Police trade space for time with gangs
By Pat Caldwell
Argus Observer
Sunday, September 21, 2008 12:39 AM PDT
Ontario — A well-established gang presence in Ontario has compelled the Ontario Police Department to walk a delicate line between eradicating the illegal syndicates and providing basic, and needed, services for the community.
“They (gangs) are very well networked,” OPD Capt. Mark Alexander said last week.
Two key themes — history and family life — characterize the local illegal syndicate problem, Alexander said.
The gang issue is not a new one, either, he said.
“We’ve been battling gangs for quite a while. The problem goes back years. Some of our drive-by (shootings) are related back to a shooting in 2002,” he said.
While Alexander conceded the reasons a person joins a gang are varied, one motive stands out.
“One of the biggest things, and I get a lot of this, is just a lack of family or father figures. One of the reasons people join gangs is to give them a family they don’t have. Then you can pile on the reasons they don’t have a family. There is a whole host of reasons — jail, drugs, divorce,” he said.
The illegal gang challenge is growing, Alexander said.
“We are seeing second-generation gang members now,” he said.
Malheur County Sheriff Andy Bentz also agreed at least one piece of the gang issue revolves around the family unit.
“We have to start with the family. In order to do that you might have to write off one or two generations of wrongdoers. That’s not going to happen. We Band-Aid things together. We limp along,” he said.
Often, Bentz said, law enforcement personnel find they are suddenly thrust into the role of tackling issues — such as gangs — directly connected to the breakdown of the family.
“When the family fails, when the church community can’t do it, when the education community can’t do it, when the community turns its back on an issue, there is only one thing left — law enforcement. We are the last stop for society and its problems,” he said.
Police, Bentz said, are not a viable substitute for family.
“Most of us try in today’s world of public safety. We try to help support the family unit, whatever that is. But we are not a replacement for the family. No government entity is,” he said.
Conflicting needs
For the Ontario Police Department, eradicating the gang problem in Ontario is also very much about allocation of resources.
While the department focuses on gang interdiction, it must also grapple with all the other routine calls for service from Ontario residents.
“We have an average of 30 calls a day. Some of those are very simple. Some are a little more intense,” Alexander said.
General public safety is also a priority Alexander said.
“We have over 350 motor vehicle crashes a year on average. I think that is ridiculous. It shouldn’t be that high. That’s a priority to,” he said.
Bentz conceded prioritizing is a key issue for law enforcement.
“That is a struggle all of us have. There are a lot of things those of us who are the practitioners and leaders of public safety understand pretty quickly. There are a whole bunch of things that could be done to lessen societal issues or crime. But you can’t do it all,” he said.
The public expects a certain amount of service, Bentz said, regardless of whether there is a gang problem or some other community and law enforcement challenge.
“What communities, and I’m not making a judgment here, at the municipal and county level will always be held accountable for are the basic first-responder functions. The patrol, that man or woman with a gun and a badge in the patrol car. Being seen, having a presence, being able to respond as quickly as possible whether it is a barking dog or someone’s infant dying,” he said.
All law enforcement tasks gobble up time, especially investigations involving gunplay. A good case in point is the recent gang-related shooting at the Fair View apartments, Alexander said.
“We are still working these cases. We have over 200 hours involved in the first shooting (at the Fair View apartments). That’s just our department. There is also the sheriff’s office, the state police and the D.A.,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alexander said, OPD is striving to tackle the gang problem. A recent decision by the Ontario City Council to provide funding to allow the department to dedicate a police officer to gangs will be a big help, he said.
But area gangs are evolving and becoming better armed, Alexander said.
“There are more guns out there. I think they are getting more access to guns,” he said.
Gang members, he said, are not particular about the type of weapons they utilize.
“It is a variety. They’ll take whatever they can get. We’ve seen everything from shotguns to rifles to handguns,” he said.
The number of people involved with illegal syndicates, he said, is also not small.
“There are over 200 in Malheur County. Maybe more,” Alexander said.
Bobby wrote on Sep 21, 2008 11:09 PM: