NCJ Number
147258
Journal
Catalyst Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 1-2
Date Published
1992
Length
2 pages
Annotation
When students at the James Weldon Junior High School in Jacksonville, Florida, expressed their fears about constant fighting between two rival gangs, the school's resource officer and officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department met with about 30 gang members between 12 and 18 years of age.
Abstract
The first meeting involved shouting and accusations, but gang members agreed to conduct themselves peacefully at a second meeting 10 days later. Gang members chose the topics for discussion, police brutality and jobs. Police officers explained their right to use whatever force necessary to make an arrest, but they also stressed that the Sheriff's Department did not tolerate excessive or unnecessary force. Gang members said that the availability of jobs would lower the chances of confrontation between the two gangs. Police officers agreed and offered to organize job skills workshops. Gang members received advice and information on how to dress for an interview and practical guidance on how to complete job applications. They also participated in practice interviews conducted by local businesses. Police officers later took youths seeking summer jobs on real interviews. Although the workshop approach was not formally evaluated, police officers felt it was successful in reducing gang friction and violence.