Clothing was a big issue at the meeting on gang violence held at Santa Cruz High School Wednesday evening. The color shirts that students wear could potentially identify them as gang members, no less than something as basic as school colors.
Clothing was a big issue at the meeting on gang violence held at Santa Cruz High School Wednesday evening. The color shirts that students wear could potentially identify them as gang members, no less than something as basic as school colors. Red, for example, is the color of the school, but it is also the color of Westside gang members, while blue is the color identified with the gang that allegedly killed Tyler Tenorio. As detective Joe Hernandez pointed out, wearing something as innocuous as a red belt or blue shoelaces could be perceived as a trigger for gang members and an incitement to violence.
Hundreds of parents attended the event—perhaps as many as the 300 gang members that police claim are active in Santa Cruz—to learn what to look for as signs of gang affiliation. Police told parents to encourage their children to walk away from violence, a lesson that came too late for Tenorio, who confronted a group of gang members with his friends. Police also asked parents to share information with them, pointing out that gang members are often more afraid of being spoken against than being sent to prison.
One heated moment came when Alba Mercado of the Community Restoration Project in Watsonville spoke out against what she saw as the demonization of gang members: “They’re human beings too,” she shouted. Mercado later told the press that she had hoped the gathering would help people learn how to deal with gangs, rather than creating an atmosphere of fear. “We need to start caring,” she said. But for most participants, the main item on the agenda wasn’t caring or fear, but just knowing what is out there. Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
