C OMMUNITY
C ASE S TUDIES
SKORNICKA S EMINAR
FOR
C OMMUNITIES
TEAMING UP ON GANGS
A PRIL 27-28, 2001
LA FOLLETTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN –MADISON
Table of Contents
Program Overview
3
Dennis Dresang
The Menominee Experience:
Youth Violence and the Awakening of Strengths
7
Heather Priess and Alicia Walley
A Gang Metamorphosis: La Crosse’s Efforts Get Results
23
Sarah Barry, Jennifer Gonda, and Daniel Maxwell
Sun Prairie: A Bedroom Community Awakening
To Big City Challenges
33
Erin Hanson, Sarah Popp, and Terry Tuschen
Getting Ahead of the Problem:
The Sheboygan Response to Youth Violence
Melissa Ducat and Hilary Murrish
43
©2001 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
All rights reserved.
For additional copies:
Publications Office
La Follette School of Public Affairs
1225 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
www.lafollette.wisc.edu
Program Overview
Dennis Dresang
G
angs and youth violence challenge communities and individuals throughout
Wisconsin. Some of the gangs that operate in the state are part of corporate organizations headquartered in Chicago and Los Angeles. Others are ethnically based or are independent
groups of anti-social young people unique to a particular community. Youth violence includes both
assaults on others as well as self-destructive behavior and suicide. In most Wisconsin communities,
alcohol and other drug abuse is the most common form of youth violence.
Young people join or form gangs for a variety of reasons. For some, it is not even a conscious decision, but rather simply following friends, neighbors, and relatives. In most communities
in our state, boredom is the most common reason that young people join gangs and/or abuse drugs
and alcohol.. For some, gangs offer an opportunity for belonging, excitement, and employment,
albeit in ways that involve dangerous and illegal activities.
Since the mid-1990s, police and school officials have acted promptly and harshly with
youth gangs. “Zero tolerance” policies have been relatively effective in eliminating graffiti, signs,
colors, and other manifestations of gangs. Young people seem to approach forming or joining gangs
less frivolously. Corporate gangs are less visible, but remain active in trafficking drugs. By all
accounts, alcohol and drug abuse among young people is getting significantly worse than it had
been even a few years ago.
Providing real alternatives to gangs and dealing with the effects of gangs and youth violence
requires the resources and cooperation of a number of actors in the community who are usually
pursuing separate and distinct objectives. This typically leaves communities less than well poised to
deal effectively with the multifaceted nature of gangs and youth violence. Governance is fragmented
between school districts, municipalities, police departments, family service agencies, recreation programs, churches, and businesses. Among these, there is no obvious single entity that is responsible
for the issues of gangs and youth violence.
To enhance the abilities of communities to meet the challenges of gangs and youth violence,
the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has provided a
program known as “Teaming Up on Gangs.”
History of the Program
The Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs was established by the Wisconsin
Legislature in 1984 with a multifaceted mission—to engage in instruction, research, and outreach.
The School fulfills this mission by offering a master’s degree in public policy; by encouraging scholarly research on numerous issues that have public policy implications; and by offering numerous
enrichment and training opportunities to policymakers at all levels of government. The School’s
Center for State, Local, and Tribal Governance has contributed to that commitment by establishing
an annual program geared toward assisting Wisconsin communities in addressing the issue of gangs
and youth violence. The program is the centerpiece of the Skornicka Seminars at La Follette, initiated with support from Joel Skornicka to improve local governance in the state. Joel Skornicka is a
former mayor of Madison and assistant to UW chancellors.
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The seminar is a forum in which community leaders can come together, learn about the latest developments in the field, share ideas and experiences, and develop action steps to improve their
approach toward prevention and deterrence of gang activity and youth violence. Since the program’s
inception in 1994, 29 communities from throughout the state have accepted the invitation to participate in the program. In 2001 an additional four—La Crosse, Sun Prairie, Sheboygan, and the
Menominee Nation—are participating.
Purpose of Case Studies
The case studies here were written to share the experiences of communities and to prepare
participants in the program to become engaged in problem-solving discussions. In the past, attending communities have been invited to the conference without significant prior contact from La
Follette. Often, community leaders would meet for the first time at the conference and were confronted with issues of which they were previously unaware. While productive in helping to establish
the linkages necessary to develop holistic community approaches, the La Follette School felt that
improvements could be made to prepare participants better.
Because of the work of students in a graduate seminar at La Follette, beginning in 1999,
seminar participants now have the benefit of case studies completed on their respective communities. Students worked in teams to identify the current state of community gang and youth violence
problems, to analyze root causes of those problems, and to outline the existing community responses and resources.
Students interviewed a cross-section of community leaders seeking their perception of the
problems, the existing community responses to those problems, and areas in need of further attention. Interviewees included school principals, police officers, nonprofit leaders, community businesspersons, social workers and religious leaders, among others. Discussions with young people
were important to get a sense of their views of opportunities and issues in their communities.
Research also included the examination of relevant documents and news accounts.
It is important to reiterate that the case studies are to inform the community of observations made by impartial investigators reporting the results of interviews and research. It is not
meant to judge community work on the problem, only to provide the group with a common base
for analysis, further probing, and development of action steps. The challenge for program participants is to use one another to address the general issues outlined in the case study, clarify their
validity, and develop action steps to improve the community approach to gangs and youth violence.
Each community is, of course, unique. Each case study reflects the richness and uniqueness
of the communities. We do not follow a common outline or way of presenting the material. This
way, the specifics of the nature of gangs and youth violence issues and the character of each community can be clear. The analyses of the communities are, however, informed by some common,
basic concepts: gang suppression, prevention, and intervention.
Community Programs: Suppression, Prevention and Intervention
Suppression refers to efforts to end existing violence or other anti-social behavior. The most
visible and obvious example of suppression is police work. This is activity that is sophisticated,
skilled, and professional. The La Follette program on gangs and youth violence does not focus on
suppression, but instead works primarily on prevention and intervention. This is a choice that
reflects our understanding of how La Follette is, and is not, best able to contribute to local gover4
nance efforts, and is in no way intended to diminish the importance of suppression. The effective
apprehension of criminals is essential for safety in a community and to promote personal responsibility among individuals.
Prevention programs include those providing general services and opportunities that meet
the needs that young people might otherwise fill through involvement in gangs and violence.
Prevention in large part is about an environment that is safe, healthy, and stimulating for everyone,
whether or not they might be inclined to engage in anti-social or self-destructive behaviors. The
general accessibility of prevention programs can frustrate those who would like to focus on those
most at risk rather than others who probably would not join a gang or be destructive. The dilemma, of course, is that it is not always clear who is really at risk. Profiles of individuals who might be
at risk are far from perfect. Some of the most notable instances of violent, anti-social individuals
come from intact, educated, and relatively affluent families. Despite the frustration sometimes associated with judging the results of prevention programs, they are valuable for those times when they
actually have diverted a particular person from illegal and unhealthy activity. They are also valuable
for their general contribution to health and safety in a community.
A key benefit of intervention programs is that they are clearly targeted to individuals who
need assistance. An intervention program is for a victim or perpetrator of violence, someone apprehended for drug trafficking, an individual who failed in a suicide attempt, or a girl who is pregnant.
The challenge is to understand the factors that led to the trouble and to find attractive and effective
alternatives, but unlike prevention programs, here there is no guessing about who needs the program.
Communities need a combination of suppression, prevention, and intervention programs. A
balanced approach is a mixed approach, and the mix needs to be community specific. A given community might, for example, establish or expand a prevention program that gets as many youth as
possible into sports and community service activities as arenas for meeting needs for peer relationships, personal growth, and alternatives to “boredom.” Intervention programs like alternative
schools, mentoring, and counseling then might target those who demonstrate that they cannot or
will not be reached by prevention programs. An arrest may identify someone who needs intervention services. Suppression and intervention are sometimes interactive in attempts to help some individuals.
The case studies included in this collection offer initial assessments of community prevention and intervention efforts. Discussion of the prevention-intervention mix, in light of the issues
facing a particular community, may be a useful beginning toward the design of ways in which the
challenges of gangs and youth violence might be addressed.
Dennis Dresang, Director
Center for State, Local, and Tribal Governance
La Follette School of Public Affairs
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6
The Menominee Experience:
Youth Violence and the Awakening of Strengths
Heather Priess and Alicia Walley
“Kids are not the problem, they just have a problem.”
—Menominee youth worker
T
he 235,000 acres that comprise the Menominee Nation Reservation are located in
northeastern Wisconsin between Wausau and Green Bay. The reservation, also one of
Wisconsin’s 73 counties, consists of beautiful woodlands with the Wolf River running directly
through the center.
A Brief Tribal History
Menominee, which means “wild rice people,” is a consolidation of five predominant Clan
divisions. These main divisions include the Bear phratry, Thunderers phratry, Crane phratry, Wolf
phratry, and Moose phratry. Prior to the colonization of the United States, the Menominee inhabited an area of land (approximately 11 million acres) that is now the state of Wisconsin as well as
part of the Upper Michigan peninsula. In Wisconsin, the region encompassed the majority of the
eastern coast and central section of Wisconsin, and extended as far west as the Mississippi River. It
included what are now Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Lake Winnebago.
For thousands of years, the Menominee people lived off the land as hunters and gatherers.
As their name implies, they were well known for their harvest of wild rice that grew plentifully in
the various lakes they lived near. Before the inception of the name Menominee, however, they
referred to themselves as “Kiash Machatiwuk,” or Ancient Men.
In the 1600s the Menominee were successful in the fur trading business, which the French
brought to the area. Along with fur trading, white people also brought a series of epidemics such as
smallpox, measles, and cholera that threatened the existence of the Menominee peoples.
By the 1800s the newly formed United States government started to take control of the area
in hopes of colonization. Through a series of treaties the U.S. government purchased the majority
of the Menominee territory. In 1848 the government established the state of Wisconsin with this
land. The Treaty of Keshena Falls, signed in 1854, brought into existence the Menominee Indian
Reservation along the Wolf River where it remains. In 1856 the Menominee sold a portion of their
land for the use of the Stockbridge/Munsee band of the Mohican Nation that had been forced out
of their homeland with no place to go.
The middle to latter part of the nineteenth century was a time of great change for the
Menominee. During this time, Catholic missionaries established themselves in the community. A
lumber mill was built on the reservation, which provided a strong economic base, although for the
majority of the time it was under the control of the U.S. government and was managed primarily
by whites. Throughout the century, there were many struggles between the U.S. government and
the tribe over the management of the mill. These events culminated in the 1950s with the termination of the tribal status of the Menominee Nation.
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History of Education on the Reservation
In the late 1800s boarding schools began to be built on the reservation. A U.S. governmentfunded boarding school was established in 1880 in Keshena. The Franciscan missionaries followed
suit by building their own school, also in Keshena, where Catholicism could be freely taught.
During this time small schools were in operation where Menominee teachers taught students. By
1885, however, all schools on the reservation besides the boarding schools were closed making them
the only option for education on the reservation. The philosophy of these schools was to educate
the Menominee children in white ways. Children were not allowed to speak the Menominee language or practice Menominee ways and were often brutally beaten for “misbehavior” associated
with speaking their language and practicing native traditions. The treatment endured in these
schools, which in a few instances resulted in deaths of students, caused many emotional scars for
those who attended, the effects of which are still present today. The government boarding school
was closed in 1872, and by 1952 the Catholic boarding school was converted to a day school.
Throughout the 1900s various day schools were opened and closed, and many Menominee
children were educated in the nearby Shawano Public School. Finally, in 1975 the Menominee
School District was formed. The Menominee Tribal School, an alternative school run by the reservation, is the most recent addition to the primary schools on the reservation. Built in the 1990s, it
provides education for children through the eighth grade.
The reservation also houses Naes College and Menominee College, both two-year posthigh-school educational institutions.
Termination and Tribal Restoration
For years the U.S. government mismanaged the lumber mill and broke formal agreements
relating to the amount and type of trees that could be harvested on the reservation. In the early
1950s the tribe sued the government and won a settlement of $8.5 million. When the tribe
requested that the government pay each Menominee individual a set portion of the settlement
money ($1500 per person), the U.S. Senate, led by Senator Watkins of Utah, made the payout contingent on the removal of U.S. government tribal status. Although the vast majority of the
Menominee tribe opposed this, the Senate passed the bill over their objections, and government
support of the tribe was phased out. Termination was finalized in 1961. The Menominee Nation
was not the only tribe to experience termination during this period in history.
This event spawned a rapid decline in the Menominee economy, the effects of which are
still felt today as illustrated by a much higher than average poverty rate compared to the rest of
Wisconsin. The tribe sued the U.S. government for breaking the treaty signed back in the 1800s
but did not get reinstated as an official Native American tribe until President Nixon signed the
Menominee Restoration Act on December 22, 1973. The termination years were marked by high
unemployment causing the poverty rate to soar, and many social service programs along with the
schools suffered greatly due to lack of funds. During this time many Menominee left the reservation for cities such as Chicago, Green Bay, and Milwaukee to gain employment.1
The Menominee Reservation Today
The current population of Menominee County is roughly 5,000 people. The two largest
towns on the reservation are Keshena and Neopit. Keshena has traditionally been a more desirable
1 The facts for the history of the Menominee Nation outlined in this section were obtained from the Menominee Web site
at http://www.menominee.nsn.us/history/HISTORYHOME.htm as well as from personal interviews.
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place to live given that it is a number of miles away from the sawmill, which is located in Neopit.
Besides the sawmill, the reservation also contains a few grocery and convenience stores, a gas station, the Menominee Casino (opened in 1987), schools, county and tribal offices, the Tribal Clinic,
the Menominee Logging Camp Museum, a number of social service agencies, and a few privately
owned businesses. The current chairman is Apeshanahkwat, who has held this position for the past
five years.
The closest town outside the reservation, Shawano, is about eight miles south of
Menominee County. Shawano has a population of around 8,000 and has a much wider variety of
activities and amenities popular with the Menominee youth, including a movie theater, bowling
alley, and numerous restaurants and shops. Some of the youth also mentioned that they like to
hang out, ride bikes, hunt, fish, and play basketball. One adult observed that many of the “bad ass
kids” enjoy roller hockey.
