Seek allies in gang fight
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 12/28/06
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Some Long Branch activists want outside agencies to come in and help
address the city's gang problem. With two homicides in less than a
week, residents have every right to be concerned about their safety.
Mayor Adam Schneider and Public Safety Director William Richards
should reach out to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the
State Police, and use whatever resources are available to root out
the gangs and drugs that give rise to so much of the violence.
The city's police are not to blame. Nor should they be expected to
handle this on their own. Gang problems don't start or stop at any
municipality's borders. That's why it's so important for the county
and state law enforcement agencies to step in. Recent shootings in
Neptune, Asbury Park and Long Branch shouldn't be treated as isolated
events.
Long Branch and county law enforcement officials have contended that
crime statistics show there is no gang problem in the city a view
not shared by many of its residents. That contrarian perspective has
been reinforced by the two recent murders and the four murders since
August. At a Tuesday news conference, Lorenzo "Bill" Dangler,
president of the local NAACP chapter, said no one is interested in
statistics, and his organization "emphatically would say we do have a
gang problem here as well as Monmouth County."
The city activists, with Councilman Brian Unger, suggested the
county's Tactical Narcotics Team return, that more patrol cars and
foot patrols be assigned to key areas of the city and that the
federal Drug Enforcement Administration establish a presence in Long
Branch.
A heavy, collaborative effort between the law enforcement agencies
should include the city's school community, to keep young students
from being lured into gangs. One of the shooting victims, Keith
Mason, 28, was a standout athlete at Long Branch High School. In a
letter to the Press, his aunt said the family hopes "his death can be
the catalyst Long Branch needs to crush the over-indulgence in crime
and mayhem that has become the norm." Using Mason's image and story
in violence-prevention educational programs could be an effective
tactic in a multifaceted anti-gang program.
City leaders can't rely on statistics alone. And the police shouldn't
have to go it alone. Long Branch should seek all the outside help it
can get to give members of the community the protection and peace of
mind they deserve.
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