Thursday: 72nd Precinct Gang Awareness Forum at OLPH

Whether handed out in front of Key Food, hanging by the door at Tacos Matamoros, or received by email from the community board, the word about the Gang Awareness Forum is certainly getting out.

Anyone with a child in middle school or high school should seriously consider attending this forum. In my experience, the parents and family members of kids in gangs usually had no idea. Sometimes it was because of denial, but often it was because they figured the drawings on notebooks, the clothes, the new friends were just that. Occasionally it is innocent, but sometimes it can be much more serious. If you know what to look for, it makes all the difference. Oh, and don't think that your kid is immune because he's a certain race or economic background, does well on tests, or because she attends religious services with you. Yes, there are patterns, but there are also many anomalies.

Here are the details:

Gang Violence is destroying lives and devastating families in our community.

This forum is designed to bring attention to the increasing gang violence in our community and to educate parents and their children to the dangers of gang involvement.

Come out and join us on October 15, 2009 at 6:30 PM at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church - 545 60th Street, in the gymnasium.

Attendees:

Jesus "Raul" Pintos, Deputy Inspector, 72nd Precinct
72nd Precinct Youth Officers
NYPD Gang Division
Local Clergy Members
Family Members of Victims of Gang Violence
And You!