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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01312007Specialcm~ SE,~T HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES GANG WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2007 - 6:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA Mayor Burkeen called the workshop to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. ROLL CALL City Council Present: Mayor Brian Burkeen Council Member Andrea Coy Council Member Sal Neglia Council Member AI Paternoster Staff Present: City Manager, AI Minner City Clerk, Sally Maio 4. UPDATE BY CHIEF DAVIS AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER Chief Davis gave a power point presentation exhibiting the department's observations of gang activity in Sebastian with photos of miscellaneous gang tagging and a list of recent criminal activity, which seemed to occur mostly in October and November of 2006. He stated that activities have slowed considerably and that all law enforcement agencies within Indian River County will work to contain the problem. He recommended that perhaps a citizen advocacy group could form to cultivate ideas to stem youth participation in gangs. He introduced Sheriff Roy Raymond, SRO Deputy Jeff Lutheran, Public Information Officer, and Dan Rodgers, Chief Probation Officer for the 19th Circuit. In response to questions from Council, Chief Davis said nine officers have been assigned, arrests have been made, the involved ages are juvenile to adult, and the group that calls itself Tulip Street Crew have been advised that if they continue, legal action will be taken. City Council Workshop January 31, 2007 Page Two 5. INPUT/PUBLIC Scott Simpson, Sebastian River Middle School Teacher, expressed his appreciation and introduced Haleigh Williams and Melanie Eckert. Ms. Eckert said teens have come up with some ideas for teen activities. Ms. Williams suggested activities such as beach bonfires, picnics at Barber Street Sports Complex, bowling parties. Ms. Eckert suggested a teen lounge with movies, board games, open mike night and maybe bus rides to Andrettis, the Skate Factory and ice skating in Brevard County. Ms. Williams also suggested a teen night at Sharkey's. Mr. Simpson said kids know best what they want and Cindy Anderson was a contact Council could use. Jim, (no last name given), said some of the problem is the criminal justice system and if you commit a crime you should go to jail and you are done and you get no benefits. He commended our local law enforcement and recommended kids be given jail tours so they can see where they might end up. Nancy Paternoster, Sebastian, said she had not seen theft from mailboxes on the list and explained her experience with having her mail stolen along with mail on three blocks. Cindy Falco, Sebastian said gangs start because of boredom, that these kids are different and creative and have to have different outlets for their creativity. She suggested comedy clubs, artistic outlets, kayaking, and paintball. Don Wright, Chairman of Parks and Recreation, said the committee is looking for input from the public to bring to City Council and stated their meetings take place on the 4th Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Michael Hubler, Gifford Youth Activity Director, said he had 20 years experience with youth activities and gangs in Gifford and Fellsmere, said gangs from Ft. Pierce are bringing guns to Indian River County, recommended the City have a facility for youth and said that kids should know officers by name. Todd Klitinic, Sebastian, discussed his experiences with a vacant house near his where a dozen kids were hanging out, and encouraged the City to hire more police officers. Judi Miller, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, said they have just started up in Sebastian with a mentoring program, and are partnering with the Boys and Girls Club. She offered her assistance. Nancy Paternoster said she had been on the Board of Trustees of Neighborhood Watch in New Jersey and suggested the City might want to pursue the program. 2 Council Workshop January 31, 2007 Page Three Cynthia Noonan, who was instrumental in bringing this issue to the public, said the gang problem was not bad, but we must make a commitment now because demographics in Sebastian have changed. She said the problems lie with parental and family problems, music, lack of activities, and while the effort will be difficult and challenging it will be good for Sebastian. She said the key is to have kids participate, have smaller groups who can meet on different issues and report back to Council on its ideas. Dan Rodgers, Department of Juvenile Justice, said a $100,000 grant was approved to conduct an assessment of gang activity in St. Lucie County and he then read from the results (see attached). He said kids need a safe place and they do feel safe in schools which are perceived as neutral zones. Barbara Schlitt-Ford, Youth Guidance for over 500 at risk youth, noted there has been an increase in calls from parents with teen problems, said she was working with CASTLE and offered her assistance on the task force. She recommended building awareness of mentoring programs. Jay Bumgarner, Director of the Boys and Girls Club, recommended two advocacy groups, one to work with police and one to work with social services. He volunteered use of the Boys and Girls Club in Sebastian for meetings. Tony Tucillo, Helicon Terrace, Sebastian, said from the turnout tonight it is clear people are concerned, appreciated the law enforcement and social services offers, and said we need infrastructure and funding sources. He said the core of the problem is that kids are seeking respect, and though we are not responsible for taking care of other people's children, we will be the recipients in the long term, and urged that we remain consistent with whatever path is taken to alleviate the problem. Dale Simchick, 766 S. Easy Street, Sebastian, said it is a different world today, and at one time we had a safety net that does not exist now. She recommended we continue to add to the police force, implement a program to get guns off the streets, and get to young