The history and current description of the Menominee Nation provides a necessary insight
into present day Menominee culture and is essential to the understanding of youth and community
struggles. The vast majority of the individuals we spoke to directly connected the current youth
problems on the reservation today to this history, and cite lack of resources as the major barrier to
helping the youth.
Youth Violence and Deviance
“It’s not Menominee.”
—Youth program director
Throughout multiple interviews, one common theme was repeated over and over: The lack
of respect and destructive behaviors demonstrated by some of the youth against themselves and others is just “NOT Menominee.” By this, the adults to whom we spoke mean that the traditional
tribal philosophy historically esteemed by Menominee such as community respect, sharing, and
family is not practiced by some of the youth today.
Background
The arrival of gangs on the reservation occurred in the 1980s when families who moved
away from the reservation to cities such as Chicago and Milwaukee returned to take advantage of
the growing number of jobs available on the reservation and to get away from the city life. The
youth in these families brought with them the gang affiliations they made while growing up outside
the reservation. The gangs with the strongest affiliations included the Latin Kings, which took root
predominantly in Neopit, and the Gangsters Disciples (with connections to Milwaukee), centered
in Keshena, which formed in reaction to the Latin Kings’ presence. Most corporate gangs across the
United States align themselves with one of two groups: the “People” or the “Folk.” The Latin Kings
(aka the Kings) are affiliated with the “People,” while the Gangster Disciples (aka the GDs) are
affiliated with the “Folk.”
Around 1992 the chief of police (then working in youth services) said he noticed a “cultural
change among the youth” which was marked by increased youth violence. This recollection is confirmed in a 1997 article in the New York Times that reported a 239 percent increase in youth arrests
on the Menominee reservation between 1990 and 1994.2 During this period gang fights escalated
on the reservation, and in 1992 there was an almost fatal incident involving youth shooting at each
other from their vehicles as they drove by each other. An increase in youth suicides between 1992
2 K. Marie Porterfield. “Number of Gangs in Indian Country rapidly increasing,” New York Times. October 7, 1997.
9
and 1995 also marked this area of increased youth violence. Four suicides were reported, two of
which were related: a middle-school boy shot himself in the head, and his friend committed suicide
in the same manner a short time later.
A joint effort between the Menominee police and the FBI to combat gang violence and
drug trafficking culminated in the arrest of 25 youths in November 1997. The arrests followed a
violent standoff between the GDs and the Kings. Around 30 youth were armed with sawed-off shot
guns and pistols; an estimated 50 shots were fired. Adults attribute this occurrence to turf wars and
drug trafficking (primarily marijuana and cocaine).
In 1997 the Tribal Legislature formed a Gang Advisory Committee (GAC) in response to
the increased gang-related violence on the reservation. The committee was composed of adults from
the community, and the primary goals were to prevent gang-related slayings and to “avoid the cycle
of violence.” The committee was disbanded in 1998 when the Tribal Legislature concluded there
were no more gangs in the community. There were conflicting viewpoints on the demise of the
committee. Some individuals (many of whom served on the committee) felt as if it was time for the
committee to end, while others felt strongly that the judgment that the gang problem had been
solved was naive and that a committee addressing these issues should still be active. A compelling
argument in favor of continuing GAC is contained in an estimate given by a member of the tribal
police who alleged there was a 40 percent increase in juvenile crime on the reservation between
1998 and 1999.
We spoke to one former gang member who was active with the “Folks” in the 1990s.
Currently 25 years old, he recalled the violent fights he was involved in during his youth. He
described the majority of the confrontations with other gangs as related to “turf” issues. There were
initiation tests involved in both entering the gang and moving up in rank within the gang. The
structure of his gang was modeled after military hierarchy, with foot soldiers, captains, lieutenants,
and generals, to name a few. To become a general, one had to endure 300 consecutive punches
from other gang members. This individual considers corporate gangs to be still active on the reservation.
The Current Situation
Other sources confirm that a number of gangs are currently on the reservation, including
Latin Kings and Latin Queens, Nasty Boys (an offshoot of the Latin Kings, also from Milwaukee),
Gangster Disciples, Sister Warriors, and the American Indian Clan (AIC).
The 1997 arrests, along with community efforts, have forced the gangs underground. Youth
do not seem to display their gang affiliations in the same flagrant manner as in the 1980s and
1990s. Although everyone we spoke to acknowledged their continued presence, many believe that
they are no longer officially connected to corporate headquarters. In addition, many believe that the
Gangster Disciples, who were not very strong or organized prior to the 1997 arrests, are no longer
an official franchise on the reservation. Instead, they are thought to be either no longer in operation
there or else they have formed an independent gang using the GD name and symbols. Others
think the GDs are no longer present but that the AIC has taken their place. The AIC originally
started in the prison system; however, their membership on the reservation is said to be composed
of young and unsophisticated youth who perpetrate petty crimes. It is an unsettled question as to
whether they have official ties to the corporate AIC.
Whether the current gangs are corporate franchises, independent gangs, or loosely organized
groups, the youth who participate in these gangs are involved in illegal and dangerous activities.
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Initiation rituals continue, most commonly where the boys are “beat in,” while the girls are either
beaten in or “sexed in.” There has also been an increase in breaking and entering in the community,
which some associate primarily with the Latin Kings. The evidence points to the acquisition of
guns as the primary motive for the crimes. The youth involved befriend other youth whose parents
are known to have firearms. Once they feel a part of the group, they are asked to inform the gang
members when their parents will be out of the house. Once they know the parents are not home
and where the guns are kept, they break in. The current “gun of choice” is the pistol.
Many feel that the fractionalization of the official gangs severed the strong tie between
gangs and drug trafficking. Many attribute the majority of drug dealing on the reservation to families who turn to illegal means to survive economically. At least one youth who drives a very expensive car and often has large sums of cash in his possession is thought to have connections to drug
rings in larger cities, but no one seems to know whether he is a gang member. A number of recent
school suspensions have been related to the possession of cocaine and marijuana, and recently, a
middle-school student was suspended for the possession of crack.
Commonly, groups of youth form in relation to what HUD housing community they live
in on the reservation. Some of these areas in Neopit and Keshena include “Dog Town,” “Middle
Village,” “Commod Lane,” “Pine Ridge,” “School View,” and “Rabbit Ridge.” Rivalries and violence among these communities is reported frequently. One youth, however, claims that the conflict
among the communities or between Keshena and Neopit in general is overstated, and that hostility
is more closely tied to “who crosses you.”
One family in the Neopit community of Dog Town is a particular concern of the
Menominee community. They were mentioned by numerous individuals we interviewed both in
Neopit and Keshena. The kids in this family range in age, and apparently have caused a lot of trouble in the schools as well as at the Boys and Girls Club. They continuously harass other youth and
adults in the community. They are referred to as “bullies,” often beating up other youth, and are
also involved in petty crimes. One difficulty in disciplining these children is that the adults in the
family are equally confrontational and have been known to beat up other adult members of the
community.
Besides the drug busts in the schools, two other youth-related events that have occurred in
the recent past that have disrupted the community. In the summer of 2000, a 19-year-old male
youth from Keshena was sentenced to nearly five years in jail for the murder of a 28-year-old man.
Although the newspapers do not cite the incident as gang-related, community members state that it
was. In addition, this past March a sixth grade girl was caught attempting to bring a pellet gun
into the Tribal Middle School. School officials were extremely disturbed by this incident but were
also astounded that when the Tribal Courts were holding her, a mental health evaluation was not
performed and mental health services were not offered. She was released by the Tribal Courts to the
custody of her grandmother. She has been suspended from school, and expulsion proceedings are
currently in the works. The motivation behind her bringing the gun to school has not been specified.
One community deterrent technique, which has had substantial success, addresses gangrelated graffiti. Every time graffiti appears, pictures are taken and it is immediately removed. Also, a
native mural was painted on a bridge underpass in Neopit, where tagging had been common. Youth
do not tend to deface this type of artwork. Although we noticed some gang graffiti around the
reservation, it is not pervasive. More popular among the youth, according to one youth worker, is
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to create graffiti art. One example of this is located at the public basketball court in Keshena. This
court, also known as “Slam City,” has a concrete wall that is spray-painted with a basketball motif
and “Slam City” in large letters. Quite artistically done, the picture on this wall changes from time
to time and is rarely defaced. Another reason gang-related graffiti is less common than before,
according to the same youth worker, is that the kids would rather be using the spray paint cans to
inhale, an activity commonly referred to as “huffing.”
When talking to the youth, all mentioned that they knew gang members but that they were
all older youth and adults. Most were not particularly concerned with gang presence on the reservation and had never been recruited to join. Other young adults in the community reflecting on their
school years mentioned that they were beaten up by their peers but considered it a part of growing
up. It is important to remember the core of kids who perpetrate the majority of the violence and
crimes is not large in number. As the chief of police said, “Around 15 students affect the other 90
percent of the youth.” Because the population of the reservation is relatively small, however, it is
difficult for youth violence not to affect everyone in one way or another.
Sources of Conflict
“We always look the other way. That’s the silent killer.”
—Youth program director
The reasons that people in the Menominee community believe problems exist seem as
numerous as the people being affected by those problems. The two most common reasons cited
were breakdown in families and problems with tribal government officials and structure. Other
common reasons mentioned include the following: people moving back to the reservation, poverty,
anger, the widespread use of drugs and alcohol, and lack of opportunities on the reservation.
Breakdown in Families
Parents on the Menominee Reservation face difficulties in deciding exactly how to parent, a
problem being faced by mothers and fathers across the United States. Many parents were physically
disciplined as children, and while they realize this is no longer as accepted in society, they lack
knowledge of alternative forms of discipline (In traditional Menominee culture, uncles tended to
physically discipline nieces and nephews, leaving parents with more of a teaching role). Legends
with moral messages were also used in the past to teach children proper behavior, but many
Menominee living today do not know these legends.
Community leaders believe that the messages parents end up passing on to children are
often negative and reverse the work that schools and health agencies are trying to accomplish.
Many parents abuse alcohol and other drugs, some to such an extent that children are going to
other adults’ homes at night to escape violent behavior or loud parties. Other parents are in jail
because of violent crime and drug-related arrests. Some program directors at the Tribal Clinic
explained that drug and alcohol abuse among pregnant mothers has resulted in a large number of
children being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other drug effects which result in behavioral
and learning problems.
It is not uncommon for grandparents, and occasionally older siblings (who may themselves
still be in school), to be raising children. Youth program directors occasionally buy food at the end
of the month to feed children whose parents have run out of money or who aren’t caring for their
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children. Some people believe Menominee youth join gangs in the hope of finding the love, sense
of community, and family that they are not getting at home.
Youth may also be modeling the violent behavior and anger parents and other adults themselves are displaying. School officials feel that both adults and youth do not know how to manage
anger. Another adult thinks the long history of American Indians receiving grants and other aid has
created a generation of people used to “just getting stuff,” who respond immaturely, and occasionally violently, when they don’t get what they want. School basketball games have become a problem
as parents accuse referees of racism and become extremely angry with officials and with other
teams. The children who are most violent in school and on the reservation have family members
with similar records. Positive role models, especially male role models, seem to be lacking in the
lives of youth. As one school official explains, “Children’s behavior is a microcosm of the community.”
One additional problem among families involves the perception of education among parents and grandparents. Negative views of education are not at all surprising, given the horrific conditions that the adults who lived in boarding schools endured. Although schools today are much
more positive places to be, school officials find it difficult, if not impossible, to get some families to
participate in school activities. A few people won’t even step foot inside a school. The negative perception of schools contributes to the extreme truancy problems on the reservation.
Problems with the Legislature, Courts, and other Governmental Entities
Many people in the Menominee community have voiced frustration with their legislature.
They feel that the Tribal Legislature has been asking the wrong question, namely, “What is wrong
with the children?” instead of asking what the community is doing wrong. As another person put
it, there are two ways of looking at children: The kids are the problem or the kids have a problem.
Some people feel that the Tribal Legislature neglects the needs of community children and denies
the presence of gang and youth violence problems. Others are concerned that certain leaders are
poor role models, in that they themselves did not stay in school. Encouraging children to stay in
school thus doesn’t have much effect. Many feel hurt and betrayed that the tribal chairman does
not live among the people but rather at Legend Lake, a private residential area on the reservation
that contains many expensive homes, most of which are owned by non-native individuals. Some
members of the Menominee Nation are frustrated that they aren’t able to select their chairperson.
One person explains, “People don’t have a voice that they want.” Another is frustrated that the
Tribal Legislature doesn’t take a firm stance on youth violence and believes people will listen if the
legislature speaks.
One especially difficult problem on the reservation involves trying to enforce laws. Tribal
law states that youth must attend school until age eighteen, but this law is currently meaningless, as
no one enforces it. Many people do not even know this law exists. People blame the courts for not
penalizing people who violate laws.
Enforcement becomes a problem with drugs and alcohol as well. Since the Menominee
Reservation is both a reservation and a county, both reservation and county law enforcement agencies have jurisdiction. This creates problems because the jurisdictions have different powers. For
example, if an underage Menominee youth tries to buy alcohol on the reservation, the tribal police
cannot enter the business since it is private property, and the county police cannot arrest the youth
since he or she is Menominee. In other words, in some situations neither law enforcement agency
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has the power to stop illegal activity. The Tribal Courts further complicate the enforcement of drug
and alcohol activity with their lack of sentencing. An employee at the Maehnowesekiyah Treatment
Center told the story of a woman who was arrested for selling cocaine out of her HUD housing.
She lost her housing, as prescribed by law, and was arrested. The courts gave her back her housing
since they felt that taking it had been inhumane. The Maehnowesekiyah employee and others we
spoke to have complained that the courts are overly concerned with the negative impacts that sentencing might have. The courts tend to say, “This person doesn’t have any money,” “This person
may lose their job if they’re in jail,” or “This person has children to support.” Concern for others
makes up an important part of Menominee culture, and yet this sends a message that punishment
does not follow illegal activity. Some people want a zero tolerance policy for crime, which they say
might cost a few individuals but will improve the community as a whole.
