By Steven Sandberg
November 19, 2009
MEDFORD, Ore. - Gangs are a growing concern for Southern Oregon law enforcement agencies after a series of violent crimes.
On November 7th, police say two men were stabbed by a 17-year-old gang member outside Medford's Ramada Inn. The murder of 24-year-old Marco Diaz in a September gang fight resulted in the arrests of 17 people. The accused murderer in the case is 14-years-old.
"Occasionally we come in contact with people who aren't in the position to see what we see and see what's going on. And they say, 'hey this is small town America, these are just wannabees.' They're not out at 1:30 at night when someone has just been stabbed or shot at," said Lieutenant Tim Doney with the Medford Police Department.
"That's the way it starts in every community. 'It can't possibly happen in our community', and then 10 years later you have a huge problem," Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston said.
There are about 100 documented gang members in the region, not including the scores of gang members who keep their affiliations a secret.
"Obviously we've experienced what we think is the worst case scenario with the death of a young man recently. But we'd like to stop it at that so nobody else gets killed," Doney said.
Gang members are actively trying to make their presence felt.
"Notoriety and respect for them. It's hard to have a reputation if nobody knows where you are. So they need an audience. They need somebody to see their tag. They need somebody to see the way they're dressed. They need somebody to see their tattoos," said Ian McDonald with the Medford Police Department.
Southern Oregon has seen the most activity from rival Hispanic street gangs. But there has also been activity from Bloods, Crips and White supremacist groups. The increasingly violent actions and group assaults have forced law enforcement to take harsher measures. Southern Oregon saw a similar rise in gang activity about 10 years ago. Police took a zero tolerance policy.
"And since that time we've seen steady activity. You know, it's kind of like the tide, it kind of comes in and goes out," Doney said.
For every adult gang member there is one who is still in high school.
"Some of these guys are actually really nice kids. It's just that they are associating and affiliating with a group that goes out and commits crimes," said School Resource Officer Mike Jackson with the Medford Police Department. "I think 9th grade, 8th grade, 7th grade, and even down into elementary school. You're starting to see more gang members, more kids getting involved, and a lot of active recruiting that's happening."
"The faces involved are a little bit younger, maybe they don't have as many tattoos, but they're still doing the same scandalous, dangerous behavior," Doney said.
"This is not a job that the police can do on their own," Jackson said.
While cracking down hard on the gang problem may have produced results in the past, Jackson says it doesn't make the problem go away.
"One thing that we as police officers, as law enforcement agencies across the country have learned, is that you cannot arrest your way out of a gang problem. The solutions to the gang problem has to come from the community itself," Jackson said.
There are a number of agencies and organizations that are working together to help young people get out of gangs. Police work with Medford's Kids Unlimited to try to intercept kids getting into gangs and intervene when they are looking for a way out.