emulators. She said there should be a second workshop with school resource officers, parents and other social services, and perhaps a parents group. She also suggested another workshop geared toward parents and emulators, a possible curfew, and a mural contest. Joe Scozzari, Sebastian, said he grew up in gangs and had a colorful past. He said these kids in gangs feel "less than" and seek out other kids who are "less thans", said he had three foster kids with ADD who turned out right, and urged parents to let their kids know it's out there for them and that they are good even when they're bad. Jane Kappel, said she had two teens and understands the problems, that kids need jobs, and perhaps Sebastian businesses could brainstorm to give them some work and self-respect. Raleigh Williams, suggested expanding programs like DARE, GREAT and Life Skills to younger kids. Council Workshop January 31, 2007 Page Four In response to Ms. Coy, Ms. Williams said she liked the idea of meeting at the Boys and Girls Club, and if the schools were opened up after hours that would be good. Craig Kinsley, Assistant Principal, SRHS, said he was behind programs to help, that students feel safe at school where there is a structured atmosphere, need role models every day and he did not want to see a patchwork approach to the problem because kids need constant structure. He offered his assistance. Julie Scozzari said local schools need after school late busing, and said perhaps Indian River County could provide transportation, and maybe the City could provide some work to students at minimum wage. She said she has two teens and said sometimes the tagging is copycat, recommended maybe there is room at the airport for a community center but there would have to be supervision. Hervin Porter, Sebastian, said he has a 16 year old son, that parents must enforce discipline with their children, that there is a breakdown in society and parents must be more responsible, stop over-socializing with their children and discipline them. Reverend John Vacchiano, Church at the Cross, said he has 14 years experience with youth and said spiritual issues need to be addressed. He asked four questions: 1) are you willing to do whatever it takes to solve the problem; 2) are you willing to believe this battle is much bigger than we think; 3) do you believe this is a battle for the souls of our children; and 4) are you willing to train up your children. He said he works with a group of pastors in the North County and he would be willing to do whatever it takes. Joe Scozzari said Shawn, one of the members of Tulip Street Crew was not here tonight because his father passed away and asked that someone reach out to him. Stephanie Archer, said she works with teenagers and that they are crying for help. She said they say there is nothing here for them, and we need to show them there is a place for them, because they turn to where they are respected wherever it is, and we need to show them a different kind of respect. Cynthia Noonan, said it is clear there are a lot of people here who care, and now we need to focus on how we combat it and how it is to be structured because Sebastian is special. Cindy Falco, said she had lost her son to suicide and a friend recently lost her grandson to suicide and we need to stop losing our children. Ann Reuter, Indian River County School Board, said she would look into anything the board can do to coordinate activities in schools and fully utilize them. Mayor Burkeen called recess at 7:18 pm and reconvened the workshop at 7:27 pm. All members were present. 4 Council Workshop January 31, 2007 Page Five 6. COUNCIL DISCUSSION Mr. Neglia thanked everyone in attendance, said he had been speaking to school board members about using school gyms, said he had suggested to the City Manager showing movies at a public property, discussed getting grants to assess the problem, said the School Resource Officers do a great job, and was happy this is getting off the ground. Mr. Paternoster, thanked everyone for attending especially the agencies that offered assistance, discussed a scared straight program, implementation of a neighborhood watch program if not already in place, parent support groups, looking into a community center, and said everything said tonight was phenomenal. Mr. Coy thanked all who attended, asked what had happened to the Neighborhood Watch program that was in place, said this will require a commitment of resources and funding, more police, partnering with schools and urged the citizen task force be put together. She said she was proud of the community tonight. Mayor Burkeen recommended bringing back an item to the next regular meeting agenda for resolution. He advised he had put sign up sheets at the table at the back of the room for anyone interested in helping. He said as a City we need a long term fix and need to know that in five years how we will continue it, cannot turn a blind eye to the problem, and said he is in for the commitment. He suggested we form a law enforcement component, a component to listen to children, non-profit organizations, and religious groups. He clarified the Sebastian Police Department will have a zero tolerance policy on gang related activity and advised the public to call 911 if they see it. The City Manager said he will place an item on the February 14th agenda to bring a recommendation for formation of the group and then in one month the members can be appointed. Mr. Neglia said County Commissioner Joe Flescher was in attendance and will bring this issue back to the Commission. Ms. Coy said Ann Reuter will also bring this to the County School Board. 