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LYNN - Sgt. Michael Vail, head of the Lynn Police Department’s gang unit, said he has gone into homes where young kids hang pictures of themselves posing with weapons and wearing gang colors.

Yet, when police inform these parents that their children are gang members, they often act surprised.

“They have no idea what’s going on with their own kids,” Vail told a City Council committee on Public Safety this week.

Ten people were struck with gunfire in January, a month that is usually considered an off time for street violence and police continue to face challenges solving these cases. All of the victims of gunfire survived and the violence broke out mainly in East Lynn and the Highlands.

“January was a bad month for us. There were several shootings,” said Deputy Police Chief Kevin Coppinger to the council committee. “All of these cases are very hard to prosecute. Because of gang culture, these victims won’t cooperate and they rarely show up to court.”

Ward 3 City Councilor Darren Cyr, chairman of the City Council Public Safety Committee, called the meeting with police to discuss last month’s spike in gang violence. Cyr told Coppinger and Vail that residents are concerned and want to know what they can do to quell the violence.

Coppinger said the first line of defense is drawn at home.

“Parents are in denial or they just don’t think their kids are involved in gangs,” he said.

The city has claimed a certain level of success by opening Lynn Tech on Saturday nights for teenagers to play basketball and interact with local police and adults. Coppinger and Vail said they are always looking for responsible adults to chaperone these drop-in nights and are looking into other mentoring and prevention options that could help curb street violence. They have also recently reached out to the local chapter of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and local religious and minority leaders for help reaching out to local teens.

In addition to programs, the police have also responded to January’s violence by increasing patrols and working in concert with the juvenile and adult probation departments.

“Our sole mission is to frequent as many spots where these kids hang out and basically put the pressure on,” he said. To some extent, it’s been quiet in the last two weeks, but that is not necessarily a sign that its over, Coppinger said.

“I am not naive enough to say this has been successful. It’s cold out and these kids are indoors,” said Coppinger. “We are really putting every available resource out there that we have.”

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Program Helps Curb Gang Violence
By Thor Jourgensen, the Daily Item of Lynn, Wednesday, December 20, 2006

LYNN -- Pastor Claire Sullivan calls it “the Lynn miracle” and local police, Sullivan and other members of Straight Ahead Ministries credit teenagers with reducing gang violence over the last half year.

“We don’t tell kids to leave gangs. It’s a waste of breath. We say, ‘Think about your life.’ I give the police, especially Lt. Peter Holey, credit for taking a chance with us.”

Detective Spotlights Lynn Gangs
By Jill Casey, The Daily Item of Lynn, Friday, June 9, 2006

TOPSFIELD - Gang members are recruiting and selling drugs in city parks like Warren Playground and Kylie Park and in the schools, according to Lynn Police Detective Bob Hogan.
     In recent years, the roughly 38 gangs that include an estimated 800 to 1,600 members in the city, have been responsible for drive-by shootings, machete attacks, home invasions, beatings, weapons and drug trafficking.
     Typically the victims of these crimes are rival gang members, but it's not uncommon for the innocent to get caught in the crossfire - as was the case on November 23, 2005 when a gang member shot at a car of a rival gang member. Inside the car was a 3-year-old child, who did escape injury.
     If it isn't violence, gangs are blighting working class neighborhoods by defacing public and private property with graffiti tags to mark their turf. The unintended consequence, however, is that the tags tip police off to where gang members like to congregate.
     Hogan shared stories like this, along with intelligence, photographs and videos about gang culture, at a conference dedicated to addressing gang issues in Essex County held Thursday in Topsfield and organized by the Essex County Anti-Crime Council.
     With gang violence on the rise, the conference was meant to be more than just law enforcement officers swapping stories, but an opportunity for multiple agencies to collaborate on a solution to a problem that continues to plague urban communities in the county.
     As one of the original detectives assigned to the Lynn Police Gang Unit in 2001, Hogan has amassed a wealth of knowledge and sources on gang culture, which he shared with the probation, correctional and police officers who attended the conference.
     The realities of gang life - bruised and bloodied faces and bodies pocked with stab wounds - were featured in his presentation, along with pictures of local Crips and Bloods downloaded off www.myspace.com.     "My Space is a great tool for investigations," Hogan said.
     In the last year, Lynn police have doubled the number of weapons seized and have conducted close to a dozen gang-related search warrants of safe houses on Timson Street, Williams Street and Curwin Terrace that contained drugs and weapons, according to Hogan.
     In one case, a 38-year-old woman on Ashton Terrace was providing gang members with a place to store weapons and drugs inside her home.
     Although gangs continue to thrive in communities from Lynn to Lawrence, the new Essex County Gun Court has allowed law enforcement to expedite cases at a faster rate.
     "I think I have testified more times this year than I have in the last 10 years," said Hogan, who claims many gang members are choosing plea bargains rather than having to go to trial at the gun court, where sentences tend to be harsher.
     Eve so, law enforcement officials are also still struggling with the code of silence and lack of cooperation with victims on gang-related crimes. This continues to make it difficult to bring those responsible for shootings and home invasions to justice.
     "Victims and witnesses never cooperate," Hogan said.
     While Hogan focused mainly on intelligence, Department of Youth Services Gang Officer Jack Arnoldy Jr. offered advice and perspective on the issue.
     "The most important thing you can do when dealing with gang kids is to build relationships," he said. "Give these kids an ear."
     To illustrate how some kids are born into the culture, Arnoldy
     showed photographs of kids as young as 5 making gang signs with their hands.
     "Some of these kids from the North Shore are going to be gang members for the rest of their lives," he said.
     Former gang member "Tony," has been in DYS custody and has now left his gang past behind. While remaining anonymous, "Tony" said all he got out of his past was a false sense of security.
     "I really had no choice because all of my family were in gangs," he said. Gang life provided his siblings with, "protection, safety (and) love, because our parents were not there for us because they were too busy working trying to support us," he said.
     "You have no best days, everything is bad...you're always getting into trouble," he said.

