Erik B. Wallin For Attorney General - State of Rhode Island -

Rhode Island Under Siege
December 18, 2009
ErikForAG.com
Erik Wallin

Rhode Island is under siege. A wave of terrorism has spread across our urban cities. The terrorists are not those we commonly think of. They are street gangs, like MS-13, The Almighty Latin King Nation, Hanover Boyz, Providence Street Boys and the list goes on. These gangs control our streets through violence and fear. While the battle has raged in Providence, Central Falls, Woonsocket and other urban areas, outlying communities are now facing this clear and present danger.

Nationally, the Bureau of Justice's Gang Center estimates that there are over three quarters of a million gang members in the United States. Those numbers are growing exponentially. In 2008, 58 percent of state and local law enforcement agencies reported that criminal gangs were active in their jurisdictions, compared with just 45 percent in 2004. Violent Street Gangs, often thought of as a problem limited to large urban cities, are moving beyond those borders. From 2002 to 2007, gang activity increased in rural areas by 36%; smaller cities by 34% and suburban areas by 12%.

The trend is no different in Rhode Island. In the early 1990’s two groups of gangs arrived in Providence, the Latin Kings and the Asian gangs. It would not be long before these gangs splintered into smaller and less formal homegrown gangs, which now exceed well over a dozen and have more than 1500 members in Providence alone. The proliferation of these smaller gangs has meant an increase in violence as members feud over a single block or street.

The move to less densely populated areas is playing out here as well. On December 10, 2009, the North Providence Police arrested two members of the Almighty Latin King Nation including its Rhode Island leader. Drugs and a firearms were recovered during the raid. In Cranston, a wave of violence has erupted between rival gangs. In the middle of the day, a gunman believed to be part of MS-13 fired 12 shots striking two bystanders and and a member of the Original Crip Gang. In Newport, gang members from other parts of the state have sought refuge from police and rival gangs, locating themselves in low income housing developments, and marking their territory with graffiti. Westerly, too, has been infiltrated. Gangs involved in narcotics conduct deals there because their own turf in Connecticut is too dangerous. And make no mistake, gang activity impacts business owners and our economy through intimidation, avoidance by people of certain areas, and drugs.

As Attorney General, I will relentlessly pursue violent gangs and make it a priority to slam the prison doors on them. In addition to vigorous prosecution of gang members, I will form the Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Gang Violence. Its purpose will be to bring together state, federal and municipal law enforcement, along with teachers, school counselors and community leaders from around the state to: focus on educating children on the dangers of gang life; developing plans for intervention when gang activity emerges in a school or a neighborhood; and to share with communities less familiar with gangs the lessons learned by those who have been fighting the ground war on a daily basis. I will also seek legislation increasing penalties for crimes committed in furtherance of and at the direction of a gang. Finally, I will initiate a business community advisory group to provide a forum for our local businesses to speak up so that help can be provided.

The Attorney General must not only stop the movement of gangs into our suburban areas but roll them back in the urban areas as well.

keywords: gang violence

Rhode Island Under Siege
by Erik Wallin | December 18, 2009 - ErikForAG.com