Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, June 03, 2003, Page 4, Image 4

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_Oregon Daily Emerald 346-3712
i
Gangs are no strangers
to Eugene, Lane County
Eugene has less gang trouble
than some cities, but officials
say they still cause problems
Caron Alarab
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
A group of more than three peo
ple who have a common identity,
remain exclusive and engage in ri
valries is how onlookers describe
many competitive sports teams
and a variety of other organiza
tions. But according to the Eugene
Police Department, such a group
becomes a gang when it is crimi
nally motivated.
Although Lane County might
not have as much gang violence as
larger cities, local authorities say
gangs pose a particular threat to
easily influenced jliveniles who
quickly grow into their roles as lo
cal criminals.
“Youth think it’s cool because it
gives them power and prestige,”
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said Lin Holmquist, the EPD gang
information coordinator. “And
when they join gangs, it becomes
something very special to them.”
Holmquist said it’s generally
hard for people to grasp the con
cept of gang activity in Lane Coun
ty, an area where petty crimes and
bike thefts reign supreme.
“Although they don’t look like
the stereotyped gangs you see on
TV, at this point there are about
200 gang members in the Lane
County area,” she said.
One of Holmquist’s biggest chal
lenges in monitoring local gang ac
tivity is tracking their movements
because they rarely stay in one
spot for very long, including the
University area.
The Department of Public Safe
ty contacted two Eugene gang
members on campus in late April
after they refused to leave the resi
dence hall area at the request of a
resident assistant. DPS Associate
Director Tom Hicks said EPD ar
rested one of the individuals for
trespassing. However, he added
that gang activity on campus is an
extremely rare occurrence.
“Any gang activity on campus
primarily surrounds their attempts
to party on with students,”
Holmquist said. “They’re just look
ing to have a good time.”
"Although they don't
look like the
stereotyped gangs you
see on TV, at this point
there are about 200
gang members in the
Lane County area "
Lin Holmquist
EPD gang information
coordinator
Holmquist said that prior to
Measure 11, legislation that man
dates a seven-year sentence for
particular felonies, there was no
consistent sentencing for gang-re
lated crimes. A drop in gang activ
ity followed the passage of Mea
sure 11 more than half a decade
ago, and within the next couple
years a slew of incarcerated gang
members will come back into
Lane County communities.
Holmquist said the release of gang
members could cause an increase
in violent activity.
“They have scores to settle,”
she added.
In her experience, Holmquist
has encountered gang members in
r
their late 30s or 40s who have re
located from larger areas like
Portland or Southern California.
She said active members that age
are rare, considering most either
don’t live that long or have
been incarcerated.
“Gang life is a cycle of violence,
motivated by criminal activity,”
she added.
"At my high school,
you couldn't walk
around, stand or
socialize as a group of
greater than three
people."
Sara Banks
LCC junior
Holmquist said the average age
range for local gang members is 17
to 21, although some juveniles
who have minimal positive moti
vation emulate the gang lifestyle as
early as 13.
The Oregon Youth Authority,
established in 1996 as an inde
pendent department that provides
decisive intervention efforts and
effective rehabilitation programs
for juveniles throughout Lane
County, offers a variety of servic
es to protect the public and re
duce crime.
Oregon Youth Authority
spokesman Greg Van Black, who
transferred to Eugene from a pub
lic relations position in Portland
seven years ago, said he never ex
pected gang violence to have as
prominent an influence on area ju
veniles as it has had during the last
few years.
“I have been amazed at the evo
lution of it,” he said.
Lane Community College junior
Sara Banks has had her fill of gang
violence from living in Santa Bar
bara, Calif., where she once wit
nessed a drive-by shooting.
“At my high school, you could
n’t walk around, stand or socialize
as a group of greater than three
people,” she said.
Banks said the majority
of members were “gangbangers” —
or people who always tried to act
“hard.” Considering her experience,
Banks laughed at the thought of
Lane County gang violence.
“Comparatively, Eugene gangs
just don’t seem as threatening,”
she said.
Contact the reporter
at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com.
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Oregon Daily Emerald
P.O.Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403
The Oregon Daily Emerald is pub
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versity of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.The
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