Positive Influence Best Tool To Combat Gangs In Everett

Monday night the City of Everett held a presentation to mark International Gang Awareness Day. The purpose was to let community members know the status of gang activity in Everett, what the Everett Police Department is doing to track gang members and how people can get involved in making membership in a gang less attractive to kids in Everett.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin welcomed about 100 people at Explorer Middle School and provided some statistics. Franklin told the crowd that in 2017 there were 198 gang incidents in Everett. A 75 percent increase over the prior year.

In late 2017 and moving into 2018 the Everett Police Department began directing specific resources to address gang crime in Everett. In 2018 the Mayor issued a directive calling for a specific plan to address gun violence and gangs. Franklin reported from August 2017 to August 2018 gang incidents dropped 42 percent, the number of drive-by shootings in Everett dropped by 81 percent and shots fired calls fell by 31 percent. Everett is now launching a full time unit dedicated to investigating gang crime and reducing gang influence on young people.

Franklin then introduced Everett Police Officer Anthony Fletcher who has been named the department’s first Gang Resource Officer. Fletcher, a former School Resource Officer, explained that a lack of positive role models and misguided influences from social peers can lead kids to join a gang.

He spoke about Everett’s new Pivot program that looks to find mentors, role models and community agencies that can help potential gang members as well as their families. They will work to provide services and develop specific action plans to replace negative influences with those that are positive.

Fletcher then introduced Andre Graham who is the director of the Boys and Girls Club on Casino Road. Graham is being partnered with Everett Police to further the Pivot Program and also administer the Pathways For Adolescent Youth Program.

There, families who are identified and agree to participate in PAY will be enrolled in a “Strengthening Families” program which focuses on youth aged 10-14, and seeks to provide the family unit with information on building bridges, protecting against substance abuse, and dealing with stress and peer pressure. Families will also be assigned a mentor and given opportunities to volunteer or engage in other positive community activities. The program will reward positive behavior through incentives, which may include public recognition, unique training opportunities or gift cards to local businesses.

The presentation continued with Everett Police detective Jeff Nevin who has been investigating gangs in Everett for the last six years. Nevin explained that it takes three things to be considered a gang. There must be three or more people involved. They must use a common identifier such as name, sign, symbol, etc. and they must also be actively engaged in criminal activity. Nevin went on to list various gangs operating in Everett and a bit about their history. He also talked about the need for people to let police know about seeing or hearing gang activity and reporting that to police. He even provided an email address for people to report gang activity: epdgang@everettwa.gov.

During the question and answer session it became immediately apparent that people had the shots fired call at Mariner High last Friday night at the top of their minds. Even though the incident happened in the county people wanted to know what Everett Police could do about it. Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman advised that people need to be aware of their surroundings in public and think about how they may respond if there is an incident. He also explained that local departments work and train together on response to events and that they also review responses to learn and improve.

As questions got back to gang activity in Everett one parent of an Explorer Middle School student wondered just how much potential gang activity was present in the school. Kendrah Larson is the Principal at Explorer and told the crowd that of their entire school she felt there were just three students who had the potential to become influenced by gangs. Officer Fletcher mentioned that as School Resource Officer in a different Middle School of 1100 students, he could count on one hand the number who may be drawn into a gang.

If you’d like to learn more about the city’s programs to address gangs and provide assistance to kids and families at risk of gang involvement you can do so here on the city’s website.