Gang-related violence has been on the rise in Gainesville over the past two years, police officials said on Thursday.
At a monthly Police Advisory Council meeting, Gainesville Police Chief Tony Jones said there are at least two known national gangs in the city, True Bloods and Gangster Disciples, and that GPD has seen a rise in both rumors and official reports of gang violence.
“Gangs are real in Gainesville,” he said. “If you see something, report something.”
Jones said the rise has become more than a law enforcement issue — it’s a community issue.
“This is something law enforcement can’t solve on its own,” he said.
Attempts to prevent gangs start in elementary- and middle-school programs, Jones said. The Gang Resistance Education and Training program is a national, officer-instructed law enforcement curriculum to help stop youth violence and gang membership. Although the gang issues occur throughout the city, they are not near UF.
The next step is to provide former gang members, who are released from prison, with resources and support when they re-enter society, he said.
GPD Capt. Jorge Campos said children and young adults turn to gangs when they come from low-income backgrounds and lack necessities.
When people’s basic needs aren’t being met, they look for other alternatives,” he said.
They see the gang as their family and find a sense of belonging within it, he said.
Gainesville residents and UF students should be aware of their surroundings and stay in groups when going out at night, Campos said.
“It’s not your typical things that you see in the movies,” he said.”
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Members of the Police Advisory Council talk about increased gang violence in Gainesville.
