Sheriff Vasquez: Communities must work together to stop gang violence

“Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.” Lao Tzu

In February I touched on gangs and the violence associated with them in a very general sense. This month I feel compelled to address the issue in a very specific and personal way.

The scourge of gang violence in our communities in parts of Pinal County has once again reared its ugly head. In the past year there have been at least 30 confirmed gang-related acts of violence that have resulted in three homicides. This is Pinal County, not Los Angeles or Phoenix, and it is completely unacceptable.

This problem isn’t going to just go away; we have to do something to make it stop. Gangs and the violence that follows must be approached from all sides. Law enforcement can’t do it alone; we need help – help from you, the citizens. We need your help as parents, neighbors, volunteers, employers, mentors and friends.

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a series of community gatherings sponsored by the clergy in three of the communities hit the hardest by gang violence. Law enforcement officials from all of these communities came together on several nights with the citizens to brainstorm what things we can do to make a difference. The one message that came through loud and clear was something that I have always believed in my heart; it takes a village to raise a child.

As your sheriff, I am asking you to be part of that village. Learn to recognize the signs of gang involvement in your children. Talk to them, know where they are, who their friends are and be involved in their lives. Be aware if they change their clothing, friends, attitudes or if their grades take a sudden dip. Take the time to get to know your neighbors so you can talk to one another when something looks out of place or just doesn’t seem right.

A lot of good ideas came out of our brainstorming sessions, and I am actively looking into how I can support and advance many of them. We are still moving forward with the implementation of the graffiti abatement program, and I have asked the board of supervisors to fund the purchase of a graffiti removal machine. The immediate identification/removal of graffiti is one of the very best strategies in sending the message that gangs won’t be tolerated in our neighborhoods.

In addition, I continue to have deputies assigned to our schools on a full-time basis so there is positive interaction between our youth and the police. Even though I need more deputies to raise the level of service to you, I remain steadfast in my commitment to having them in our schools. It cannot be overstated that it is our youth that we must save. We know from talking to ex-gang members exactly how gangs recruit. We also know from those same individuals how to circumvent those attempts, and it starts at home, in church, in school and in the community.

On the enforcement side I continue to stay committed to being proactive in this fight against violence. As I reported in February, I have two deputies assigned full-time to the State Gang Task Force (GITEM). The southern Arizona region of GITEM is made up of four separate units assigned to Tucson (2), Yuma and Pinal County. As of last month the detectives from every single one of those units is temporarily assigned to Pinal County exclusively. One of the reasons for this is because I. along with the leadership of the law enforcement community, believe we can make a difference here. In fact, there is a dedicated gang hotline for the entire state, that number is 1-888-NO-GANGS.

As I said before, this is Pinal County, and we don’t have a lifelong history of gangs like some of the other metropolitan areas do. We really can take back our communities if we come together and take action now. But it takes all of us working in concert to make that happen. I need you to pick up the phone when you see something. It’s not “snitching” or “ratting” on someone; it’s protecting our community. This is our community; we live here, our families are here and we’re not leaving – they are.

Thank you, and, until next month, God Bless.