7. Mayor Burkeen adjourned the workshop at 7:45 p.m. Approved at the ~ ~" ~d Regular City Council Meeting. ~c~ ~ Brian S. Burkn, Mayor ATTEST: ~~ °~ --~_ Sally A. Maio, MM -City Clerk Executive Roundtable of St. Lucie County St. Lucie County Gang Prevention and Abatement Project Problem Assessment & Analysis FACT SHEET A total of 621 anonymous surveys were collected with 56% representing youth either in gangs or youth involved with activities that put them in high risk situations and 44% representing community concerns about the affects of gang activity. Additionally, approximately 250 individuals from both cities were involved through the interview and discussion group process. Key Highlights from the Survey Youth • Nearly 60% percent of the youth surveyed report the gang problem in St. Lucie County to be either "extremely dangerous" or "pretty bad" or "bad but livable". • Of the total surveyed, 50 youth report currently being active in a gang. • The most commonly stated reasons for joining gang life were (in order of most frequently reported): a) to get respect, b) for fun, and c) for money. • Fear of physical punishment by fellow gang members and retaliation from rival gangs were the main motives that stopped individuals from leaving gang life. • Sixty-two percent (62%) of the gang respondents stated that they have family members that either are or have been in a gang. • Overall, the youth in gangs (that participated in private interviews) expressed that the reasons why some join gangs is because of the lack of family support, no one to talk to, single-parent homes, lack of supervision, family members are involved in gangs, no positive role models, and finally, there is nothing to do. "A gang is like a second family, especially if you have a family that isn't there for you." • Eighty-two (82%) percent of the youth in the total survey do have an adult in their life that they can talk to about important issues and the primary trusted person in their life is most frequently reported as grandmother, or friend. Mother was identified the least number of times of all adult categories. Trusting in one's father was accounted for four times more than the mother. • When asked what do kids need to help avoid joining gangs, and overwhelming response was for safe, interesting, positive activities to be involved with. The second most commonly reported answer was to have a trusting individual to provide love, concern and guidance. • After school activities and an after school job were the top two items reported by the youth as what was needed to be available to young people so that they could have a more successful life. For more information contact: Christine Epps Executive Roundtable of St. Lucie County (772) 871-5880 • Sixty percent (60%) of the youth believe that programs should start working with kids to prevent gang involvement between kindergarten and 4~' grade. Adults • Over half (56%) of the FP adult residents and 58% of the PSL adult residents in the survey do not believe that their children are at risk of gang membership. • The top three strategies (in most popular order) to reduce the gang problem reported by county adults were: a) more parental involvement, b) increased recreational programs, c) school programs to combat gangs and, d) increased police presence. • The influence of family and parenting on the life of a child (55%) was recognized as the most significant responsibility for taking action in reducing the gang problem. • Without prompt, nearly half of the county adult respondents report that the entire community is responsible for reducing the gang problem. Ironically, when probed further as to what specifically respondents could do to help deal with the gang problem in the community, responses where relatively low with an average of 19% of respondents stating participation of any kind. Youth in gangs attend school in St. Lucie County. Key findings from a variety of interviews and discussion group with school personnel throughout the county are as follows: •~ Gang members are getting younger and thus this is becoming a middle school problem. • Opposing gang members attend the same schools and this will continue to grow as the redistricting process is completed. • Typically kids are relieved to come to school. They see school as a respite of sorts, away from the streets and in safety. • Gang fighting and problems come from the community into the school. When law enforcement is aware of this prior to the school day, they alert the SRO as well as school security to prevent problems. Coordination is high and comprehensive. • Violence occurs at the bus stops and on buses in which stronger kids prey on the weak. • Transporting gang members is risky and dangerous. The Department of Transportation attempts to eliminate problems by sending multiple buses to an area, in addition to separating various streets in FP onto different buses. However, it is common for a single bus to have 2-3 gang members on a bus at one time. Faith Based Leaders • There were a total of 25 Pastors surveyed at the Miracle Prayer Pastors Luncheon in St. Lucie County. Eighteen believe there is a gang problem in the county and 16 out of 25 believe the problem to be fairly serious. • Seventeen (17) out of 25 stated "rarely" or "never" when asked how often the congregation discussed the gang problem in the community. For more information contact: Christine Epps Executive Roundtable of St. Lucie County (772)871-5880 Sian-uq Sheet Re: Gann Activity in Sebastian Name Affiliation Phone E-Mail Jay Bumgarner Boys & Girls Club Director of Operations 299-7449 Charles Canupp 581-7475 Melanie Eckert Student 589-3189 Cindy Falco Concerned Citizen 581-9291 Rosemary Flescher Parent 388-9531 Craig Kinsley SRHS Asst. Principal 564-4270 Judi Kloski SRHS Asst. Principal 564-4313 Kari Lanning Parent 589-3189 Peter Lembo, MSW SRHS Attendance Off. 581-3969 Judith and Richard Martin 234-6593 Judy Miller Big Brothers/Big Sisters 528-4545 Cynthia Noonan Parent 532-3479 Nancy Paternoster Concerned Citizen 388-3175 Hearin Porter Parent 589-6276 Dan Rodgers Chief Probation Officer Dept. Juvenile Justice 772-429-2122 Barbara Schlitt-Ford Youth Guidance 770-5040 Joe & Julie Scozzari Parents 589-2682 Scott Simpson SRMS Teacher 713-8472 Tony Tucillo Concerned Citizen 589-2629 tony.tucillo@gmail.com Rev. John Vacchiano Church at the Cross 532-6400 Raleigh Williams SRMS Student Council 581-0997 Others who offered assistance during meeting but did not sign: Don Wright, City Parks and Recreation; Michael Hubler, Gifford Youth Activities Director, Stephanie Archer (works with teenagers); Ann Reuter, School Board member Others in Attendance who offered input: Todd Klitinic, Dale Simchick, Jane Kappel