Poverty and Anger Related to Poverty
Despite new funds that the Menominee Casino provides to tribal members, poverty is still a
major problem on the Menominee reservation. Few businesses operate on the reservation, which
means few jobs, although the casino has helped in that regard. Approximately 70 percent of people
on the reservation live in one of the many HUD housing project areas. Parents often find it difficult to provide financially for their children, and they struggle each month to make ends meet.
There are few obvious and legal escapes from poverty among the Menominee.
Most Menominee still feel a great deal of hurt and anger about the selling of some of their
land to make money during the time of Termination. This land was generally sold to wealthy people from nearby cities, most of whom were non-Indian. When describing the hard feelings associated with Legend Lake, one middle-school official spoke of the wealth of those with homes on the
lake and of the people driving by with their fancy boats: “We see affluence paraded by us on a daily
basis.”
Social workers in the schools describe parents and youth as having a great deal of “free-floating” anger. One social worker believes most of this anger is related to poverty, to Termination, and
to racism, but says that people don’t recognize the source of their anger and are thus unable to
channel it or manage it effectively. He acknowledges the difficulty in dealing with such deeply rooted problems, but explains, “I look at it as a challenge. I have the ability a little to help them understand the problem.”
Drug and Alcohol Usage
Selling drugs offers many people an escape from poverty but leaves the community scrambling to deal with the problems that result. One official estimated 80 percent of people living on
the reservation are using marijuana or cocaine, which means almost all youth are exposed to drugs.
As previously mentioned, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome effects are noticeable in many young people,
which results in problems at home and in school. One nurse voiced her frustration that people are
“sick of hearing about alcohol,” even though it continues to cause many problems throughout the
community. School officials and health educators are disappointed by parental usage of drugs and
alcohol since kids hear one message at school and another at home. Unfortunately, youth seem just
as involved in drug and alcohol usage as adults do. One informal survey shows that about half of
sixth-graders are using alcohol and a majority of eighth-graders are smoking marijuana. In the past,
youth have also used inhalants, including gasoline, since these products were relatively inexpensive.
The use of inhalants, however, seems to be declining.
14
Lack of Opportunities
People working with youth in the Menominee community tend to agree that youth are
bored. While a few activities do exist for youth on the reservation, many youth choose instead to
“just party, smoke pot, and drink.” Many youth consider it “uncool” to hang out at the Rec Center
(the only facility currently open for youth outside of the schools) unless a special event, such as a
dance, is taking place. In particular, youth who do not want to participate in athletics have a difficult time finding activities they might enjoy. High school students usually cannot get jobs. They’re
too young to work at the casino or the log mill and don’t have cars to get to Shawano, where discrimination in hiring remains an issue.
Many young people coming out of high school do not fare much better. Jobs are still very
difficult to obtain on the reservation. Many people, especially the brightest youth, move away. The
College of Menominee Nation is helping change this, as it recruits young Menominee and offers
degrees that meet the needs of the reservation, through programs such as nursing, law enforcement,
and forestry. Federal programs, including Upward Bound, provide additional assistance to help
make college a realistic option for many Menominee youth.
Other Sources of Problems
Members of the Menominee community cited several other conflict sources. A few people
spoke about the effects of racism and distrust toward American Indians. One woman, who lives in
the nearby town of Shawano, described how a past sheriff had wanted to set up a roadblock
between Shawano and the reservation to check cars for merchandise stolen from Shawano. This
proposal made the front page of the Shawano newspaper. Other people spoke of “lateral” violence,
the concept that although the anger is toward white people, it is often directed toward each other.
Other problem sources included changes in culture, low self-esteem and peer pressure among
youth, and in cases of sexual assault, lack of respect for women.
Community Resources
A great variety of programs exist to meet the needs of Menominee youth on many different
levels. More complete descriptions of these resources can be found on the Menominee Indian Tribe
of Wisconsin Web page: http://www.menominee.nsn.us.
The Schools
The Menominee School District is working to deal with gang problems, youth violence,
and general behavioral problems in several ways, one being through behavioral curricula. The middle and high schools both use the Boys Town Curriculum to reinforce positive social skills and
behavior and to discourage inappropriate activity. Both teachers and administrators use the Boys
Town Curriculum. The middle school also uses the Sunburst Managing Anger Curriculum to help
students deal with anger in constructive ways. Social workers at both schools spend time working
on conflict resolution with individual students and with groups.
Administrators have developed other programs to be used in schools. The high school has initiated a Second Chance Program, a six- to eight-week intervention program for students to enroll in as
an alternative to expulsion. It is aimed at students with first offenses in alcohol, drugs, fighting, intimidation, or harassment. Finally, middle-school officials have developed programs for students with 3.0
and higher GPAs, because “a lot of times the good kids get left out.” The school holds a dinner for
honor roll students and their parents and provides students with vocational and college information.
15
Police also take an active role in the schools. Police liaisons have increased hall monitoring
to keep a better eye on student behavior. Police come into both schools on occasion with drug
dogs, and in the middle school have lunch with students to improve communication between
police and students. Both police and other school officials work to enforce a school policy that prevents students from wearing blatant gang colors or displaying other gang signs. School officials
hope that the positive steps that schools are taking will encourage the many students who choose to
attend schools in nearby towns to return to schools on the reservation.
Police Involvement
After the tribal police and the FBI made drug- and gang-related arrests in 1997, the gangs
became disorganized. The police along with the FBI also conducted a drug tracking operation, in
which they watched traffic in and out of houses, ran license plates, and performed other tasks in
order to determine the level of drug usage on the reservation and connections off the reservation.
This was the operation in which law enforcement officials estimated that 80 percent of people living on the Menominee reservation were using marijuana or cocaine. Tribal police are currently
working to develop more fully a juvenile division.
Family Preservation and Support
This social service agency works with parents in the community to teach positive parenting
skills, along with subjects such as childhood development and communication. Another component
of the Family Preservation and Support department involves a youth advocate working with troubled teens on the reservation. Currently the youth advocate meets with eight youth between one
and three times each week and provides assistance to other youth and their families when needed.
The youth advocate is also in charge of the Oskenaeniwak Society, a teen group with about eighteen active members who participate in activities such as leadership building and intertribal traditional football with the nearby Stockbridge Reservation. Family Preservation and Support would
like to develop a mentoring program between youth and adults but right now is having a difficult
time finding mentors.
Maehnowesekiyah Treatment Center
Maehnowesekiyah means “We will all feel better,” and the people at Maehnowesekiyah
Treatment Center work to keep this optimism alive. Besides basic alcohol and drug treatment,
Maehnowesekiyah offers several programs that specifically target youth. The TRAILS (Testing
Realities and Investigating Lifestyles) program is a drug abuse prevention program, with an educational component teaching about good health, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. A cultural component includes arts, crafts, volunteering, and other activities that keep youth occupied with positive tasks. One government official believes, however, that prevention programs are too late for
many children after fourth grade. Some of these youth participate in treatment programs, and later,
in Adolescent Aftercare. Adolescent Aftercare is a program that helps youth aged 12-18 reenter the
community after having received drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Participants meet once each
week for twelve weeks. Another program, Soaring Eagle Safe Ways, provides services and guidance
to runaway youth and works in conjunction with all Wisconsin tribes.
Tribal Clinic Wellness Program
The Wellness Program director covers topics related to health and wellness with all sixth
graders attending school on the reservation. He covers a variety of issues, including violence, guns,
16
tobacco, alcohol, nutrition, anger, optimism, and humor. The director has used an assessment test
to identify potential gang members and then target prevention efforts at the youth he identifies. He
also works informally with youth, for whom his office is always open, on problems such as drug
usage and sexually transmitted diseases. He believes it is important and necessary to know the
youth personally before trying to work with them to make positive changes.
The Wellness Program aims to teach all members of the community about the benefits of
exercise. Activities in which youth are involved include the following: powwows, roller hockey,
school wellness days, triathlons, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, weightlifting,
and bicycling. Youth who are often in trouble seem to be especially interested in roller hockey. The
director keeps some of the activities, such as triathlons, available just for Menominee community
members and tries to incorporate activities into people’s lives that they can enjoy for a lifetime.
The Wellness Program practices the trickle up theory, in which the youth are educated
about wellness and then, the leaders hope, will pass some of that knowledge on to parents and
other adults. The program also distributes trigger locks for the many guns found in homes on the
reservation. These trigger locks have so far prevented at least three potential injuries. In all areas,
people working in the Wellness Department of the Tribal Clinic try to tailor programs to the needs
of the community instead of using prepackaged programs that might not be especially useful for
native people.
Tribal Clinic Programs for Sexual Education and Pregnancy
The Tribal Clinic also works with youth specifically on issues related to sexuality, sexually
transmitted diseases, sexual assault and harassment, pregnancy prevention, and pregnancy itself. The
department that administers this program operates a clinic at the high school, in which students
have access to contraceptives, pregnancy tests, and information regarding topics such as sexually
transmitted diseases and abstinence. People in this department are also responsible for sexuality and
health curricula in the schools.
One woman in this department works with adolescent girls through the use of a minigrant. She covers topics such as self-esteem, career decisions, rape, and sexual harassment. In the
past, meetings were held directly after school, but now that more girls are participating in athletics,
meetings are held once each month and at a youth retreat.
Parenting classes are available for the many girls who are pregnant on the reservation and
their partners. These classes cover topics such as basic prenatal care and safety measures to take
when young children are present in a household. People who help administer this program would
like to see an additional program specifically designed for expectant mothers out of high school
since they often have very different needs than girls still in high school.
Housing Peacekeeper Program
The Tribal Housing Department has developed the Peacekeeper Program in response to the
ten to thirteen assaults that take place in the housing areas each month. In the Peacekeeper
Program, adults and children meet with housing officials after having been the cause of three or
more police reports in a six-month period. Participants in the program work through a conflict resolution program. One housing official explained that when she works with youth, she talks to them
about how their families could lose their housing because of the youth’s own negative behavior and
asks them how they will provide housing for their family if it is lost. In this way, she hopes to make
youth aware of the effects of their negative actions on their families and their community.
17
Activity-Related Programs for Youth
Several recreational programs provide a range of opportunities for Menominee youth.
Sponsoring groups range from Menominee organizations to the local Catholic church.
Recreation Center
The Recreation (Rec) Center is located in Keshena. After-school programs, including crafts
and videos, seem to be attended by elementary schoolchildren. Older youth are more likely to participate in open gym or swimming pool sessions at area high schools and special events, such as
dances, held at the Rec Center. In the summer, many youth help out at the Rec Center or participate in summer jobs, which include maintenance of local parks. The Rec Center director has adopted the policy that when kids get into trouble, parents must come to the center to meet with him
before their children can continue to participate in center activities. He has adopted this policy in
an attempt to encourage parents to accept more responsibility in the lives of their children. The Rec
Center director believes that youth need opportunities other than just athletics, and he would like
to have more dances and other events that attract the older youth.
Boys and Girls Club
The Boys and Girls Club, which is located in Neopit, is not currently open. Last summer
about 30 kids per night visited the Boys and Girls Club. These youth ranged in age from six to
eighteen. The Boys and Girls Club has a new director, who hopes to open the center again soon.
She would like to develop the Boys and Girls Club of America SMART Program (Skills Mastery
and Resistance Training), which works with youth on issues related to alcohol and drug usage and
sexual activity. She also plans to hold a Power Hour that will focus on educational needs, leadership, and recreation. The new director would like to incorporate more cultural activities into the
Menominee Boys and Girls Club, including drum groups, language classes, and modern Native
American music.
Ropes and Challenge Course
The Ropes and Challenge Course is located at the high school, which is in Keshena. The
program is funded through a coalition-based grant, the Drug Free Communities Support Program.
Some participants are youth who have been referred to the program as part of alcohol and drug
intervention. Eventually the instructors would like to see entire neighborhoods participating in the
program, as they believe the teamwork involved in the course would strengthen neighborhood
bonds and commitment to bettering the community. In 2000, 130 youth participated, a number
that greatly exceeded the initial goal of 50 youth.
Menominee Culture Camp and Other Cultural Activities
Many Menominee would like to see youth learning more about traditional culture, a
knowledge that many people feel was lost after the boarding schools. The schools now have cultural
classes in art, drumming, and language, and student demand for these classes is high. A
Menominee Culture Camp is offered in some years, which is also very popular among youth. In the
camp, youth live in the woods, learning basic survival skills and other traditional ways of the
Menominee. Roundhouses have been held this past year to further acquaint youth with cultural
activities. These events seem to be attended primarily by younger elementary-age children and by
adults. The final roundhouse this spring was a mini-powwow, in which children and adults danced
around the drum circle, some in native costume. The Johnson O’Malley Program provides financial
18
assistance for activities in which youth are participating, along with career exploration programs
and cultural arts and crafts as alternatives to illegal or unwholesome activities. The Historic
Preservation Department actively works to increase such community awareness of history and tradition. Incidentally, the Maehnowesekiyah Treatment Center also draws on Menominee tradition
when working with youth through the use of traditional colors, naming ceremonies, and instruction in the appropriate use of the sacred eagle feather, turning these aspects of gang life into something traditional and positive.
Church Activities
Most Menominee youth are able to choose whether they want to be involved with Catholic
Church activities, and churches provide activities for some youth but probably not the youth currently involved in gang activities and youth violence. About 90-120 youth participate in religion
classes, most of whom are younger children. Older youth are involved in confirmation classes, service projects, camping outings, and fry bread sales to raise money for those in need. Usually about
12-20 youth participate in these activities.
Strengths of the Community
“The worst kids can be our greatest assets.”
—Tribal chief of police
During the course of every interview we asked each interviewee what he or she felt were the
greatest strengths of the community. An overwhelming majority of the responses included the mention of culture or tradition. The following specific strengths were mentioned:
• The traditional respect for the elderly.
• The passing down of stories and legends orally that have moral and historical
components.
• The sense of family and community. “All ages come together: elders, youth,
kids, and us middle guys.”
• The Menominee language, drumming, fishing, hunting, powwows, and singing.