Conference Takes Aim at Gangs
By Jill Casey, The Daily Item of Lynn, Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said there has been a precipitous spike in local gang activity in the last several years.
     In Lynn, there are an estimated 38 identifiable gangs, he said.
    "It's had a huge impact on the number of juvenile cases we handle," Blodgett said. "(Gangs are) probably the biggest reason why we created the gun court in Peabody."
    On Thursday, county law enforcement officials will converge in Topsfield for a conference dedicated to addressing the growing gang presence and its impact on communities and courts.
     "Loosening the Grip of Criminal Gangs in Essex County," will discuss ways in which gang violence can be reduced in the region by bringing together former gang members, police units dedicated to identifying members and intelligence officers from the Essex County Sheriff's office, for a wide range of discussions and workshops.
     The Lynn Police Gang Task Force headed by Sgt. Peter Holey is one of the units that will be speaking at the conference.
     "We're not going to come up with all of the answers, but we are hoping to put together a better collaborative effort," said Blodgett. "I'm not going to be satisfied until we see a big drop in gang activity."
    The conference is sponsored by Sheriff Frank Cousins, District Attorney Blodgett and the Essex County Anti-Crime Council. Last year's conference was dedicated to reducing opiate use in the region.
     "(Gangs are) an issue that everybody talks about, but never seems to go away," said Paul Fleming, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department. "The goal of this conference is to hopefully have all of the local law enforcement agencies map out ways in which they can combat gangs in Essex County."
     Whether young people are looking to fill a void in their lives or just something to do, Blodgett said the district attorney's office has placed a heavy emphasis on educating youths about the misconceptions of gang life.
    "If you choose gang life, you choose no life because you are either going to jail or going to die," he said.

Classical Student Expelled
By Thor Jourgensen, The Daily Item of Lynn, Thursday, March 23, 2006

LYNN - A 15-year-old boy who attacked and seriously injured another Classical High School student with a baseball bat last Wednesday is in a Department of Youth Services detention facility and will be expelled from school.
A Juvenile Court judge sent the 15-year-old to a secure state facility last Thursday after he was charged with attacking a 16-year-old Robinson Street resident as he was walking home from baseball practice and then stealing his backpack and baseball equipment.
The boy suffered a severe concussion and internal bleeding in his skull and was treated through last weekend at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is recuperating at home.
Following the early evening attack, police tracked down and questioned four teenagers, including the alleged attacker, and an adult who they said drove the vehicle the attacker jumped into following the attack.
Antonio Meli-Omodei, 18, of Sanford, Maine, was released on $1,000 bail following his arraignment on charges of armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He must return to Lynn for a pre-trial conference.
Two Lynn males, one 14-year-old and the 16-year-old, were arraigned on assault and robbery charges in Juvenile Court and released into the custody of their parents. The 15-year-old attacker returned to Juvenile Court Monday for a dangerousness hearing to assess the degree of threat he poses to the public.
The four pleaded not guilty to charges filed against them.
The 15-year-old moved to Lynn last September, enrolling in Classical High School as a freshman.
"The school was informed that the student will be held by authorities for a significant amount of time and, hopefully, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," School Department Supervisor of Attendance Richard Iarrobino said, adding, "He's not coming back."
Iarrobino said school officials are prepared to use a state law allowing a principal to initiate expulsion proceedings against any student who commits a serious felony off school grounds and beyond school hours, if the student's return to school "will have a detrimental effect on the general welfare of the school."
"This gives us some clout," Iarrobino said.

