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October 7, 2005
Gangs in a neighborhood
near you?
By Bibeka Shrestha
AP Photo Archive
Picturing a Rockbridge County inundated with gangs is
a stretch. But gangs are increasing in number
statewide, and law enforcement officials believe they are moving closer.
Virginia has seen a significant increase in gang activity, according to
Sgt. Mike Honaker, the local commander for the state police. To be
better prepared, Honaker said police officers share intelligence
gathered on gangs every month when the state police meet with sheriff’s
offices in Lexington, Buena Vista, Rockbridge County and Glasgow.
“State troopers regularly encounter [gangs],” he said. “We can’t deny
that we’re seeing an increase in gang activity from…graffiti and
vandalism to…drug trafficking and violent crimes.”
While law enforcement agencies across the state are trying their best to
combat gangs, Honaker said that they’re still in the process of defining
the problem. According to him, they are still trying to figure out what
gangs are in Virginia, where they’re located and what type of activities
they’re involved in.
So far, Lexington seems to be gang-free. Lexington Police Chief Bruce
Beard said that the city merely has “wannabes” and some trouble with
graffiti. “Within the city, we’re not seeing a problem,” he said. But
that doesn’t mean the area is home free. “Down the road, we may get some
gang member activity,” Beard said.
Police Officer Michael Fitzgerald, of the Lexington police, said he had
never had to deal with gangs. But he does believe they’re getting
closer. According to him, problems with gangs mostly exist in the
northern and southern borders of Rockbridge County. Fitzgerald said gang
activity is as close as Roanoke, Charlottesville, Staunton and
Harrisonburg.
“I’m sure we have gang members come through,” Fitzgerald said, because
Lexington is close to Interstates 81 and 64.
Buena Vista Police Chief Lewis Plogger agreed with Beard and Fitzgerald.
“We have not experienced any gang activity in Buena Vista,” but the
problem is approaching our community, Plogger said.
Though these gangs have not created much trouble in Rockbridge County
thus far, both candidates for House of Delegates from this area say they
want to help law enforcement officers be prepared to handle them in the
future.
According to Delegate Ben Cline, R-Lexington, violent gangs are moving
out of Washington, D.C. toward this area. “We need to make sure law
enforcement has resources to fight back and keep gangs out of our
schools and communities,” he said.
David Cox, the Democrat who is challenging Cline in the Nov. 8 election,
admits that gangs are a “growing problem.” He also mentioned that Cline
voted against the budget that provided funds to combat gangs.
The Washington Post estimated that the Washington area, including
northern Virginia, has 2,000 gang members. The most prominent gang of
the area is Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. Two members of MS-13 were
sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for the murder of
17-year-old Brenda Paz, whose body was found on the banks of the
Shenandoah River in July, 2003.
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