• Spirituality and religion.
• Survival of the tribe despite numerous obstacles.
• The connection to the land and resiliency of the people. “We’ve been here for
10,000 years.”
Despite the fact that culture and tradition are seen as a major asset of the community, many
also expressed frustrations about the loss of the foundations of Menominee tradition and values. In
addition, many felt as one individual put it:
“We need to awaken our strengths. They seem to be sleeping now.”
The reference to youth as a primary strength of the community was mentioned once during
the course of our interviews. The chief of police believes that “the worst kids can be our greatest
assets.” He contends that members of gangs have acquired leadership and survival skills, which, if
channeled in positive directions, could be quite effective skills for the future leaders of the community.
19
Unanswered Questions and Looking Ahead
“What we see here is a mirror of society.”
—Tribal legislator
Through meeting with community members over the course of a number of months, it
became clear that there is great pride associated with the work that is currently being done to
address youth and youth violence issues. This spirit, however, was often coupled with frustration
and profound sadness associated with tribal youth and community problems that stem from the
history of the tribe. This duality of frustration and commitment seems to have driven the community to act, but with the acknowledgement that there is still much work to be done.
A common philosophy underlying many of the programs directed toward youth relates
directly to reconnecting youth to Menominee tradition and culture. Our discussions with youth
reveal that there is interest in participating in these activities. The direction the tribe has taken to
“awaken their strengths” appears to have taken root with the youngsters to whom we spoke. One
question we were not able to explore, however, is how such programs are perceived by the older and
“high risk” youth.
Some community members seem to be tapping into youth as a current and potential
strength of the community. This philosophy is exhibited through the development of the
Oskenaeniwak Society, as well as through the mentoring program, which is currently being developed. Some of the community leaders to whom we spoke, however, feel that this philosophy could
be nurtured by encouraging others in the community to embrace it. It is possible that adults who
were involved in violent activities during their youth might be a resource for current high-risk
youth. The Menominee Nation News printed a letter from one such youth, who is currently imprisoned.
“To the youngsters back home on my reservation, I’m writing to you hoping that
I could convince or at least get you to think about the direction that you are taking. Do you really want to come hang out with me in prison? This place does not
discriminate, they’ll take anybody. At the rate you are going right now, you’ll be
here in no time. But if you are really trying to stay away from a place like this
stay in school, that’s your best bet.”3
—Tony A. Fish Sr.
Many community leaders feel that the Tribal Courts, the Tribal Legislature, and various
other agencies fail to communicate effectively with one another. Perhaps the Menominee community could create a youth violence task force that would bring people from various agencies together.
Youth input might also be included in these conversations, so that the perspectives of those for
whom this task force is being organized are considered. The task force could aim to have people
consolidating services and working in the same direction on youth violence problems to best serve
the needs of Menominee youth. The agencies involved in the task force may want to conduct a
needs assessment for their community in order to pinpoint current community problems and identify possible solutions to these problems. Some leaders believe such a needs assessment could be
used to change the community from one responding to individual crises to a community that
3 Menominee Nation News, Thursday, January 8, 1998.
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actively works to prevent problems and makes positive, lasting, community-based changes. The
youth violence task force could be used as a means of brainstorming new solutions to common
youth problems such as truancy, drug and alcohol usage, and youth activity programming.
A thank you to the Menominee people—
We would like to thank you for your openness and generosity during our visits to the reservation.
Through our work on this project we have grown as individuals, as we learned not only about youth
issues but also about Menominee culture and history. For this, Wa-Wa-Non. Ma-Nee Ta-haem.
Heather Priess
Alicia Walley
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22
A Gang Metamorphosis:
La Crosse’s Efforts Get Results
Sarah Barry, Jennifer Gonda, and Daniel Maxwell
J
ust minutes after giving a five-minute speech in front of his class, a Central High School
student’s head snapped forward and slammed into his desktop. Convinced by a classmate
selling the drug in the hall that it would help him relax, he had taken a dose of Rohypnol, the illegal “date-rape” drug. Later in the afternoon several Hmong gang members lifted weights under the
influence of the same substance.
*****
As in most communities in the United States, drugs like ecstasy, marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine are popular in La Crosse. Police Liaison Officer Rick Pfennig described the ease
with which students are now able to obtain hard drugs over the Internet. It is not uncommon for
students to be caught under the influence or in possession of illegal substances on school grounds.
Drug abuse is a form of self-inflicted violence, and this violence is on the rise. Gangs in La Crosse
now focus much of their activity on drug sales and distribution. The variety and portability of
many of these substances offer gangs a moneymaking outlet, one that can be relatively low-profile.
Drug trafficking enjoys a robust economy, with university students, among others, looking to local
drug dealers for drugs like marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine.
Logan High School Associate Principal Doug La Clair believes that, like many phenomena,
La Crosse’s gang activity has undergone a metamorphosis. Instead of physical acts of violence, kids
are engaged in more economically based activity. Most individuals directly involved with at-risk
young people agree that this is the case. Terry Erickson, director of the Boys and Girls Club in La
Crosse, mentioned that one of the biggest issues facing young people today is that they are not taking care of their health. Many drink and use drugs regularly. Teenagers are very intelligent, and have
moved their activity toward things that are more likely to elude the police. “Boosting” is still common in La Crosse. This is theft from cars, of electronic equipment, and of bikes, which are all items
stolen relatively easily. La Crosse has also seen two gun store break-ins over the past year.
This is not to say that physical gang violence has disappeared from the La Crosse community. One serious incident that young people and the high school police liaison officers from both
public high schools discussed openly took place at Oktoberfest this past fall. A Logan High School
student, a North Side Blood (NSB), was jumped by a group of True Asian Bloods (TAB).
According to one account, the young man was first attacked with fists and was subsequently hit in
the side of the head with a gun. Police did not confirm the presence of guns.
Another recent incident that occurred at Logan High School involved eight or nine TAB
members. They confronted some white students, and there was talk of guns, but Police Liaison
Officer Jeff Graves intervened before any violence took place. In an event at Central High School,
there was a conflict between an African American gang member and a few Hmong gang members.
In retaliation to his nasty comment, “stupid Chinese,” the Hmong members used a homemade
weapon fashioned from a wrist brace with metal nuts taped around it to beat him up. The African
American man was hurt, with damage to his eye and the side of his face. The next day in school,
there was some restlessness, but according to Officer Pfennig, he was able to keep the conflict under
control. These violent incidents demonstrate the racial nature of La Crosse gang conflict.
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History of Gang Activity in the La Crosse Area
Prior to 1980 the City of La Crosse was almost entirely a white community. Diversity is a
recent phenomenon. According to Police Chief Edward Kondracki, the city’s population is now 11
percent minority. In the school system, the minority representation is even higher, at 15 percent.
The most significant influxes have been the Hmong refugees and African American families leaving
Chicago and other large cities. Mayor Medinger said, “A lot of black folks, they come from Chicago
and elsewhere. They are trying to escape something, but they bring a lot of baggage with them.”
In the early 1990s the La Crosse area began to experience a marked increase in gang-related
youth violence. In 1994 the La Crosse Police Department estimated the number of gang participants to be just over 300 people spread out over 28 gangs. Similarly, 1998 estimates placed the
number of active gang members at 299 under 24 different affiliations. Parallel to the racial split in
the community, gangs are also organized along racial lines.
Although more recent statistics are not available, Karen Morken, director of the Another
Way Gang Intervention Program identified three active gangs with whom youth in her program
currently affiliate. Officer Pfennig at Central High School and Officer Graves of Logan High
School referred to the same three gangs.
The Gangster Disciples (GDs), with membership of mostly African American youth, appear
to be involved in area drug trafficking. There are at least two older members of the Gangster
Disciples in La Crosse. They are around 50 years old, and may serve as advisers to young members.
This gang is located primarily on the south side of La Crosse. The current leader attends Central
High School and is consistently involved in fights. The North Side Bloods (NSBs) have primarily
Caucasian members. According to Officer Pfennig, these two gangs are most likely independent of
corporate affiliation but have adopted the recognized gang names.
The True Asian Bloods (TABs) consist mostly of Hmong males and may have some affiliation with Minneapolis-area corporate gang members. It is common for Hmong gang members to
have affiliations with gang members in other cities. According to Officer Jeff Graves at Logan High
School, members contact affiliates, set up thefts in another community, commit them, and return
to their home community. This sort of cross-community criminal activity helps Hmong youth
evade police. Important drug connections are also maintained through these affiliates.
There is some evidence that the TABs have recently formed a partnership with the NSBs.
One youth in the Another Way program commented to Karen Morken that the Hmong gang has
begun to take in more white members. She speculates that the reason is that the Hmong youth feel
that they are discriminated against in the court system, and the Caucasian membership improves
their chances for lenient sentences. There is also some racial mixing related to dating. Caucasian
females date both African American and Asian men, gaining some form of membership status.
Within the last year, two of the primary Asian gang leaders dropped out of school. They are
still involved in gang activity, but one of them has participated in the Another Way program. He
has been referring other young Asian gang members to the program. It is unclear whether this is
out of concern for their well-being or part of a gang strategy.
Terry Erickson, director of the La Crosse Boys and Girls Club, feels that the La Crosse
community has not created an accepting enough atmosphere for different types of people. Not only
does this apply to different ethnic populations, but also to different economic classes and people
with alternative sexual preferences. Mayor Medinger commented that while the Hmong population
24
is served by the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association (HMAA), there is a notable lack of community organization for the black youth and families.
What Lies Underneath?
When asked where the kids hang out on the weekends, one Logan High School student
responded, “I just really don’t know, there isn’t anything to do other than hang out at friends’ houses.” Like many youth, those in La Crosse are suffering from the “nothing to do” syndrome. Ryan
Scheel, site director of the Hamilton School Boys and Girls Club, stressed that kids just need something to do. The more activity options available to youth in the community, the better.
Karen Morken commented, “It always comes back to what happens in the kids’ homes.”
Terry Erickson commented that he “sees a lot of faces in need.” A staff member from the Hamilton
Boys and Girls Club, who also works for the school district, commented that “single mothers have
no control over their kids” and that this is a major cause of behavioral problems. La Showe, a recent
graduate of Central High School who is a transplant from the south side of Chicago, pointed out
that “kids don’t get any love in their homes, so they look to gangs for love.”
Hmong youth, like other young people in La Crosse, search for identity and belonging.
Denis Tucker, assistant director of HMAA, points out that these young people are, in a sense,
trapped between two cultures. Although they are assimilated into American society in school and
other activities, their family life remains more culturally traditional.
Recent interviews with Hmong adults and youth revealed some of the reasons young people
join gangs. The adult group attributed part of the problem to parents who cannot connect with
kids. Gangs are able to provide the needs not met by parents. Most Hmong parents have neither
time to spend with their children nor much money to spend on family activities. Tony Yang used
the example of excursions to the Mall of America. Hmong gangs might use this as a recruiting tool,
saying, “If you join with us, we’ll take you up there.” The gang is able to provide a friendly buffer
for Hmong youth, accepting them for who they are.
The Hmong interview group also discussed a variety of cultural factors. According to the
adult group, youth showed much more respect to the elder generations in Laos. There the parents
were the “old hands” who knew all there was to know about life and how to survive. If children
misbehaved they did not have the freedom to run to another village. They had to stay and pay the
price for their misdeed, which often was carried out through corporal punishment.
In the United States, Hmong parents are no longer the “old hands,” they are more like “old
feet” that must follow and rely on their children to help them survive in this new environment. As
translators for their parents, children tacitly demand respect and authority from them. Most parents
have difficulty accepting this shift in authority, as they now must rely on their children for their
basic needs.
Youth and adults agree that Hmong parents need to adopt more effective forms of discipline. Current punishment techniques include corporal punishment, verbal chastisement, sending
kids off to live with relatives, or no discipline at all. As one Hmong girl reported to Officer
Pfennig, corporal punishment in her family means that her father will beat her with any readily
available object. Because corporal punishment is the traditional form of discipline, Hmong parents
have difficulty formulating new disciplinary strategies. Hmong parents now live under the threat
that their children will report them to police for abuse.
25
Most members of the youth group expressed a wish that their parents could be more like
American parents, in both interpersonal relationships and disciplinary measures. One youth
described that even the act of shaking his father’s hand was an extremely awkward and embarrassing
act. This clashing of cultures continues to create problems. According to the adults, many Hmong
youth are not able to speak Hmong well enough to communicate with their parents, only enough
to survive in the same house.
Rather than adapting well to both cultures, most youth have failed in both realms, thus
making them feel like outsiders at every turn. This demonstrates another reason Hmong youth join
gangs: to gain acceptance by their peers.
Gang activity is typically associated with locations. When Wendy Kloiber, a former
La Follette student, first researched La Crosse gangs and violent youth activity in 1997, she identified the Hood-Powell-Hamilton neighborhood as one that was in distress. Hamilton Elementary
School is located in this neighborhood, the lowest-income section of town.
Sandwiched between the private Viterbo College and Gundersen Lutheran Hospital lies a
neighborhood facing deterioration and poverty. Over 60 percent of the housing stock is rental
property, largely neglected by absentee property owners. The neighboring college and hospital are
watching the neglected and dilapidated housing closely. Both corporate interests hope to purchase
the land and housing for expansion purposes.
La Crosse has seen its transient, low-income community grow over the last ten years. A
drive through this neighborhood and others nearby makes this clear. Mayor Medinger described the
nature of the neighborhood as a diverse group of lower income and lesser educated individuals and
families. Initially settling there because of inexpensive housing, people leave the neighborhood
when they become more established in their employment or move from the community altogether.
The transient nature of the community, coupled with the high level of poverty, leave the teachers at
Hamilton Elementary with a challenge. Jim Bagniewski, the principal of Hamilton, is a community
leader playing a proactive role in facing this challenge.
Programs
Many different programs targeting at-risk youth have been initiated over the last ten years,
as problems became increasingly apparent. Parental and community educational measures have
effectively publicized indicators of gang affiliation. As a result, general community awareness has
increased dramatically.
