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Street gangs often stereotyped

Community activists are encouraging people to take a hard look at what street gangs can look like — and ignore TV stereotypes. Photo supplied.

Community activists are encouraging people to take a hard look at what street gangs can look like — and ignore TV stereotypes. Photo supplied.

sandman,good call....gloria a few cops,shhhhhhhhhhhhhit. and more then half of them are the product or under the influience of the ...

Posted by: eyes wide open_1

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Feb 25, 2010

By: Stacey Lavallie - Sudbury Northern Life Staff

The idea that street gangs are comprised of ethnic groups or impoverished kids is a stereotype brought about by television and movies, according to Education Coordinator Anna Maria Barsanti.

The former teacher and high school principal works with the Greater Sudbury Police in its Provincial Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (PAVIS). As part of this strategy, she and Inspector Bob Keetch are working to educate the public and community organizations about street gangs.

They are trying to prevent street gangs from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Thunder Bay from setting up shop in Greater Sudbury.

Part of the effort requires Barsanti and Keetch to dispell myths about street gangs. The first being that street gangs are made of ethnic groups.

“You see it on TV, but it’s not really that way,” Keetch explained.

Street gangs target “disenfranchised” youths — kids who have poor support at home, at school, don’t get along well with other kids, are bullied, and are wanting to belong to something.

Another myth is that street gangs consist of poor kids.

“If you look at some of our higher-end schools, there’s lots of activity around drugs, and that’s because those particular kids can afford it,” Barsanti said.

“When I went to southern Ontario, gangs weren’t coming from poor homes, the gangs were coming from homes that kids from $500,000 - $1 million homes.”

Ultimately, it comes down to kids having the support in their personal lives, social lives, and educational lives to be able to resist the temptation provided by street gangs.

Street gangs give disenfranchised kids a place to belong, but what the kids aren’t told is that it isn’t easy to leave, explained Barsanti.

As part of the PAVIS anti-street gang initiative, Barsanti and Keetch were to host an all-day workshop at the Caruso Club Thursday. Guest speakers included Ron “Cook” Barrett, a police officer from Albany, New York, and Clayton Thomas-Muller, a First Nations gang specialist.

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7 Comments

  • eyes wide open_1 3/1/2010 10:44:17 PM - Report Abuse

    sandman,good call....gloria a few cops,shhhhhhhhhhhhhit.
    and more then half of them are the product or under the influience of the c.a.s.

  • sandman 2/26/2010 2:00:49 PM - Report Abuse

    why even give this kids the power of calling them "gangs"
    the truth is that they are just all little punks, tiny circle s of friends that are idiots.
    they are groups of punks they aren't gangs don't give that the power or entitlement.
    It's a farse...

    we have a punk problem in Sudbury that is for sure.
    don't we have anti gang laws?
    if they are "Gang Members" why not round up the lot of them and charge them for their offiliation?
    I don't see the problem with that. we create all these legal loop holes that accomplish nothing.
    Until there are actual consiquences to actions. The "good" fight will always be futile.
    we just never seem to SOLVE a problem as a society. we just figure out a way to employ and generate jobs to react, create the illusion of progress and keep the money rolling in.
    it is sad to see such ineffective measures constantly being used.
    hey I get it though, the cops hands are tied on this the same way. it's a revolving door for them too. we are all pawns to some other agenda. it's just that none of us know exactly what, when, how, or who is the puppet master.
    lol... crazy eh?
    Action is still better than no action
    Peace!