Teen Held for Attack with a Bat
By Thor Jourgensen, The Daily Item of Lynn, Friday, March 17, 2006

LYNN - A 15-year-old Lynn boy was ordered held by the Department of Youth Services Thursday during his arraignment in Juvenile Court on charges that he attacked a Robinson Street teen in the head with a baseball bat Wednesday evening.
The victim was initially taken to an area hospital and later to Massachusetts General Hospital after doctors determined he suffered a severe concussion and internal bleeding in his skull.
The alleged attacker is in state custody until a dangerousness hearing, which is scheduled for Monday. Other juveniles charged in the attack were released to the custody of their parents.
Meanwhile, bail was set at $1,000 for 18-year-old Antonio Meli-Omodei of Sanford, Maine, who police say was the getaway driver for the attacker.
The bail amount imposed by Judge Stephen Abany was one-tenth the amount requested by Assistant District Attorney Greg Johnson, after Meli-Omodei's lawyer said a witness could not identify him as the driver of the van that picked up the attacker.
Meli-Omodei pleaded not guilty to charges of armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The alleged 15-year-old attacker and two other Lynn youths, a 14-year-old and 16-year-old who police say were present during the attack, were arraigned on the same charges.
Johnson said a Robinson Street woman saw the 15-year-old pacing and "looking very suspicious" outside her home before he attacked the other teen.
"He walked up from behind and hit him with two hands with the bat," Johnson said.
The witness said the attacker took a black backpack the teen was wearing and ran down Robinson Street before being picked up by a green van.
"The witness said the entire operation looked like a setup," Johnson said.
Police subsequently questioned five teenagers, including Meli-Omodei, and the woman who identified the attacker and the van. Johnson did not speculate in court on why the Robinson Street teen was attacked.
Rebecca Whitehill, Meli-Omodei's attorney, said the woman saw a teen with reddish hair driving the van. Meli-Omodei has black hair. But she said Meli-Omodei admitted to being in the van.
"He did not know about any assault and he denies being complicit in any assault," she said.

Inmates to Marshall Students - - - Gangs, violence and substance abuse will lead you straight to prison
By Jill Gadsby, The Daily Item of Lynn, Friday, March 17, 2006

LYNN - Gangs, violence and substance abuse will lead you straight to prison.
That is the message that four inmates from the Lawrence Correctional Alternatives Center shared with Marshall Middle School students Thursday as part of a presentation by the Essex County Sheriff's Department.
The intent of the program is to help students make healthy choices, which will help them live their lives in a positive way.
Inmate Raymond Johnson, 35, said he began getting into trouble in seventh and eighth grade.
"I wanted to be the one to stand out in the crowd," he said. "I wanted to hang out with the bad boys. I wanted to be the man. I was taking life as a joke and this is where it got me - my freedom being taken away countless times."
Johnson said gangs wouldn't be there to protect students in prison.
"When you run with somebody, you've got your gang, but when you do your time, you're by yourself," he said. "I hate where I am right now. It's dirty, it's filthy, it's crazy and I don't know who I'm surrounded by - a rapist, a murderer or a serial killer."
Zac Alexion, also an inmate, said substance abuse landed him on the street, and then in jail.
"I was always the kid at the party that wanted to do more drugs than you - smoke more weed than you, drink more beers than you," he said. "(After a while) that was me on the corner, eating out of trash cans, sleeping on park benches. That's where my life got me. I'm lucky to be alive today."
Alexion said any dreams he had as a child have all been dashed.
"When I was your age, I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer," he said. "Now, they look at my record and tell me, 'No, you can't do that.' You want to get involved with drugs, you want to get involved with gangs, this is where you'll end up. There's nowhere to run, there's nowhere to hide and mommy can't bail you out."
Kenny Armstrong, who has been in prison for nine-and-a-half years, said he knows from experience that gangs will turn on you.
"If you don't do what the gang does, they're going to beat you up or kill you," he said. "Some gangs, they'll burn your house down. They don't care about your family. They're your family now. If you don't think it's real, I'm living proof."
Armstrong urged students to learn from his example.
"You have a choice," he said. "The decisions you make now are going to effect you for the rest of your life. There are things I want to do with my life that I can't do no more because of my criminal history. I never wanted to live like this."
Twenty-five-year-old Pablo Leon, a former gang leader, has been in and out of jail for eight years. He told students how hard it is to get out of a gang.
"I've been in gangs all my life and I'm still trying to get out of it," he said. "Three years ago, I tried to drop out and I had to go twice in a cell with five dudes and just got hit. When you get into a gang, you face two phases to get out. Now I have to (get jumped out again) when I'm done (with jail.) Today, I'm scared to go out there. Everyday I wake up and I worry about what's going to happen to me. I might get stabbed or killed - you never know."
Leon told students not to make the choices that he did.
"We live a hard life, but we chose to," he said. "I wish I was never in gangs. I would have been a person in society. Nowadays, I go to get a job and they won't even look at me because of the record I've got. It's hard for me because I'm trying to change."
"Just think about what we're saying today," he continued. "Eight years of my life is down the drain."
Health teacher John Grazewski, who was instrumental in bringing the program to Marshall, told students they could learn from the inmates.
"These guys gave you a message - you've got a choice," he said. "Hopefully, their message will help you in the future. Who you hang with, what you do with your life - if you make the wrong choice you'll be staying with them (in jail.)"
The program received positive reviews from students.
"I think it was great," Angelica Aleman said. "I think that all the things that they talked about might change a kid's mind for what they are about to do."
Maria Perez agreed.
"I think it's appropriate because a lot of people are in gangs and they need to know what would happen in the future," she said.
Emmy Valdez said the dangers of gangs were easier to understand hearing it directly from someone who has experienced it.
"I liked it because it taught me a lot and it was very interesting," she said.

