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seeing. Detective Harvey said that the Free Souls were still an active gang and such gangs presented <br />some of the same problems as street gangs. He confirmed there were now more street gangs than Aryan - <br />type gangs. <br />Mr. Farr thanked Detective Harvey for the presentation. <br />Responding to a question from Mr. Brown, Detective Harvey indicated that the 18 Street Gang out of <br />Los Angeles was the largest gang represented in the metropolitan area. It was broken down into smaller <br />subgroups. Most local gangs had 8 to 12 members, while some others had as many as 20. He confirmed, <br />in response to a follow -up question from Mr. Brown, that the West Side Gangsters were formed in <br />Eugene and evolved into a prison gang. <br />Mr. Clark expressed appreciation for the presentation and asked Chief Kerns for more information about <br />EPD's future plans. Chief Kerns said the EPD hoped to draw on expertise from other parts of the country <br />with the goal of discussing what would work best in Eugene. He planned to meet with representatives of <br />Medford to discuss that city's strategy, which seemed to be working well and which involved schools, <br />churches, police, and the Department of Youth. <br />Mr. Poling hoped more people had a chance to hear the presentation. He recalled that gang activity began <br />to grow in the community during the late 1980s and early 1990s and said left unchecked, it had grown to <br />current levels. <br />Ms. Ortiz expressed concern that the City organization was not already prepared to address the situation. <br />She said when people lived in poverty and could not achieve the American dream they began to look for <br />other ways to feel included. She believed that gangs provided that sense of inclusion for many people, <br />including homeless youth. She said street gangs were not merely an EPD problem but a community <br />issue, and she hoped whatever strategy the EPD developed included community involvement. She <br />determined from Detective Harvey that the presentation was available to the public and had already been <br />shared with several neighborhood associations. <br />Chief Kerns spoke of the importance of training for EPD officers to help them recognize gang signs and <br />gang activity and work with services providers to help them recognize those things as well. It was <br />important that officers knew what to look for so they could help contribute toward an effective strategy. <br />Ms. Ortiz encouraged staff to make the presentation to the Bethel School District. Chief Kerns said the <br />department had made that contact and provided district staff with background information and discussed <br />how the district and department could move forward together. <br />Responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka regarding other approaches staff used, Detective Harvey said <br />EPD officers were working with ex -gang members to enlist their aid in reaching out to potential gang <br />members and helping them to escape gang life. <br />Mr. Clark asked about gang activity in downtown. Detective Harvey said the department saw an increase <br />in downtown gang activity in February 2011, although had been some gang - related incidents in <br />downtown prior to that. There were also reports of street robberies committed by gang members in <br />downtown. <br />Mr. Zelenka determined from Detective Harvey that gang activity occurred throughout the community <br />and gang gatherings frequently created problems, particularly when gang members perceived they were <br />being disrespected by other gang members. <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council October 17, 2011 Page 5 <br />Work Session <br />