Many community leaders, residents, and young people have suggested that gangs and youth
violence are rooted in boredom, low self-esteem, and the need for belonging. Each of these factors
can be addressed, and in La Crosse, a variety of prevention-focused programs already exist. An integral part of public education curriculum, gang prevention programs are aimed at all age groups.
Principal Bagniewski believes two approaches are possible with the at-risk kids in his school:
(1) maintain the status quo and hope for the best or (2) try to make a difference. He has chosen the
latter. For many years, Bagniewski worked as associate principal at Logan High School. He was
involved in young people’s lives when many issues leading to youth violence became entrenched. At
the elementary school level, he feels he has an opportunity to participate in prevention when it can
be most effective.
Hamilton has a high proportion of racial minorities, with 47 percent Hmong children, 10
percent African American, and 1 percent Native American. Many of the teachers see great need and
26
have the urge to nurture their students. This is one important component of youth violence prevention, but self-esteem is not taught by nurturing alone.
Hamilton has adopted a philosophy called “responsive classroom,” which teaches children
basic social graces and respectful behavior. The younger children start their day with a classroom
meeting in which they discuss issues and problems and how to deal with them. The issues these
kids are dealing with can seem quite shocking, from neglect to domestic violence to the observation
of open drug use. If a child is disrespectful, the whole class will discuss why this is and how to
change that behavior. This approach encourages self-esteem building and respect for others. Since
implementing this philosophy, Bagniewski has seen significantly fewer referrals to the office for
behavioral problems.
One of his biggest challenges is not seeing the long-term success first hand. By the time the
children are in third grade, only 30 percent are left out of the cohort that started kindergarten there
four years earlier. Seemingly removed from gang violence, early prevention efforts can have a significant, but immeasurable effect on behavior later in life.
The City of La Crosse has taken an active interest in renewal of the Hood-Powell-Hamilton
neighborhood, with the initiation of the Restore Everyone’s Neighborhood Effectively and Win
(RENEW) program. The RENEW program operates under the assumption that “a sense of ownership in a neighborhood is the key to vitality.”1 Various community stakeholders have become partners in this effort to improve social and environmental conditions. In collaboration with this program, the police department is making a concerted effort to alleviate drug and gang activity in the
targeted neighborhoods.
Another place-based police department initiative is the removal of all graffiti from the city.
A cursory driving tour of the city shows no evidence of graffiti. A few years ago, the department
convinced the Common Council to buy a soda blaster, recruited civilian volunteers for assistance,
and created a Graffiti Hotline, which community members could call to request that the vandalism
be removed. Similar to RENEW, this project was used to get community members to take pride
and get involved.
The Boys and Girls Club programs have provided an opportunity for kids to hang out in a
non-structured environment after spending the day in a classroom. The Hamilton site has the most
active, diverse participation of high-risk kids of any program in the city. Its success has prompted
the opening of a nearby site to serve the high-school-age students in a separate facility.
Ryan Scheel theorizes that it takes a little a time to make a dent, but he has seen a difference in some of the kids who come to his site. Several high school dropouts and gang members
come there every day to hang out and play basketball. Recently, he and a few other staff members
have been seriously threatened by some troubled youth. Behavioral problems and disrespect for
authority figures are common experiences at their site. Scheel hopes that these kids, like others, will
eventually be helped by the passive therapy of the Boys and Girls Club.
HMAA continues to work diligently to curb delinquency among Hmong youth and
improve their chances for success in life. HMAA’s youth programs have received federal and state
recognition for providing cost-effective and culturally sensitive services to at risk youth.2 Perhaps
the best recognized of these programs is Southeast Asian Leadership (SEAL). The La Crosse chapter
of this program has repeatedly been asked to facilitate workshops on youth programs for the
National Network for Youth in Washington, D.C., most recently in February 2001. SEAL was
1 Joan Kent. “Neighborhood Renewal Effort Urges ‘Ownership’.” La Crosse Tribune, November 22, 2000.
27
established in 1988 to provide high school students with training in independent life skills and job
readiness; gang prevention and intervention; avoiding truancy; tutoring to improve grades; cultural
education; learning how to cope with racism, prejudice, and/or discrimination; and leadership
development.3
HMAA has also created a similar program called Success Through Youth Leadership and
Empowerment (STYLE) for middle school Hmong youth. Other prominent youth programs
offered by HMAA are the Multicultural Youth Council (MYC), aimed at ameliorating racial tension in the community; Caring and Accepting Relationships of Empowerment (CARE), which
focuses on sexual assault prevention for high school students; and Promoting Respect and
Individual Development Early (PRIDE), an early intervention program implemented in conjunction with the La Crosse School District.
In addition to youth programs, HMAA has taken steps to provide training to parents of atrisk youth. One such program is Respect Empowerment Support Prevention and Education
Combined Together (RESPECT), which serves parents of youth in grades 6 through 12. RESPECT
is designed to provide Hmong parents with the skills necessary to communicate openly and effectively with their children. It also is designed to help them maintain control and create a support
system for their entire family unit.4
HMAA also offers periodic twelve-week training courses for parents called Western Lifestyle
Adaptation. These courses serve to educate parents about issues such as child and adolescent development, communication, family law and the juvenile code, child abuse, and discipline.
Modeled after the SEAL program, the Another Way Gang Intervention program was initially created as an intervention strategy. Headed by Officer Karen Morken, this program targets at-risk
youth. Morken provides an important reminder: “There are a lot of kids making bad decisions, but
they are not bad kids.” Once a week students meet at the Community Policing Center to focus on
alternatives to delinquent behavior. Graduation statistics show that the program has had an incredible impact on gang activity. Sixty-five young people have graduated from the program since
September 1996, and 80 percent have stayed away from gang involvement. Eighty-five percent have
not been arrested for criminal activity of any sort. Forty-two percent of the graduates have been
white, with the remaining 58 percent representing minority groups.
The position held by La Crosse community members on gang activity is that even though it
seems to be less prevalent, they cannot be complacent. The focus of the Another Way program, as
well as GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) and others, has shifted to preventive and
family-based measures. There is no shortage of programs targeted at gangs, at-risk youth, drug abuse,
and cultural issues. These programs are primarily designed to intervene in and suppress gang activity.
Programs like GREAT and DARE focus on education. These collaborative efforts between
the school and community police have been met with mixed reviews. La Crosse has been named
the Midwest Region’s Regional Training Administrator for the GREAT program. Lieutenant Raj
Ramnarace and Chief Edward N. Kondracki are spearheading this effort. The program has three main
components: education, individual intervention, and family support. Ramnarace has been focusing
his efforts recently on a pilot program for concerned families. The idea is to communicate with
families about their concerns and help them deal more effectively with delinquent young people.
In the early 1990s Logan High School began employing a police liaison officer full time. In
1994 Central High School followed suit. According to Chief Kondracki, this has had a significant
2 HMAA, Inc., Programs and Services document, January 2001.
3 Ibid.
4 HMAA, Inc., RESPECT program document.
positive impact on the relationship between teenagers and police officers. Daily contact allows for
close monitoring of students and developing a trusting relationship between the officers and young
people. At Logan, Officer Jeff Graves is viewed as a father figure, especially for the boys living in
the two local group homes.
Part of Graves’s intervention strategy is to view the high school as a family and care about
the students as such. He prints out the class schedules of problem students and carries it with him
at all times. His “dog list” allows him to intervene with students when they are not in class but still
on campus. Logan is home to a school-within-a-school program. Around 25 students in each grade
level participate in this program. Providing an alternative and relaxed learning environment, the
program allows these kids to stay together as a class all day and receive individualized attention.
Associate Principal Doug La Clair oversees a federal Juvenile Justice Action Block Grant in
La Crosse. The program funded by the grant brings together human services people, municipal
leaders, and law enforcement. His philosophy includes being honest with the community and
young people about the situation and continuing to find creative ways to intervene.
La Clair is also a part of a program called SHOCAP (Serious Habitual Offender
Comprehensive Action Program), which involves all levels of law enforcement within the county, as
well as school and municipal authorities. They meet once a month to share information about serious habitual juvenile offenders. Identified individuals are placed on a zero tolerance list and receive
harsher penalties if caught committing crimes. This effort eliminates duplication of effort and better tracks troubled youth. It helps differentiate possible gang-related crimes from isolated incidents.
Several other collaborative programs have emerged in La Crosse. The Safe and Sound program is a partnership between the Boys and Girls Club and the police department. Another Way
has also recently formed a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club to refer gang members to the
program. The police department has established a twenty-four hour access number, or “warm line”
so community members can call at any hour for information about available community services.
More than 80 programs are currently in the database. A Web site with similar information is being
developed.
Some organizations, like the Council on Racial and Ethnic Justice, are attempting to bring
together community leaders and groups for an open exchange of ideas. A recent study by the
United Way, which culminated in the Compass 2.0 program, is also focusing on this growing area
of need. The idea was to bring together community resources to navigate solutions and to identify
problems. The problems identified fall into four general categories: financial, substance abuse,
youth and/or families at risk, and diversity issues. In its primary stages, this effort has been received
positively. As one La Crosse journalist explained, “The volunteers, dubbed ‘strategy champions,’…
include leaders from a variety of local community organizations and businesses.”5
Outcomes
Both Hmong youth and adult groups feel that the current programs for youth offered
through HMAA have been effective in curbing delinquent behavior. A key issue that still needs to
be worked on, according to the adults, is more emphasis on training adults to deal better with and
communicate with their children. Some of the adults expressed frustration that most federal funding for prevention and intervention programs is directed only at programs that work directly with
youth. Funding for programs to educate and train parents, however, is hard to come by. HMAA
5 Gayda Hollnagel, “Compass 2.0 ‘champions’ step forward.” January 23, 2001.
29
does offer periodic workshops and the RESPECT program for parents, which the adults say have
been very effective. But they want to see more.
At an Another Way meeting in March, the focus was on a recent school shooting that took
place in southern California. The students went around the table and discussed their feelings about
the shooting and the causes of it. They all agreed that something similar could happen in La Crosse,
and there is no way to ensure that students would contact the authorities if they suspected something. They indicated that guns are readily available on short notice, which is a serious concern.
The students also discussed their perception of gang activity in La Crosse. They felt that it
is not a big problem, in large part because of the police suppression efforts. There is such a high
risk of getting caught and receiving a harsh penalty that students hesitate to participate openly in
such activity. Many of the independent gang members fear apprehension. They agree that the corporate gang members tend to be less obvious and are more organized than in the past. As mentioned in the introduction, drug sales have increased in importance to these groups. The students
do not fear the gangs themselves, but they know that if they behave in certain ways or “claim”
something there may be reprisals. “Claiming” means flashing signs or somehow outwardly associating oneself with a gang, which is especially problematic when one is not a part of a given gang.
Karen Morken reported that the youth in her program say, “It’s all about money” these
days. The fighting between gangs has shifted toward “name-throwing” and racial tension. Tom Barth,
principal of Central High School, said that a lot of fistfights on campus are mostly the “‘you-said,
he-said’ stuff.” In addition to the graffiti removal efforts, a reason that gang activity has not been as
visible in recent years, she said, is that the active gangs have shifted toward a money-making focus.
One Boys and Girls Club employee who is a sophomore at Logan High School says that
there is definitely a gang presence at her school. At times, the gang members (Hmong males in particular) are intimidating, and they “like to flaunt their gang membership, like it is cool or something.” However, she also feels that gang problems are not as prevalent as they were five years ago.
Before she started attending the high school she heard there were a lot of kids involved, but that is
not the case anymore, she said.
Since Morken started the Another Way program in 1995, she has seen a change in the
youths’ attitude toward gangs. Uninvolved kids think that gang involvement is stupid; the kids are
no longer afraid to say that gangs are not cool. Interviews with Hmong youth and Boys and Girls
Club staff indicated a similar attitude. The fad is passing, they feel. Karen’s experience with active
gang member intervention has shown that those kids who are gang affiliated are not as committed
as they used to be. Their lives don’t revolve around their gang membership anymore, she said. The
number of youth who are heavily involved has decreased, and they have learned to be more discreet
about their activities.
Law enforcement officials have taken a tough stance on gang activity in the city. A 1996
change to the La Crosse County criminal code created a gang enhancement provision. The provision gives the District Attorney more leverage to increase the sentence for a gang-related conviction.
Both Officer Graves and Principal La Clair have seen a significant decrease in openly gang-related
activity at Logan High School over the last five years. The men agree that although obvious gang
activity has decreased, complacency is not an option.
Could there be evidence of an exodus effect here? Suppression efforts may have chased
gangs out of the city into outlying areas, transplanting the problem to other municipalities. One
30
position taken by Mayor Medinger is that drug peddlers and other troublesome people are not
wanted in the city and can leave, “the sooner the better.” 6 Supporting this theory is the fact that
other municipalities in the region, such as Holmen, have seen graffiti and other suspected gang
activity recently. In reaction to these indicators, these communities have stepped up their gang-targeted efforts to include school awareness and educational programs, as well as their own gang
enhancement provisions.
Conclusion
Several causes have emerged as being contributors to violent actions among La Crosse’s
youth. The community, schools, and police have implemented several programs that address youth
issues. The next step will be to identify the gaps in the programs and to assess whether they are producing the intended results. The community sees the gang problem as drug abuse and trafficking,
which need to be addressed. As the Rohypnol example suggests, young people are looking to new
and creative ways to achieve confidence, escape unhappy home situations, and to fit in with peers.
Observers argue that because of strong community efforts, La Crosse has seen a decrease in gangrelated crime over the last six years. In order to follow up on this success, the community must continue an honest and open dialogue.
Some proactive suggestions from the community include:
· Mentoring Program
Karen Morken of Another Way suggests a mentoring program for at-risk youth, especially those who have gone through the justice system. In particular, male role models
are needed. Morken thought it would be beneficial if a program like this could place
Hmong kids with Hmong mentors of the same sex. This concept could be followed
with other minorities and Caucasian young people as well.
· Hmong Adult Programs
Many Hmong people in the community agree that more programs targeted at the challenging issues Hmong adults face raising their children in the United States are needed.
In particular, the Hmong adults need disciplinary tools and English literacy programs.