Second Lynn Graffiti Suspect Surrenders
By Thor Jourgensen, The Daily Item of Lynn, Friday, March 17, 2006

LYNN - A Lynn teenager already under court supervision on an assault and battery charge was arraigned in Salem District Court Thursday on charges he defaced buildings in Salem with swastikas and other graffiti.
Richard Card, 18, pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of malicious damage over $250 value and 12 charges of violating civil rights in connection with the early Monday Salem Common vandalism spree.
Judge Robert Cornetta set $2,500 bail for Card who evaded police for two days before surrendering Wednesday night to Lynn police. Salem police initially thought Card was homeless but his address was listed as 45 School St., apartment 2, Lynn, on Thursday.
Police said Card, Chrystopher Clarke, 19, of Lynn and a 16-year-old Salem male defaced houses and other buildings and monuments around Salem Common with red spray paint after arguing with another individual.
Card, according to police, joked about lying to police after he was initially questioned and claimed no involvement in the spree. Clarke and the juvenile were arraigned in Salem Wednesday on civil rights violations and malicious damage charges.
Clarke's defense attorney said Clarke was responsible for only one of the vandalism incidents and said Clarke does not have a criminal record. Card is on probation through September for an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charge. He returns to court on April 14 for a pretrial hearing related to the vandalism charges.
The Anti-Defamation League New England Region condemned the vandalism and said the acts "fall under the Massachusetts hate crimes statute."
"We are outraged at the act of hate that has been committed against the Salem community. Such acts can send shockwaves through an entire community making people fee unsafe. It reinforces how critical it is that we all reaffirm our commitment to being a community that stands up and speaks out against hate," the organization said in a statement that also praised the Salem police for quickly charging the three teens with the crimes.

Lynn Teens Charged with Anti-Semitic Graffiti Spree
By Thor Jourgensen, The Daily Item of Lynn, Thursday, March 16, 2006

SALEM - Chrystopher Clarke's defense lawyer said his client played a small role in a graffiti spree across Salem Common Monday, but police charged the Lynn teenager with 24 crimes and are seeking a second teen in connection with the vandalism.
Clarke, 19, 23 Den Quarry Road, Lynn, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in District Court to 12 counts of malicious damage over $250 value and 12 counts of violating civil rights.
Police are looking for Richard Card, 18, last known address in Lynn, who prosecutors said laughed about denying to police his involvement in the vandalism.
Police said Clarke, Card and a 16-year-old Salem male defaced buildings, monuments and homes in the Common area with red spray painted swastikas, "666" and references to convicted murderer Charles Manson early Monday following an argument.
District Court Judge Robert Cornetta ordered Clarke to stay away from the vandalized properties, not possess spray paint and obey a 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. He also ordered Clarke to return to court on May 9.
Police Lt. Conrad Prosniewski said police initially questioned the three at the 16-year-old's home and the trio denied responsibility for the vandalism. He said after police left the house, Card laughed and said,"They were looking at the guy who did it."
Police went to Clarke's home and later questioned him in Salem where, Prosniewski said, he signed a statement outlining details of the vandalism. He was held Tuesday night in the Salem Police Station on $2,500 bail.
Clarke's attorney, Anthony Rossi, said Clarke is responsible for just one of the graffiti incidents.
"His involvement was limited and not anti-Semitic," Rossi said.
Rossi said a video camera taped Card and the 16-year-old spray-painting graffiti. He was not sure if an outdoor security camera or an individual with a camera videotaped the vandalism.

