BY KAREN BOLIPATA
Law enforcement officials visited Riverbend High School recently to set the record straight about gangs and drugs in the county.
Rather than just sharing data, the parents-only PTSA meeting included personal observations of law enforcement officials and parents.
"The first thing about dealing with gangs is admitting you have gangs," said Detective Jason Dembowski of the Rappahannock Regional Gang Drug Terrorism Task Force.
He dispelled some myths.
For example, gangs in Spotsylvania aren't a recent phenomenon, he said. They've been around for about 10 years. Most gangs, he said, are "homegrown" and aren't former city dwellers who relocated.
"I'm not here to scare you," Dembowski told parents. "I'm just here to let you know it's here."
Deputy Ronald Richmond, Riverbend's school resource officer, provided a candid look at drugs in schools.
"Are there no drugs in the school?" he asked. "Of course there are drugs in school."
But, he added, they're not being distributed in large quantities. Marijuana and cocaine are the ones most used in the area, and prescription-drug use is increasing.
School administrators routinely do random searches to find drugs, Richmond said.
The drug-and-gang task force, which formed in 2005, deals with activity in Spotsylvania, Stafford and King George counties and Fredericksburg. More than 35 gangs have been identified in Spotsylvania County.
While the percentage of gang-related crime remains under 10 percent, gangs have a huge presence in the community, Dembowski said.
The hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. are prime time for gangs to recruit members: Kids are out of school and parents are still at work or commuting home.
Often, children are living two lives, Dembowski said, and parents don't know their children are in gangs. This is why authorities encourage parents to search their children's rooms and monitor their clothing for signs of gang involvement. Certain colors symbolize certain gangs.
Dembowski said he has worked in cases where authorities found gang memorabilia that parents weren't aware of because they never checked their children's bedrooms.
"We get parents involved so they can see what we see," he said.
After the presentations, parents asked about the "no snitch" gang policy and the prevalence of girl gangs.
Is Spotsylvania Towne Centre safe? one wondered. Dembowsi said yes.
Leonard Parker of Spotsylvania has a son who is a Riverbend High School senior.
He said he and his wife, Tina, think schools no longer feel like communities. Parents active in their children's education also need to be there for students who don't have parents who are involved, Parker said.
"People say times have changed," he said. "But times haven't changed, people have changed."
Though Dembowski and Richmond answered tough questions, few persons were there to hear them. About 20 parents were in attendance.
Principal Steven Fitch later said the PTSA has struggled to keep parents interested in the organization. As students progress from elementary school to middle school to high school, their parents' participation seems to wane, he said.
"I would've liked to have 2,000 parents there instead of 20," Fitch said.
Karen Bolipata: 540/374-5418