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proactive on
gang activity
Wednesday’s seminar on gangs for all Columbus County public school teachers is a good heads-up session on what could become a real problem.
Gangs have long been active in urban areas but their influence is stretching to smaller towns and rural communities. There are gangs in Columbus County, both school and law enforcement agencies say, but they are mostly small and in their early stages.
Gang identification education is the logical place to start. Wednesday’s seminar will help teachers better identify gangs and gang symbols. Children naturally gravitate to groups of their peers, so early recognition of signs and symbols and dealing with it in the schools is a must.
Gang activity in the streets is to some degree understandable when one sees the degradation of the family and the violence of pop culture, but it is absolutely unacceptable when it gets a grip in the schools.
Once the education process for educators is finished, it’s important that both boards of education give educators guidelines and training about how to deal with gang members or gang wannabes, and also to establish protocols for intervention and strong disciplinary measures.