Some adults are illiterate in their native language as well, posing a serious challenge to
the coordination of such an effort. Also, many Hmong adults work odd hours, limiting
their availability for meetings and workshops. Offering programs at innovative times
may elicit more involvement.
· African American Organizations
Mayor Medinger pointed out the lack of organizations for African American people in
the community. Charlie Moore at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital and Clinics started an
organization for African American men, but efforts like this one need further support
and involvement. An organization targeting the unique needs of African American
youth in the city could provide a stronger sense of community and feed into the mentoring program mentioned above.
· Late Night Activities
Currently, young people must leave the Boys and Girls Club at 7 p.m. on weeknights.
Most criminal activity, including drug dealing, takes place later in the evening. Ryan
6 Joan Kent. “Neighborhood Renewal Effort Urges ‘Ownership’.” La Crosse Tribune, November 22, 2000.
31
Scheel expressed his concern about this time period, suggesting the need for a recreation
facility with evening hours. As this case study demonstrates, boredom is one of the primary causes of youth violence. Weeknight activities after 7 p.m. may alleviate some of
this boredom at a very crucial time of day.
32
Sun Prairie:
A Bedroom Community Awakening
To Big City Challenges
Erin Hanson, Sarah Popp, Terry Tuschen
“We are becoming less of a ‘bedroom community’ and are becoming a more diverse community
that unfortunately keeps its old prejudices and denials.”
—Sun Prairie City Council member
O
ne of Sun Prairie’s selling points in the past has been a location that offers the best in
small-town living along with the advantages and resources of being minutes from a
much larger city. Increased low-income populations, however, along with urban sprawl and other
problems previously considered to be “Madison problems,” have eroded the physical and mental
barrier from Madison that Sun Prairie residents desired. Though just a decade ago the issues would
have been considered the bigger city’s problems, youth violence and gangs are now topics in Sun
Prairie that are being confronted, and continue to need to be addressed.
Community Profile
Sun Prairie was so named by settlers expanding east of Madison in 1837 and has been a
growing community ever since. The population has experienced steady growth—from 626 residents
in 1870 to more than 20,000 people in 2001. In the 1990s Sun Prairie grew by 32.7 percent. Of
the city’s current population, 94.2 percent are non-Hispanic whites, 3 percent are African
American, 1 percent are Asian, and 2 percent are multiracial. In 1990, 103 Sun Prairie residents
were African Americans; the 2000 census showed 631.
The city boasts of a high-quality educational system, with over 5,000 students attending the
senior high, two middle schools, five elementary schools, and three parochial schools. Between 300
and 600 people are employed at each of Sun Prairie’s six largest employers—General Casualty
Insurance, the Sun Prairie School District, GTE, Famous Footwear, Royle Communications Group,
and Goodyear. Major highways, including Interstate 90/94 and U.S. Highway 151, provide quick
and easy access to Madison and a link to Milwaukee or Chicago.
While thriving on its own in many ways, Sun Prairie has been described as a bedroom community of Madison. Sun Prairie does not have its own hospitals or major shopping centers, and the
youth of the city complain of boredom and lack of activities. Many visits are made to Madison by
the smaller city’s residents, and many former Madison residents migrate, by choice or as a result of
Madison’s “Blue Blanket” (periodic crackdown on drug operations), to nearby communities such as
Sun Prairie.
The Bedroom Community That Does Not Sleep
Although the youth of Sun Prairie complain of boredom, in reality, life is not as tranquil as
the city’s Web site would like viewers to believe. Any city, especially one having close access to
major highways and a larger city, is expected to have its share of crime. However, violent incidents
committed by youths and tied to gang activity may be indicative of a more deep-seated problem.
33
Adjustment Period
Dane County is one of Wisconsin’s fastest growing counties, and the challenges to community leaders and residents alike have been significant. Population growth has contributed to the
increases in juvenile crime, homelessness, and poverty. These problems have forced community
leaders to reevaluate existing policies and consider new ways to maintain the health of the community.
Sun Prairie is not immune from the problems of Dane County. City residents and community leaders describe a period of adjustment and growing pains that remain difficult to adjust to to
this day. They explain that Sun Prairie used to be considered—and considered itself—a middle- to
upper-middle class, white, suburban, bedroom community. When that began to change, when the
“newcomers” began to arrive, socioeconomic and race-based issues began to surface. Whenever
affordable housing is mentioned, for example, a “not in my backyard” mentality surfaces. Sun
Prairie’s upper middle-class characterization no longer held true, and change was met with resistance.
Since the mid-1990s, some Sun Prairie families have chosen to leave the community
because of concerns regarding anti-Semitism. Infrequent incidents have also occurred ending in
charges of police racism. There are close working relationships between the faith community,
schools, police, human service departments, and local businesses. Sun Prairie is the only Dane
County community besides Madison that sponsors an event honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Although racist incidents have occurred, they appear to be isolated and results of individual ignorance rather than institutionalized racism.
The mid-1990s was a time of crisis in certain Sun Prairie neighborhoods. Community redevelopment efforts in low-income housing complexes in Madison, Blue Blanket actions by Madison
police, and other anti-crime programs resulted in the closing down of those complexes, leaving residents homeless. Many other residents were placed in Sun Prairie by Dane County Human Services
and issued rental subsidies. One apartment complex, Eastgate Downs, is still a primary source of
low-income housing in the city. It is located adjacent to U.S. Highway 151, providing easy access
to and from Interstate Highways 90/94 and direct access to Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago.
According to Sun Prairie officials, Sun Prairie also faced problems when Wisconsin’s welfare
reform program, Wisconsin Works (W-2), went into effect, and many children suffered when a parent would not or could not find employment. Numerous evictions resulted in students having to
leave clothing and other belongings at school. The migration of low-income residents into Sun
Prairie forced the community to tackle socioeconomic disparities, an issue they had never had to
address before.
Violent Incidents and Gang Activity
Sun Prairie has had a number of violent incidents in the past decade that would once have
been considered big city problems. The community began addressing the gang issue in a November
1992 seminar on gang-related activities conducted by Dane County and Sun Prairie officials. Sun
Prairie Police Chief Frank Sleeter informed a group of concerned parents that gang-related graffiti
began to appear in Sun Prairie in the fall of 1991. By the spring of 1992, the amount of graffiti had
doubled. Chief Sleeter concluded by saying that “for now, it is safe to walk the streets of Sun
Prairie.” Ironically, only one month after the seminar, a 13-year-old middle school youth was
34
robbed at gunpoint for his Georgetown athletic jacket (Georgetown apparel is often associated with
the Black Gangsters). A gun was pulled, cocked, and pointed at the youth. Police apprehended two
juveniles for the crime. A third was questioned and released. All three were Sun Prairie residents.
Sometime in the mid-1990s, white Sun Prairie police officers stopped a black male for a
traffic violation in the Vanderburg Heights neighborhood, a community known for being lowincome and “rough on the edges.” The police were soon faced with dozens of upset residents, and
called for backup. When the residents swarmed the area the police retreated to the station with
their subject, but were followed by the residents, who rioted, yelled, and pounded on the building.
Eventually, the situation was diffused.
In 1997 a murder occurred in the nearby community of Marshall, and one of the convicted
youths had a parent who resided in Sun Prairie. Another Sun Prairie youth was suspended for
bringing a gun to Sun Prairie High School. A year or two later, he was convicted of armed robbery
for holding up the Sun Prairie Burger King. While on probation for that offense, in January 2000,
the person committed another armed robbery of a restaurant on the opposite side of Madison.
When first apprehended, the man told police that he and his accomplice were on their way back to
their homes in Sun Prairie.
Do the above violent incidents and other crimes in Sun Prairie reflect a problem with gangs,
or are they just a few isolated incidents? In the jacket armed robbery, two of the three youths
claimed to be members of an alliance of gangs called the Folks, operating out of Madison and
throughout the country. It is not known whether the riot incident was gang-related. Although
detectives report that the murder was drug-related, and not gang-related, the Sun Prairie youth convicted of homicide had gang ties with the Imperial Gangsters, also associated with the Folks. His
stepfather reported the youth had gone to Chicago to be initiated by being “beaten” into the gang.
The youth admitted to being involved with the Latin Kings and Crips in other parts of the country.
He also told police about getting into fights with Vice Lords while in Sun Prairie. He had gang tattoos and admitted to having a street (gang) name.
Tommy Thompson, a youth worker in the low-income neighborhood of Eastgate Downs,
confirms that there is a gang presence in Sun Prairie. In his opinion, however, the gang members
active in the city tend to be older and have higher ranking in the gangs, and thus do not want to
draw the attention of local law enforcement. He has seen cars with signs or characteristics of gang
affiliation, such as cars that lean to the left or to the right depending on the owner’s gang alignment. In Sun Prairie, he notes the visible lack of very young children actively involved in gangs as
lookouts and drug runners.
The middle-school kids interviewed at the Sun Prairie Youth Center know many aspects of
the Gangster Disciples (GD) gang, but none would claim any gang ties. When one youth discussed
how his cousins in another state were in a gang, he mentioned he thought it would be cool. Other
youths criticized him and told him it would be stupid for him to join a gang. Yet, many were familiar with—and openly mimicked—GD hand signs, and at least one youth was overheard using gang
slang. Some youths also mentioned a possible group of Satan’s Disciples emerging in the schools.
They described members as wearing clothing typical of the Gothic culture, including black attire
and black painted fingernails.
Emily Comstock, principal at Sun Prairie High School, reports that there has been gang
activity in the high school (GD being the most prominent), but that the prevalence of gang activity
35
and signs of affiliation have decreased in the last two or three years. During the past few months,
however, reports of youth involvement in cult-like and Wiccan activities have surfaced in the
schools. The depth of the involvement has yet to be determined.
Since August 2000 four Sun Prairie youths have died in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. Besides alcohol, drug use among youth has also become an increasing concern. The middleschool students we interviewed admitted to the recreational use of drugs such as ecstasy and heroin.
The alcohol-related deaths and the increased drug use have shaken the community and shifted
focus to AODA matters. City officials have contemplated implementing a “safe-ride” program to
give youth an alternative to driving under the influence.
In March 2001 a bomb threat was called in to Sun Prairie High School. This resulted in
closing school for the day as police and bomb squad officials worked. Although it appeared to be an
empty threat, the possibility of real violence has crossed the minds of school employees. Before the
bomb threat, one social worker mentioned his concern that Sun Prairie was not immune to violence such as the deadly school shootings in Colorado and California.
The recent onslaught of big city problems such as robberies, murder, drug and alcohol
abuse, and school violence has led Sun Prairie to develop policies that address these serious issues.
Community Resources and Responses
Institutions ranging from the police department to the schools to nonprofit agencies and
others are involved in addressing the issues that face Sun Prairie youth—and the entire community.
Police
The Sun Prairie Police Department (SPPD) defines itself as a community- and neighborhood-driven agency that favors community policing programs. Their stated goal is to “protect and
maintain the community’s quality of life.” To that end, the SPPD is well staffed and seems to work
closely with the community. They boast a 1.5 per 1000 police-to-resident ratio. Typically, communities have a 1 per 1000 police-to-resident ratio. This high ratio allows the department to be more
involved in enforcement and community-oriented policing.
The SPPD appears to be quite aggressive with juvenile enforcement. According to the
Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance, in 1998 juvenile arrests in Sun Prairie as a percentage of the
juvenile population was 28.8 percent. This is in sharp contrast to 1989 statistics that showed an
arrest rate of 7 percent. By comparison, juvenile arrest rates in other communities are as follows:
·
Dane County as a whole-11%
·
Madison-10%
·
McFarland-19%
·
Stoughton-17%
·
Verona-19%
The aggressive nature of the SPPD was confirmed by youth who stated they were frustrated
with the amount of police “harassment” in the city.
Community Policing Programs
SPPD has a number of community policing programs in place. The Citizens Academy
offers interested adult citizens the opportunity to learn more about the community and services
36
offered by the SPPD. Participants learn about arrest procedures, sexual assault investigations, drunk
driving, drug investigations, crime prevention efforts, and the Emergency Medical Service.
The DARE program focuses on providing education to grade-school children on the negative effects of drug use on their personal lives, their family, and their future. Positive alternatives to
drug use are emphasized. There is, however, no specific individual program targeted at gang resistance efforts.
Graffiti has been and remains a problem, though less so of late. Since the fall of 1999, the
police department has maintained a logbook with photos and reports of graffiti. At least some of
the graffiti appeared to be gang-related. While no specific ordinance is in place, the city is very
aggressive in requiring that graffiti be removed as soon as it appears. There is no cost-deferment
program in place to assist residents or businesses victimized by graffiti.
Police School Liaison Officer
The police school liaison officer (PSLO) spends most of her time at the high school. She
wears civilian clothing but drives a marked squad car. She feels that her job is to make students and
educators feel safe by maintaining a police presence in the schools. It is apparent that she works
closely with school staff and plays an active role in policy implementation. She is well liked by staff
and appears to be well received by the students.
The police department recently received a $500,000 federal grant, which will cover the hiring of four new police liaison officers for the elementary schools.
Schools
Staff and students in all of the Sun Prairie public schools are involved in one way or another
with efforts to address youth drug and alcohol abuse and youth violence and crime.
High School
Sun Prairie High School has a zero tolerance gang and violence policy that is actively
enforced by the high school principal and staff and the police school liaison officer. Hats and bandanas are prohibited altogether, as are rolled-up pant legs, or any other possible indication of gang
affiliation. At the beginning of each school year, the policy is even more aggressively enforced as
new students arrive in the school district. As part of new student orientation, staff look for any
indication of gang affiliation or involvement. The staff have gone as far as asking students with possible gang affiliation to fill out paperwork using a pen of an opposing gang’s colors to determine
whether there is any aversion to using that color. In at least one instance, this test has successfully
identified a student with gang affiliation.
Members of the high school staff concur that the biggest problem facing youth is drug and
alcohol abuse. This problem appears to be widespread, affecting all socioeconomic classes. Staff
have virtually unlimited authority to search both lockers and students for drugs and weapons.
