November 16, 2005

Dear Dane County Citizens:

We are very fortunate to live in this community for a variety of reasons. Along with a strong economy and outstanding natural resources we have one of the strongest human services systems in the nation that provides excellent opportunities and support for youth, seniors, people with disabilities, people with mental health challenges, and people who struggle with alcohol and other drug addiction to enjoy and participate fully in Dane County opportunities.

These opportunities make Dane County a unique community in many ways. And there are ways in which we are not so unique. We are not immune to the kinds of challenges that confront other communities of comparable size across the country. Dane County is affected by the presence and allure of gangs for some of our young people, and we must respond in an effective and coordinated manner.

Gangs are not a new phenomenon in Dane County. The Dane County Neighborhood Intervention Program (NIP) has worked with gang involved youth and those who were susceptible for gang involvement for many years. One focus was and is to help provide young people with positive alternatives to gangs, and another is to work with young people for whom prevention is too late because they are already involved in behaviors that are detrimental to their positive growth. NIP does this critically important work with the many partners who have joined together to participate on the Dane County Gang Task Force, the wonderful and committed body of people who have all contributed to this report and the work that this report represents.

One thing that we know about gangs is that they change over time. It is true that some aspects of gangs remain the same - - sometimes for decades - - and at the same time they adapt to changing times and locations and devise new and more sophisticated ways to enlist young people. For example, the face of gangs is literally changing. There are increasing numbers of females involved in gangs, and rising violence among girls and young women is a cause for community concern. And gangs don’t look the way they used to. Some gangs are incredibly diverse, with members of several racial, ethnic and economic groups belonging to the same gang. These are examples of the challenges we face as a community - - how to extract the positive (for example, an interest in diversity) from the negative which manifests in violence and other behaviors that threaten to dilute the assets of this community.

Thank you to the Dane County Youth Gang Prevention Task Force for your thoughtful and thorough Proposed Community Response Plan. It combines data and anecdotes in a way that paints a vivid and accurate picture of the gang challenge that we face in Dane County, as well as solid recommendations for confronting these challenges.

The 2006 county budget, that I signed on November 10, 2005, adds two full time gang squad positions to the Neighborhood Intervention Program. In addition, each Dane County Department of Human Services Delinquency Prevention unit in the county will designate one staff person to be part of a specialized gang unit. These efforts in conjunction with others outlined in this report and involving the broad range of community partnerships will provide Dane County with positive approaches to tough and persistent challenges.

On behalf of all Dane County citizens, thank you to those who contributed to this fine report: Representatives of the Dane County Department of Human Services (DCDHS) Delinquency Services, Project H.U.G.S, DCDHS Community Prevention Program, Dane County Juvenile Court, Dane County Neighborhood Intervention Program, Madison Police Department, DCDHS Data Consultant, Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the Madison Metropolitan School District. Special thanks to Stephen Blue and Kathy Sorenson, Co-Chairs of the Dane County Youth Gang Task Force.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Falk

Dane County Executive