Expert: School gang numbers declining

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Author(s): 
Bill Coate

There was good news and bad news for parents who attended the gang prevention and intervention workshop at Martin Luther King Middle School.

The good news was: The number of gang members attending Madera Unified’s schools is decreasing. The bad news: Gang activity has not been eliminated in Madera.

This update was given to approximately 20 parents who attended the Thursday evening workshop and heard a presentation by Lawrence Fernandez, Madera Unified’s gang intervention specialist.

Fernandez told the participants that according to the Department of Justice, Madera County is one of 20 California counties that has been identified as being a “high impact gang area.”...

Comments

Corki Fielder (not verified) | 02/26/12

I was saddened to read that only a few people attended the meeting about gangs and the Madera Unified's gang intervention. Being a citizen of this fine town and county, I would like to see this opened up to the general public so that we can join hands in dealing with this issue. Might even contact the local churches to see what programs they have to offer, and activities we might support, so that our young people have an alternative to gang membership.