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) to sixth graders at Jose Marti Middle School, a workshop in which he tells them to communicate more with their parents.
Officials in both towns say they are trying to keep young kids away from the lure of street life.
Tommy Mannion, president of the West New York Police Benevolent Association, said the Police Department recently got a phone call from a local school representative saying that a 9-year-old was in a gang.
“So, imagine a young kid like that, by the time he hits middle school, high school, he is a disaster,” said Mannion.
Police Director Oscar Fernandez said local kids may get involved because they don’t realize what it truly means to be a gang member.
“They really don’t know the consequences,” he said. “They don’t understand what a gang is, per se. They think it is a group of buddies who are going to protect each other. They don’t realize what you have to do to be a real gang member.”
Workshops
“We don’t have a huge problem in West New York,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Van Zanten two weeks ago, “but like all urban communities, there is a problem. There are kids who are doing things they ought not to be doing.”
The workshop for teachers was created by the Police Department. Fernandez made it clear that it was not intended to snag criminals.
Parents gave officers permission to search the bedrooms of kids suspected of being involved with gangs.
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He said that teachers are now encouraged to notify their principal when they think there might be a problem. The principal will contact police, who will determine whether the issue needs to be addressed with the parents.
Fernandez said that last month, his department conducted 18 consent searches, meaning parents gave officers permission to search the bedrooms of kids suspected of being involved with gangs.
“We come out with boxes of gang paraphernalia, and the parents are beside themselves,” said Mannion.
“Most of the time, all it takes is to make the parent aware that this kid is being mesmerized by this, and that usually stops it right then and there,” said Fernandez.
Fernandez also said that teachers also need to look at writing on kids’ backpacks and notebooks.
“A lot of times, they will scribble on their workbooks the gang signs or things related to the gang,” he said.
Sometimes kids who are not even involved with gangs use gang symbols, said Fernandez, but there are local kids who are actual gang members.
“We do have the bigger gangs coming into areas like this and trying to employ our juveniles in drug operations and whatever else they do, robberies, prostitution, anything like that,” said Mannion.
Mannion talked to the faculty at Public School No. 3 last week. “All we want you to do is pay attention to your students as much as you can,” he told them.
Sgt. Sergio Sanchez, who helped with the presentation, said signs of trouble include sudden changes in attitude, behavior, dress, and weight.
Avoiding trouble
In Union City last week, Eddie Antommarchi was speaking to sixth graders at Jose Marti Middle School.
“I always tell you guys you need to go home and have a relationship with your parents,” he said in class. “You need to be able to tell them who your friends are and who you are hanging out with.”
Antommarchi also encouraged his students to get involved with school clubs and sports. He explained to them that when they are busy with positive activities, they have less of a chance of getting caught up with gangs.
He asked the kids, “What happens when you don’t do anything? Who comes looking for you?”
“Trouble!” They shouted.
Antommarchi said that gang members have to do what they are told by the group, and that often means criminal activity.
“The whole thing is trying to let them know that they need to be leaders, not followers, because the followers are the ones that are going to make the wrong decisions,” he said.
The consequences
Mannion said that one solution to local gang activity is to identify potential problems early.
“What we are looking to do is trying to stop these kids in town that are coming into these gangs at such a young age, as they move on to the middle school and the high school, it becomes a bigger and bigger problem,” he said.
Antommarchi said he tries to teach his students that there are serious consequences to being involved with gangs. He asked them what the three possible outcomes of being a gang member are and they answered back, “Jail, death, or severe injury.”
Antommarchi also reads newspaper articles about gang members and tells stories about his experience working in a state prison.
“Trust me,” said Antommarchi. “You don’t want to go to jail.”
One of his students, sixth grader Taina Vazquez, said, “He tells us the truth, no matter if it is good or bad. He tells us real facts and he actually backs it up with stories.”
Another sixth grader, Angela Maiga, said, “He is helping us stay out of trouble and stay in school.”