â€œA War on Gangsâ€

Battle lines are being drawn in Tulsa. Residents and law enforcement fed up with gang violence came together in search of solutions. But Thursday night's town hall meeting was less about anger and

Friday, March 19th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Battle lines are being drawn in Tulsa. Residents and law enforcement fed up with gang violence came together in search of solutions. But Thursday night's town hall meeting was less about anger and more about understanding.

Major Mark McCrory of the Tulsa Police Department said, â€œYou look in their face and they're not like you look in your own kids' face there's no hope in a lot of these kids."

Residents from all over Tulsa packed the forum organized by a local radio station.

Called "A War on Gangs", a panel of community leaders and law enforcement first spelled out the problem: Gang violence night after night on city streets. The goal is to find a solution.

"I think everybody's aware of it and maybe don't know what to do. I don't and that's why I came.â€, said Tulsa resident Sam Maus.

While many agreed raising kids right starts in the home, panelists shared insight on why the community also needs to step in.

Joe Williams of the Tulsa City Council, "When people say, â€˜Well, they're not at the PTA meeting supporting their kidsâ€¦â€™ Well, the reason they're not at the PTA meeting because they're on their second shift job trying to get their second minimum wage payment to help feed their children."

Williams went on to say that for other kids conditions are even worse with parents incarcerated or addicted to drugs. Teens can feel that other gang members are the only people who care about them.

Authorities say mentoring is the answer. Give kids who have nowhere else to go but the streets someone positive to look up to, someone who will show them they can be somebody without being in a gang.

Tim Harris, Tulsa County District Attorney, said, "You don't have to go any place to serve in the mission field. We have a mission right here in Tulsa, and I'm really issuing a challenge to the faith community we need to step up to the plate and we need to get out of the pew and get into the streets."