Locker searches have been conducted numerous times, with dogs at least once, but the searches
have produced few results. The authority to search, however, is well known to the students. Thus, it
is likely that they would eliminate the risk of detection by storing drugs in other places. Using
canines to sweep cars in the student parking lot is being considered.
Dan Richter, the high school social worker, reports that there has been gang activity, mostly
in the form of independent, ad-hoc gangs (He referred to them as “wannabes”). He notes that there
37
has been a period of disillusionment with gangs and that gang culture does not appear to be as
“cool” to the youth anymore. According to Dan, there has been a decrease in gang-type lingo and
actions in the general student population.
In an effort to make students feel safer, the high school social worker established a voluntary
student/teacher mentoring program for any interested student. This program allows students to
select a teacher they feel comfortable with, and the student/teacher team remains intact for the
duration of the student’s high school career. By all accounts, the program has been very successful—so much so that the social worker has started facilitating the program at the middle and elementary school level.
Middle Schools
Students as young as middle-school age have knowledge of drug and alcohol activity and
abuse. One student reported witnessing heroin use. Another noted some previous problems with
sexual harassment at the middle school. Some females mentioned that they would not feel safe
walking alone in some areas of town. Sexual harassment, as described by the middle-schoolers,
appears to be limited to verbal comments and inappropriate touching by their classmates.
The underlying and foremost issue in their minds, however, is their boredom. As one student described, there are no malls in Sun Prairie, and “all we have is Goodwill to shop at.” Most
students go to Madison on the weekends for shopping, movies, and other forms of recreation.
Students complained about the overbearing police force. Youth are stopped by the police anytime
they are not on school grounds during school hours. One student explained that she was stopped
by police while walking to a doctor’s appointment and was then given a ride by the officer.
Elementary Schools
Sun Prairie has five elementary schools. Westside Elementary, however, is seemingly at
ground zero in the battle against problems that tend to follow poverty. Shirley Welch has been the
principal at Westside since 1989 and reports that minority population there is at or near 25 percent
compared with 5.8 percent overall in the school district. In 1990, 8 percent of students were considered low-income. In 2001, the proportion is 40 percent.
The increase in the percentage of low-income students has been gradual, not instantaneous,
allowing staff to adjust slowly. The staff is proactive in identifying deficiencies that need to be
addressed so they can provide each student with the best opportunity to learn and grow. Staff also
attempt to give necessary assistance to families. The school works closely with human service officials in the Eastgate Downs area, along with police and local businesses.
Staff Efforts
The most recent Surgeon General’s Report on Youth Violence (see
www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence) stated that the most effective youth violence prevention programs address both individual risks and environmental conditions. These programs
emphasize building individual skills, parent effectiveness training, improving the social climate of
the school, and changing the type and level of involvement of peer groups.
At Westside Elementary, many low-income students begin kindergarten with a significant
reading deficiency. The reading experience is normally acquired by a parent reading to his or her
kids, and the average child from middle-income families will arrive at kindergarten with 1,500
38
hours of reading experience. By comparison, low-income children most often arrive with a significant deficiency in exposure to reading.
School staff are forced to address the huge difference in baseline reading levels and are
working to identify children who may need assistance before they enter kindergarten. At a community potluck dinner, parents with preschool-aged children were given gift bags with books and plastic letters. The primary goals are to promote children’s interest in reading and to encourage parents
to read to their kids. The hope is that children will be better prepared to begin school.
By encouraging reading, educators hope to equalize the abilities of the middle- and lowincome students. Enough problems can develop when students of varying economic status sit next
to each other. When the economic gap is reinforced by differing levels of school proficiency, however, feelings of anger and frustration surface. Smaller class sizes and extra teacher attention may help
the “have-nots” feel a part of the group, which in turn may minimize any anger-driven incidents.
The Westside principal noted that school-sponsored extracurricular activities were attended
mainly by white students and did not accurately represent the school’s diversity. To get other kids
involved in the orchestra program, for example, she solicited donated instruments for students
whose families would not be able afford to rent the instruments. She also continues to make space
and time available at school for children who are unable to practice at home.
Principal Welch and other staff identify community building and family strength as key
goals to helping kids succeed in school. They recently held their first Westside Community multicultural potluck dinner in the school cafeteria. It was a joint effort with Joining Forces for Families,
local businesses, and the Westside Elementary School.
Interagency Cooperation
A number of organizations work cooperatively—with the schools, police, social services,
and each other to address problems of youth.
Joining Forces for Families
Joining Forces for Families (JFF) established itself in Sun Prairie in 1992. JFF is a collaborative program between the Dane County Human Services Department, local and county law
enforcement agencies, school districts, local and county public health departments, United Way,
and neighborhood groups and residents. In various capacities, these groups are working together to
ensure the success of children, youth, and families in school, home, and the community.
JFF strives to deliver community-based services so they are accessible, integrated, and consumer-focused. Concentrating primarily on the Eastgate Downs neighborhood, JFF works with
residents on problem-solving, community building, public health, mentoring, and mediation. It
helps set up parenting classes and support groups. It works to address local needs, provide early
intervention, and help prevent problems. Residents are encouraged to develop and maintain healthy
neighborhoods and communities by building on the strengths and capacities of residents, neighborhoods, and communities.
JFF staff member Tommy Thompson can relate to the problems facing the residents of
Eastgate Downs. As a former gang member and recovering alcohol and drug user who spent time in
prison, Thompson focuses his work on prevention. Thompson has implemented a weekly boys
group to give the young men an opportunity to talk and learn about responsibility and good deci-
39
sion-making. He strives to counter the influence of gangs by giving the young men a sense of community, friendship, and family.
Dane County Public Health Nurse
The public health nurse assigned to Sun Prairie states that the primary public health issue
currently is sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Sun Prairie’s rate of chlamydia is nearly
three times the rate of Dane County as a whole. The rate of HIV infection in Sun Prairie is also
alarming to public health officials because it is comparable to the rate of the much larger Madison.
Public health officials are investigating whether a sex party phenomenon occurring among the
youth of other Dane County communities may also be happening in Sun Prairie. These sex parties
involve coercing girls into sexual relations with multiple partners at a party, now termed “tossed
salad” by youth. Although it isn’t clear whether these “tossed salad” parties are gang-related, this
practice is a common gang initiation for female members.
In response to the alarming increase of sexually transmitted infections, JFF has begun a girls
group focusing on choice-making. This group hopes to aid female youth in making smart sexual
and reproductive decisions.
Youth Center
The Sun Prairie Youth Center is a cooperative arrangement between the school district and
the city. The YMCA is contracted with to run the program. The purpose of the program is to give
middle-school age kids a safe place to go, with things to do, during the key after-school hours.
Larry Olness, a Sun Prairie city council member and member of the United Way of Dane County’s
First Call for Help program, helped get the Youth Center up and running. Dan Moritz, a youth
minister from Sun Prairie, operates the youth center with the assistance of high-school students.
The group of kids at the youth center is racially diverse, extremely talkative, and appears to
get along very well. Some come from families with Sun Prairie roots, while others have moved from
larger cities because their parents wanted to get away from the troubles common in those cities.
The youth center has been in operation for about three years, which coincides with reported decline in gang and youth violence activity. So far, it has succeeded where other previous
attempts at starting a youth center have failed. The police department admits to having little contact with the youth center. This may be a positive indication that the center experiences little trouble or need for police presence. The youth center offers a comfortable setting and is stocked with
games, a television, VCR, a number of computers, and access to a basketball court.
Peer Court
In 2000 Sun Prairie started a peer court. If a youth pleads guilty to a minor charge or citation, the youth can opt to appear before a group of peers for disposition of the case. For example, if
a youth pleads guilty to an underage drinking ticket, the youth may be asked to tour a detoxification center or be required to complete community service by picking up trash in a field littered
with beer bottles. If the youth completes the task, the peer court can waive the penalties. It is similar to a first offenders program but with much more flexibility and creativity.
Future Community Needs
Sun Prairie, like many other growing communities, has been forced to address “big city”
problems. Although Sun Prairie has made significant strides, leaders and residents must continue
40
their proactive approach as future expansion brings new problems and larger issues.
When the community met in 1992 to address the growing gang threat, the importance of
community-wide gang prevention and intervention was stressed. The Sun Prairie community took
the serious threat of gang proliferation to heart and actively worked to prevent gang and youth violence in the community. Through the efforts of the police department and interagency work, suppression and prevention efforts appear to be well under way. Suppression efforts by law enforcement and schools appear to have made a noticeable impact. This is evident also through discussions
with youth, who mentioned the heavy fist they feel upon them.
Those interviewed offered a variety of thoughts for the future. Finding ways to increase
safety in schools and creating school crisis teams were two suggestions for ensuring that gangs and
youth violence do not take hold in the educational system. The police mentioned that a distinct
advantage they have is community support. The community as a whole is strong and concerned
about the direction that Sun Prairie is headed. Thus, the police are able to take a proactive role in
the future of the community. Some stated that a great way to ensure safety in the schools would be
to expand the use of police liaison officers. As mentioned previously, Sun Prairie has since been the
recipient of a federal grant that will allow them to add four officers in the elementary schools.
One concern is the lack of coordinated intervention programs designed to assist those who
are already in gangs or who have demonstrated violent tendencies, yet haven’t gone so far as to warrant incarceration. It appears that Sun Prairie does not address the issue of teens who may want
out of gangs or who want to change the direction of their lives in some manner, but don’t know
how where to turn. It is critical that the community consider the youth who “fall through the
cracks,” and attempt to address their issues more specifically. These children must have resources
available to them in order to get them out of the potential cycle of gangs and violence.
Although in place for only three months, the peer court may prove to be a successful diversion program that allows youth to be active in the process. The involvement of youth is critical to
the success of Sun Prairie. Although it will take time to analyze the success of the program, so far it
appears to fill a needed gap in the community. If the peer court is successful, then more programs
allowing youth to be in decision-making roles should be considered.
Continued efforts in community building, especially in the racially diverse, low-income
neighborhoods should pay dividends as the grade school population gets older and approaches the
more volatile teen years. This is consistent with the Surgeon General’s report, which cited early
childhood programs that target at-risk children and families as being critical for preventing the
onset of chronically violent careers. The community may wish to consider creating a formal gang
resistance program, either in conjunction with the existing DARE program or as a stand-alone. A
low-budget option would be to utilize high schoolers in the middle schools as mentors on these
tough issues. High school students could be given the option to “teach” in the middle schools about
gangs and youth violence, either as a part of a classroom experience or as a result of an adjudication
in peer court. This would allow the middle-school youth to relate to their older counterparts, and
not be “preached” at by teachers. The teacher/youth mentoring program is a step in the right direction. Expansion to youth-to-youth mentoring, however, may be even more successful since youth
are typically more open and responsive to those closest to their age. Although the teacher/youth
program fills a significant gap, its expansion may also better the community.
The youth center appears to be a successful model, and the city should consider making
more parents aware of it. With increased youth attendance at the center, the city could work to
41
secure additional funding to expand the center’s reach. One proposal includes making a center
available to high school youth as well as to middle school youth. The center provides a safe consistent place for young teens to go after school where they can socialize with their peers and develop
friendships in a safe environment away from the streets and other unsupervised locations. The teens
seem content to be there, and do not feel that they are forced to stay. Dan Moritz, who runs the
program, should be commended for his ability to work with the youth and to be flexible when
appropriate. He is a tremendous resource for youth, who appear to truly enjoy his leadership. The
city council should also be applauded for allocating money to a program that had more questions
than answers, but which has shown to be a significant resource for the youth in the community.
Sun Prairie has made a distinct effort to stay ahead of youth violence and gang problems.
The community is working to ensure that its children are achievers. However, the issues facing Sun
Prairie will not disappear, and thus, the entire community will need to continue fighting for each
success.
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Getting Ahead of the Problem:
The Sheboygan Response to Youth Violence
Hilary Murrish and Melissa Ducat*
“We are so far behind that we are ahead.”
—Sheboygan community leader
T
his quotation illustrates how one community member depicts Sheboygan. Sheboygan is
a close-knit, conservative community well known for its plethora of bratwurst and beer.
Located in east central Wisconsin along the shore of Lake Michigan, the city is home to more than
50,000 residents. The population is especially diverse compared to similarly sized cities around the
state, and it is becoming increasingly more diverse. Of the more than 50,000 residents, minority
groups comprise an increasing proportion. In particular, the Hmong, Hispanic, and African
American populations are rapidly increasing.
In 1997 Reader’s Digest selected Sheboygan as the best place in the nation to raise a family.
This was based on its affordable cost of living, extracurricular school activities, the absence of
crime, good public schools, first-rate health care, and its strong economic growth. Ironically, the
survey itself and the county’s low rate of unemployment may have contributed to recent problems
in the community by encouraging people to move into the area. The influx of people may have
resulted in an increase in violence and drug problems. Also, some 17-20-year-olds moving into the
community may contribute to the drug and youth violence problems because these newcomers
have few or no family connections in the area.
Diversity in Sheboygan
Currently, more than 6,000 Hmong reside in Sheboygan. Many Hmong families immigrated to Sheboygan during the late 1970s and early 1980s, following the Vietnam War. The Hmong
were the first group to comprise a substantial minority in the area, only two decades ago. Since that
initial migration to Sheboygan, the Hmong population has continued to increase as a result of
migration from other states, such as California and Minnesota.
Hispanic families have lived in Sheboygan since the 1950s, but remained a very small percentage of the population until recently. The 2000 Census estimates that Hispanic people number
between 3,000 and 4,000 in Sheboygan. While individual families are growing, many others are
moving into the area because of job opportunities. In particular, some of the manufacturing corporations in Sheboygan are recruiting workers, primarily Hispanics, from as far away as Texas.
While still a small percentage of the population, African Americans are also increasingly
relocating to Sheboygan. The numbers of African American residents in Sheboygan has increased in
the past ten years though their precentage of the population has remained fairly steady. According
to the 2000 Census, African Americans make up 1.1 percent of the population of Sheboygan
County and 0.8 percent of the population under the age of 18. In 1990 African Americans made
up 0.4 percent of the total population and the same percentage of the population under age 18.
