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November 20, 2002
Administration Reaches Out to East Somerville Latinos to Join in Anti-Gang Efforts
November 18, 2002 – As part of an ongoing effort to curb gang presence in
Somerville, Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay is increasing outreach to the Latino
community, and asking neighbors to assist with bonding East Somerville
together to combat youth gangs
The administration has asked Concilio Hispano to work with the City to
increase its presence and outreach in East Somerville, with one specific goal
of assisting East Somerville Latinos in creating an organized neighborhood
group. Concilio Hispano, Inc. is a non-profit human service organization
founded in 1969 by Latinos who wanted to improve conditions in their
community.
Last week, the Somerville Community Youth Program held a meeting with
service providers to the Latino Community to increase the amount of dialogue
between the City and the community.
The Mayor is currently investigating whether a recent Community Policing
Grant can be applied to hire a police liaison to the Latino community in East
Somerville. The administration is also investigating ways to expand channels
of communication to Latinos in their native language.
“The specter of gangs on our streets raises serious issues for the Latino in
particular,” said Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay. “The notion that this gang threat
is comprised of Latino youths is incidental, and we know that the vast
majority of Latinos in Somerville are hardworking people struggling to raise
their families. Our goal must be to target eradicating the behavior of
individuals or groups operating through violence or intimidation, and never
associate that behavior with any ethnicity.”
“The Latino community shares the fears associated with gang violence with
all residents in terms of concern for their children and their neighborhood,”
said Mayor Kelly Gay. “But they have the added concern of neighbors
perceiving them as a threat, simply because they share the heritage of a
small number of violent individuals.”
According to Somerville Police Chief George McLean, increasing public
education about the Latino community is a necessary component in the
police effort. “Any sense of conducting a ‘witch hunt’ to root out gang
members would unnecessarily complicate the police department’s approach.
We’ve been successful at identifying gang members thus far, but we’re just
as diligent at identifying who is not affiliating themselves with MS-13.”
According to the Mayor, the Latino community has yet to organize into a
cohesive group. By fostering increased communication, she is hoping they
can gain a greater voice in local government and issues as other groups
have. “It is in the best interest of the Latinos, or any group for that matter, to
band together and speak with one voice to the largest degree possible. Not
only will it afford them greater positive visibility, but it will also provide a
mechanism by which City officials can learn more about what their needs are
and how we can better serve them,” said Mayor Kelly Gay. “We’ll be more
diligent about fostering an environment that’s open to communication with the
City, but ultimately, we need them to identify their own leadership and voice.”
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