Lynn Gang Member Nabbed in Undercover Drug Bust
By Jill Casey, The Daily Item of Lynn, Saturday, March 11, 2006

A reputed 17-year-old gang member was arrested and charged with heroin distribution and gun possession following an undercover operation where a police officer posed as a drug dealer Thursday night.
Ian Anderson, of 37 Mill Road, Ipswich, was arrested after he allegedly offered to sell close to 11 grams of heroin to Detective Ross Panacopoulos, of the Special Investigations Unit, for $1,000 in cash.
The drug deal was set up after Sgt. Rick Carrow received a tip from a confidential source that wanted to help bring a drug dealer into custody "in an effort to clean up the problem that is negatively affecting so many lives," according to a police report filed in Lynn District Court.
According to the report, a call was made to Anderson's cell phone Thursday night shortly before 11 p.m. Anderson allegedly agreed to meet the officer in the area of Broad and Newhall streets.
Several units, including a federal agent, backed up Panacopoulos and took Anderson into custody after the two met to make the exchange. Police searched Anderson's car and allegedly seized an unloaded semi-automatic handgun and confiscated a small amount of cash and his cell phone.
District Court Judge Joseph Jennings ordered Anderson held on $50,000 cash bail at his arraignment on several charges related to this incident in Lynn District Court Friday.
Anderson is a reputed member of Deuce Boyz gang and was born in Lynn.
Anderson's case will be heard in Essex County Drug Court at Peabody District Court on April 7.

NSCC, Lynn Schools Join Forces to Fight Gang Activity
By Jill Ricker, The Daily Item of Lynn, Thursday, March 31, 2005

LYNN -- North Shore Community College is teaming up with the Lynn Public Schools in an effort to reduce gang activity in the city.
NSCC President Wayne Burton presented the program to the School Committee Wednesday, explaining he would use the college to educate students about the dangers of gangs.
"Like all of you, I have been alarmed at the rise of gangs in the U.S. and here in Lynn," he said. "Our downtime (at the college) is 3-6 p.m., shouldn't we use that to supplement what the city of Lynn is already doing (to deter kids from gangs?)"
Burton said a collaboration of various city agencies have been working to design a program that would use the college as an alternative after school environment.
"We've got to get these kids when they're being recruited because once they're in (a gang,) it's tough to get them out," he said. "This would target children in grades 5-8 and would offer MCAS remediation, life skills development and would open the doors to post-secondary education. This would get them away from the gangs and into something far more productive."
Specifically, the college would offer age-appropriate activities such as MCAS instruction, creative arts, athletic activities, computer instruction, and personal and leadership development. Students would also be connected to the community through trips to other educational institutions, such as the New England Aquarium or the Museum of Science.
NSCC's presence in the project would help establish that higher education is an attainable goal and would reinforce the idea that college is a safe place where students can be themselves.
Aside from space, the college would provide educational materials, a part-time project coordinator, a program counselor and faculty who would provide MCAS instruction for two hours per week.
Burton said the program could begin this spring.
"Our intent now is to run two programs of 25 students each, one would run in the spring and one in the summer," he said, adding that the program would be paid for by NSCC. "I got a federal earmark in the fall to do outreach and this is one (of the things we're doing with those funds.)Jack Barry, NSCC's vice president for government and community relations, said he expects great things to happen from the partnership.
"There has been excellent cooperation among the different departments and agencies," he said. "I see positive things happening as a result. Together we can really make a difference in reducing gang participation in our city."
Mayoral Aide Bill Bochnak said representatives from the Mayor's Office, the Police Department, Lynn Juvenile Court, Lynn Probation Department and the Essex County District Attorney's Office have all helped to develop the program.
"It's important to note the work that's going on behind the scenes," he said. "Not only is this initiative going on, but the work that is being done by Communities that Care speaks very well to the way the city is trying to tackle these issues."