How closely related are schools to gang activities in San Diego?
Generally, if you’re really deep in the gang life and culture, you’re probably not going to school. The school plays a role in trying to identify trends with students that they may have. The commission includes county schools and city schools, as well as many other agencies, because we know everybody plays a role. Almost every one of the gang members went to a school at some point in time before they chose another pathway. So we realize that if we can catch them earlier in their school age and engage them intellectually, maybe that will change their behavioral patterns. It’s an awareness that there are many tributaries that lead to the river of gang violence and gang lifestyle. OK, so let’s look at this from a parent’s perspective. At what age should parents be concerned that their children are at higher risk of joining a gang? Adolescence — when children are beginning to test the boundaries of who they are and recognizing who they are in the context of society. I think that’s one of