  • gloria_1 2/25/2010 12:47:21 PM - Report Abuse

    I sure do hope they investigate their own few cops that are corrupt within our own police force, as they are not Kid gang's IT IS CALLED ORGANIZED CRIME GROUP'S. They have been in this so called Great City Of Sudbury for many years and can't s​t​a​n​d​ ​t​h​e​ ​t​h​o​u​g​h​t​ ​o​f​ ​o​u​t​-​s​i​d​e​ ​O​r​g​a​n​i​z​e​d​ ​G​A​N​G​'​S​ ​t​a​k​i​ng ​a​w​a​y​ ​t​h​e​i​r​ ​b​u​s​i​n​e​s​s​ that has been b​e​i​n​g​ ​d​o​n​e​ ​i​n​ ​s​u​c​h​ ​a ​​q​u​i​e​t​ ​w​a​y​ ​f​o​r​ ​s​o​ ​m​a​n​y​ ​y​e​a​r​s​.​ ​T​h​i​s​ ​i​s​ ​a​ ​w​e​l​l​ ​k​n​o​w​n​ ​f​a​c​t​. ​Ge​t​ ​o​n​ ​t​h​e​ ​w​r​o​n​g​ ​s​i​d​e​ ​o​f​ ​t​h​e​s​e​ ​g​r​o​u​p​s​ ​a​n​d​ ​y​o​u​ ​j​u​s​t​ ​m​i​g​h​t​ ​f​i​n​d​ ​ A ​ ​b​o​d​y​ ​i​n​ ​t​h​e​ ​b​u​s​h​ ​y​e​a​r​s​ ​d​o​w​n​ ​t​h​e​ ​r​o​a​d.​ An ​u​n​e​x​p​l​a​i​n​e​d​ ​d​e​a​t​h​ ​t​h​a​t​ ​l​o​o​k​'​s​ ​a​c​c​i​d​e​n​t​a​l​ ​o​r​ ​​c​a​n​'​t​ ​b​e​ ​e​x​p​l​a​i​n​e​d​ of w​h​y​ ​t​h​e​ ​p​e​r​s​o​n​ ​ d​i​e​d​ ​o​r​ you may be ​p​e​r​m​a​n​e​n​t​l​y​ ​d​a​m​a​g​e​d​ from your injuries ​o​r​ ​t​r​e​a​t​e​d​ ​a​n​d​ ​h​a​r​a​s​s​e​d​ ​s​o​ ​b​a​d​l​y​ ​t​h​a​t​ ​y​o​u​ ​h​a​v​e​ ​t​o​ ​l​e​a​v​e​ ​t​o​w​n​ ​o​r​ ​M​A​D​E​ ​l​o​o​k​ ​l​i​k​e​ ​y​o​u​ ​a​r​e​ ​c​r​a​z​y​ ​a​n​d​ ​a​ ​ l​i​a​r​ ​o​r​ ​​f​i​n​d​ ​y​o​u​r​-​s​e​l​f​ ​h​i​t​ ​b​y​ ​a​ ​c​a​r​ ​a​n​d​ ​t​h​e​ ​p​e​r​p​e​t​r​a​t​o​r​ ​w​a​l​k​s​ ​f​r​e​e​ ​a​l​l​o​w​e​d​ ​t​o​ ​d​o​ ​s​o​ ​b​y​ ​o​u​r​ ​S​u​d​b​u​r​y​ ​p​o​l​i​c​e​ ​w​i​t​h​ ​n​o​ ​f​u​r​t​h​e​r​ ​i​n​v​e​s​t​i​g​a​t​i​o​n​ ​s​u​c​h​ ​a​s​ ​l​o​o​k​i​n​g​ ​f​o​r​ ​w​i​t​n​e​s​s. YOU know and I know WHEN there is ​ ​b​u​m​p​e​r​ ​t​o​ ​b​u​m​p​e​r​ ​t​r​a​f​f​i​c​ ​t​h​e​r​e​ ​a​r​e​ ​l​o​t​s​ ​o​f​ ​t​h​e​m​.​​W​h​e​n​ ​y​o​u​ ​c​a​n​ ​n​o​t​ ​c​o​u​n​t​ ​o​n​ ​y​o​u​r​ ​C​I​T​Y​ ​p​o​l​i​c​e​ ​t​o​ ​p​r​o​t​e​c​t​ ​y​o​u​,​ ​a​n​d​ ​c​h​a​r​g​e​ ​a​l​l​ ​p​e​o​p​l​e​ ​e​q​u​a​l​l​y​,​ ​ ​y​o​u​ ​h​a​v​e​ ​n​o​ ​r​i​g​h​t​s​ ​o​r​ ​p​r​o​t​e​c​t​i​o​n​ ​​a​n​d​ ​t​h​e​s​e​ ​o​l​d​ ​g​a​n

  • skndstry 2/25/2010 11:04:57 AM - Report Abuse

    You do not publicly launch an entire anti-gang strategy unless you've studied it well. We have a highly respected educator and a highly respected police inspector involved. They are putting their credibility on the line publicly.

    These are smart people.

    Obstinance is not a substitute for intelligence, so clearly you aren't.

  • rightofcentre 2/25/2010 10:24:47 AM - Report Abuse

    this is just the opinion of one person. There's no facts or figures to back up her claims. Until otherwise I will continue to believe that there are a significant number of immigrants in gangs disproprtionate to their numbers in the general population.

  • youbet 2/25/2010 8:35:39 AM - Report Abuse

    Where there are people there will ALWAYS be crime, But you robots think you can solve it,when you can't even control it.

  • Share the Wealth_1 2/25/2010 7:26:23 AM - Report Abuse

    WE ALL COME FROM AN "ETHNIC" GROUP, WE ALL ARE OF ONE ETHNIC ORIGIN OR ANOTHER. Does this article imply that only non caucasions are ethnic? Where are these "HIGH END" schools that this article speaks of? Does this article further imply that in Ontario we have a two or three tierd education system also? WOW?? Yes gangs are from all ethnic backgrounds and any school system has thugs and gangsters in it and it is great that this is recognised and addressed, however in trying to be politically correct and sensitive to culture and socio economic status sterotyping, this article either points out that our school system is indeed flawed and unequally funded and attended, and that we all do not have our cultural heritage recognised as unique.