Since 1990, however, the black population has more than tripled—from 430 African Americans in
1990 to 1224 in 2000. No other racial group saw this rate of population growth.
These three minority groups all have different experiences in adjusting to Sheboygan, yet
they do share some common challenges. One example of these challenges is the experience of
*The authors would like to give a special thanks to Dan Maxwell for his contributions.
43
Hmong youth in the schools. It has been indicated that some Hmong students fight with
Caucasian students, but it is suspected that this is more likely related to discrimination than to
gang violence. Reports of discrimination against the Hmong in some of the schools are common,
with the primary complaints being that some of the teachers and students are not culturally sensitive and are even prejudiced against the Hmong. On the other hand, Hmong students may feel
more comfortable in school settings that are more diverse than the current school environment they
are in in Sheboygan. In a more diverse school, there may be increased tolerance of different races
because there are more people who are different. As the minority populations increase in
Sheboygan, this diversity should show up in the schools and may ease the tensions between racial
groups.
With few exceptions, the Hmong, Hispanic, and African American populations have all
quite recently moved to the city because of the strong economic growth in the manufacturing
industry. This growth has led to a low unemployment rate in the area. Work, particularly in the
manufacturing sector, pays well and is relatively easy to come by. The low unemployment rate coupled with the lower cost of living in Sheboygan has made it an attractive location for many of the
new residents, but struggles come along with changing demographics. In particular, these groups
have faced prejudice and racism. While it may be difficult to identify overt racism in the city, these
groups face the challenge of being accepted into a relatively homogeneous community.
The Rise of Gangs
Sheboygan’s location on a major Interstate highway between Milwaukee and Green Bay has
exposed the community to some of the most serious problems facing urban areas—youth violence,
gangs, and drugs. While Sheboygan may not experience violence and drug abuse at rates found in
urban centers, it has become clear that these two are no longer only “big city problems.” In fact, by
the mid-1990s gangs were clearly visible in Sheboygan, and violence was increasing. More recently,
community leaders (including police department officials, social service providers, and educators) as
well as youth themselves have said that drug abuse has emerged as the primary issue facing the
community.
Gang activity did not appear in Sheboygan until the late 1980s and early 1990s. Once
activity became noticeable, however, it escalated rapidly. By the mid-1990s, it was clear that gangs
had a foothold in Sheboygan, though many community leaders, as well as residents, did not
acknowledge the growing problem.
The Sheboygan Police Department responded to the increasing gang activity by creating a
Gang Suppression Unit. Originally developed as an intelligence-gathering unit, the mission of the
unit has shifted to suppressing gang activity. The officers found that the intelligence gathered
became outdated quickly because of the independent structure of local gangs and their activities.
Currently, the gang unit operates from early spring through early fall and handles all youth violence
investigations. The gang unit officers cooperate with other law enforcement bodies such as the
county district attorney’s office, probation and parole officers, and county health and human service
providers in an effort to eliminate gang activity. Specifically, the police department has worked with
probation and parole officers to set rules for those convicted of criminal gang activity, such as prohibiting cellular phones and pagers or associating with known gang members. The gang unit is a
mechanism created to ensure that youth involved in gang activity are dealt with swiftly and consistently throughout the community.
44
In response to this growing gang problem in the mid-1990s, others in the community also
got involved. The district attorney’s office implemented an informal policy of prosecuting all gang
activity to the fullest extent allowable by law. Similarly, they prosecuted all offenses by gang affiliates whether or not the offenses were gang-related. In addition to law enforcement agencies, schools
have had a critical role in extinguishing gang activity and youth violence in the community.
The Sheboygan Area School District has developed a zero tolerance policy for gang activity
and violence in the schools. No hats or jackets are allowed inside the classrooms. Hats must be
removed before entering the building, and students who wear jackets to school must leave them in
their lockers. The schools have increased security, locked doors, and started prevention and intervention programs to promote tolerance and acceptance of cultural differences. In 1993, intending
to be proactive rather than reactive, the school district established strict, detailed gangs and
weapons policies. The gangs and weapons policies specified punishments for offenses, making it
easy to enact fair, consistent discipline. Leniency was not an option. Police liaison officers taught
administrators and teachers what gang symbols to watch for, increasing teachers’ awareness about
the gang and youth violence problem.
Because Sheboygan is a relatively small community, gang leaders were identified quickly,
and gang activity was stopped before it flourished. The gang leaders were removed from the community (i.e., sent to jail), and the younger kids got the message that gang activity would not be tolerated in Sheboygan. Another theory for the decline in gang activity, however, was that youth who
joined independent gangs had poor social skills, so they could not keep the gang together. Similarly,
when the law enforcement officials removed leaders of the more structured gangs from the community, the leaders were not replaced easily, and the gang dissolved.
The community joined forces to eliminate the gang violence, and eventually, according to
officials, gang activity declined in Sheboygan. Now the challenge is for the community to work
together to combat the drug and alcohol problems that its youth exhibit.
“We’re not naive, we just don’t have a problem right now.”
—Sheboygan police officer
As the quotation suggests, the current gang and youth violence problem in Sheboygan is
difficult to assess. People in the community express differing opinions regarding the existence,
strength, and organization of gangs in the city. No one can deny, however, that youth violence is
still present.
One sign that youth violence exists in Sheboygan is the recent increase in juvenile arrests.
After a 4.9 percent decrease in juvenile arrests between 1994 and 1998, total juvenile arrests
increased by 2.1 percent- from 2,055 in 1999 to 2,098 in 2000. Although this increase is smaller
than that of total adult arrests, it is still noteworthy.
The Beginning of the Drug Movement
When gang activity was beginning to escalate in the area, drugs followed. In the early 1990s
most of the charges and/or arrests were for possession of small amounts of marijuana and other illegal drugs. In a few short years, the amount of illegal drugs seized and the frequency with which the
seizures occurred increased. One estimate is that 90 percent of the crime committed in Sheboygan
occurs while the perpetrator is under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. This said, the critical
45
component to reducing crime may be to reduce the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol, particularly
among youth.
Alcohol is part of the culture around the state, and Sheboygan is no exception. The very
tolerant attitude toward drinking has led to high rates of alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse among the
adults and youth in the Sheboygan community has always been a concern, while other drug abuse
has been increasing rapidly.
One example of the increasing drug and alcohol problem can be seen in the schools. In the
1990s it was rare that students would be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while at school.
Within the past decade, however, drug use among students has increased at an alarming rate.
According to the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance, the number of juvenile drug arrests in
Sheboygan has increased by more than 10 percent from 1997 to 1998. More youth have been
arrested for possession than for sale or manufacturing of drugs, marijuana being the drug of choice.
School staff have become more sensitive to the issue and are more aware about potential drug and
alcohol abuse among their students. School personnel have noted the effect of drug abuse on student performance: students abusing drugs are in school less and generally have lower grades.
The open attitude toward drinking may be a key to the drug problem. Some parents drink
alcohol with their children and even provide access to it. Authors of the Sheboygan County
Comprehensive Strategic Plan, published in June 2000, argue that this parental approval of children’s moderate drinking, even under adult supervision, increases the risk of youth using marijuana
and harder drugs. Furthermore, children of parents who excuse their children for breaking the law,
they say, are more likely to develop problems with juvenile delinquency. Studies show that in families where parents display violent behavior there is an increase in the risk that a child will become
violent.
In a 1997 nationwide survey of eighth graders regarding alcohol and drug use, 40 percent
of the Sheboygan students reported that they thought binge drinking was harmful, close to the
national average. Only 29 percent of 12th-grade students reported that they thought binge drinking was harmful. In the same survey, 7 percent of 12th graders reported cocaine use in the past 12
months and 3 percent in the past 30 days. Over 90 percent of 12th graders reported using illicit
drugs in the past 12 months and 39 percent in the past 30 days. The nationwide average for the
same age group is much lower: 25 percent in the past 12 months and 2.3 percent in the past 30
days. Alcohol use is also much higher in Sheboygan than nationwide: 78 percent in Sheboygan and
54 percent nationwide in the last 12 months.
Some community members have discussed the characteristics of Sheboygan that make it an
easy target for the development of major drug trafficking. Specifically, the low unemployment and
location make Sheboygan a fertile ground for drug sales. The low unemployment rate in the area
means that even drug users are employed. The local manufacturing jobs tend to pay well, so
employed drug users have more money at their disposal than those who are unemployed. Situated
on a major interstate between two large cities increases accessibility to drugs. Some observers believe
that because drug users in Sheboygan may be naïve about the quality and pricing of drugs, dealers
can charge higher prices for lower quality substances and count on a higher profit margin.
In summary, the intensity of drug use among youth has changed. Some youth have moved
on to harder substances such as cocaine, crack, and ecstasy. Also, the frequency of drug use has
increased. Casual use among the students is rare. Instead, according to many service providers who
work with youth, students tend to be hard users or not at all.
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Current Efforts
In response to the increasing youth violence and drug problems, community organizations
have developed programs to address these issues. These programs are offered by the police department, school district, and community agencies.
Within the police department, three units exist specifically to address these problems. The
creation of the gang unit, as mentioned above, contributed to the decline of noticeable gang activity
in the community. Second, the task of the Community Policing Unit is to address community
problems, of which youth violence and drug abuse are two. They work to build trusting relationships with community members to improve communication and cooperation between the department and residents. The third group—police school liaison officers—work in the public schools to
maintain safe learning environments. This unique arrangement fosters a non-threatening police
presence in the schools. Officers travel between the schools teaching the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (DARE) and Gang Resistance Education And Training (GREAT) programs to fifth- and
sixth-grade students.
In addition to collaborating with the police department to provide police school liaison officers in nearly all of the public schools, the district has a number of alternative education programs.
Some examples of the alternative programs include the Sheboygan Transition through Reintegration
and Vocational Education (STRIVE), Work Academic Vocational Education (WAVE), Riverview
Alternative Program, the Jailbound Program, and the Teen Age Parent Program. These programs
offer a second chance for the students who did not succeed in the traditional classroom, many of
whom are at risk for drug use and youth violence.
Within the community, one organization has emerged as the umbrella for providers of
youth services. The Youth Agency Network (YAN) is a community network of twelve agencies,
aimed at solving problems among youth in Sheboygan. Some of these agencies include the Boys
and Girls Club of Sheboygan County, the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Project Youth,
Sheboygan County Health and Human Services, and the United Community for Youth. In addition to serving as a conduit of information, the network sponsors events for youth. One example is
the “safe nights” that occur throughout the school year. Members of YAN agree to sponsor a free or
low-cost evening of entertainment for area youth. These activities usually include a drug- and violence-free dance.
The Future: Succeeding in Sheboygan
The population of Sheboygan is rapidly changing. One of the strengths of the community
is its diversity. It is important that Sheboygan continue to capitalize on its diverse population and
serve the needs of all its citizens. Everyone in the community is affected by the problems of drug
and alcohol abuse as well as by youth violence. Most community leaders have agreed that drug and
alcohol abuse prevention is a priority. As noted above, high rates of drug abuse are usually followed
by increased violence.
A comprehensive drug and alcohol abuse prevention plan will not be easy to formulate and
implement. It is less of a challenge, however, when the stakeholders have made it a priority as they
have in Sheboygan. Throughout the course of our interviews, community leaders made several recommendations on how to alleviate the youth violence situation in Sheboygan.
Our sources believe that an important element of preventing youth violence and getting a
handle on the drug problem is to get to the kids earlier. One suggestion is to develop a program for
47
children in the earlier grades to build a relationship between the police officers and students, teach
children to take care of themselves, introduce drug resistance, and help them learn to respect themselves and others. One step toward developing a relationship between the students and officers is to
employ public school liaison officers. Each of the elementary, middle, and high schools in the
Sheboygan Area School District has a liaison officer assigned. Some liaison officers work at multiple
schools but keep office hours at each school. One liaison officer reported that students talk to the
liaison officers about more than just problems at school. Students talk about abuse, problems at
home, and other things going on in their lives. This bond already exists in the schools, but increasing the interaction between police officers and youth at a younger age may improve the relationships later.
Working with surrounding communities is another way Sheboygan could prevent the youth
violence and drug problems from worsening. Currently gangs do not appear to be a serious problem in Sheboygan. However, if the gangs infiltrate the surrounding communities in Sheboygan
County or the counties surrounding the city, then the gangs are likely to spread back into
Sheboygan. By working with the surrounding communities and counties to alleviate gang problems, they are less likely to reappear in Sheboygan. One suggestion for working with other communities is to start a committee to facilitate conversation between communities and to share information about possible gang activity or strategies to alleviate youth violence problems.
As with any other problem, more money is needed to prevent gangs and youth violence in
the community. Programs, law enforcement, counseling, and other social services are not free.
However, because the gang problem is less apparent in the community currently, people are less
willing to spend money to keep the problem out.
Sheboygan County does offer youth opportunities for sports, clubs, and activities, as well as
recognition and support. The local newspapers feature youth sports and academic achievements on
a regular basis, and schools publicize “Student of the Month” selections. However, these activities
are not getting as much recognition as the youth violence and drug problems that are happening in
the area. By covering the youth violence and drug problems in the newspapers and other media
outlets, some community leaders argue that the media reinforce the actions of the gangs and other
delinquent youth. They feel that by downplaying or even ignoring these actions, the gangs and
youth offenders do not get recognition for their activities. If the community recognizes more of the
good things that the kids are doing, they say, the kids may do more good things.
Another intervention strategy suggested by community leaders is to work toward reducing
the occurrence of abuse in the community. Some of the violent youth in the community have
themselves been abused, physically or verbally, or have witnessed such abuse. Limiting the abuse
that children experience may help limit the violence that is seen in the community. Reducing the
abuse, however, is a difficult and complicated task.
These are some suggestions taken from community leaders. Often, however, the leaders are
not the ones who will be implementing the suggestions directly. The only way that youth violence
and drug problems can be eliminated, we believe, is through plans and programs developed at the
grass-roots level. In this way, plans can directly address the problems of the community rather than
implementing “cookie-cutter” programs developed at a higher level.
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