What You Can Do About Gangs
Prevention is the key to controlling gang activity. Parents and educators
who suspect gang activity should:
- Talk to the child or teen and discuss the consequences
of being in a gang.
- Talk to school officials and counselors inquiring if
they are aware of campus problems and if there are any
school programs that might help.
- Contact government agencies, such as your local law
enforcement agency or juvenile authority. The Mesa Police
Department's Gang Unit can provide you valuable guidance and
can be contacted through the Gang Hotline.
- Seek advice from religious leaders. They may know of
programs that help neighborhood children stay out of gangs.
- Report and immediately remove any graffiti in your
neighborhood or local school grounds. The longer it remains,
the more it attracts gang members.
The Mesa Police Department and City of Mesa offer several
crime prevention and youth services.
- Making Every
Student Accountable (MESA) Program uses
collaborative efforts between at-risk youth and families to
educate teens on how to become successful members of the
community.
-
Parks and Recreation offers an array of
service and programs (athletic and non-athletic) to
children, teens, adults, seniors and special needs
populations.
- Graffiti Hotline -- (480) 644-3083 --
offers to paint over graffiti on public property, which is a
valuable service to citizens to help erradicate graffiti in
neighborhoods. You may also
send
photos of graffiti in your neighborhood to the police
department.
-
Neighborhood Watch is the cornerstone of crime
prevention programs. It enlists the active participation of
citizens, in cooperation with law enforcement, to reduce
burglaries and other neighborhood crimes.
- Crime
Prevention Unit can assist with all areas of
crime prevention. All of their
crime prevention
literature is online.
-
Neighborhood Outreach strives to
provide a quick response and collaborative problem-solving
to Mesa residents concerned with neighborhood safety,
appearance and cohesiveness amongst neighbors.
Mesa Police Department
Gang Unit
Hotline:
480-644-GANG
480-644-4264
Graffiti Hotline:
480-644-3083
Literature: