Sports to solve Elgin gang crisis?

Elgin Mayor Ed Schock says he's not convinced additional facilities, such as soccer fields and basketball courts, will help solve the city's gang problems.

But he is willing to working with other groups, such as the Elgin Gang/Drug Task Force to help end gang activity in the city.

Wednesday night, the Street Gang Prevention and Intervention Committee gave nine recommendations to city council members on how best to address gang activity.

According to their report, presented during the committee of the whole meeting, there's a dearth of free recreational facilities reserved for low income youth.

The report goes on to note that Aurora and Rockford have way more soccer fields and basketball courts per person than Elgin.

It recommends that the city partner with neighborhood groups to address this issue and says more gang intervention programs should be in place.

"Kids with plenty of time on their hands, that's when they get into trouble," said Chairman George Irizarry.

Although Schock supports new programs and facilities in general, he is skeptical about the link between them and quashing gang activity.

"I've never been a big proponent and believer that recreation programs in and of themselves turn kids around or take them out of trouble," Schock said. "The jury's still out on that."

Besides, there are inexpensive little leagues out there for and youth scholarships available to low-income kids for other activities, he said.

The 13-member panel, comprised of city and school officials, religious and community leaders, formed last summer after a spate of gang violence on the city's east side that left two dead and several injured.

Police Chief Lisa Womack says arrests have not yet been made in connection with the homicides.

"Those are still open cases," she said.

The city also continues to look for a gang-prevention specialist for the Eastside Recreation Center charged with running a pair of programs targeted to kids, Schock said.

The previous specialist was arrested in a federal drug sting in February and those programs, which dealt with suspended students and children in trouble with the law, were discontinued.

To Councilman Juan Figueroa, the most important recommendation is the one ensuring the committee doesn't become a one-shot deal.

"I hope that the city council will give real consideration to creating a permanent committee to create a comprehensive plan because there's a lot of work to be done," said Figueroa, who also belonged to the group.

Later on, the city should focus on reviving the discontinued programs, he said.

Schock said the city also should hook up with other agencies dealing with gang prevention and bring them to the table so their efforts aren't duplicated.

Two members from the existing committee, for example, could become part of the Elgin Gang/Drug Task Force, he said.

"We don't always coordinate our efforts and work together, so I think that would be the first stop," he said.