Trying to close gangs' 'vicious circle'

Gangs 101 is not a course offered at Maine East High School.

But it was a subject that drew dozens of Maine Township residents to the school Wednesday night.

Cook County Sheriff's Police officials gave the audience a quick overview of gang activity in the northwest suburbs and asked residents to be vigilant about and report suspicious behavior related to gangs.

Sheriff Tom Dart said while the department has a lot of technology and information about gangs operating in the area, it aims to provide more community policing and gain residents' support.

"We realize it's the only way to go," Dart said.

Officials educated residents about the most prevalent gangs in the area, their symbols, clothing, graffiti, most frequented hangouts, and the types of illicit activities they are involved in, such as selling illegal drugs and burglary.

Dart said gang activity in suburban Cook County increased with Chicago's crackdown, which has forced a lot of gangs to migrate to the region. Borders and jurisdictional boundaries don't really matter as gangs operate more fluidly in the suburbs, he said.

More than 200 gang members have been identified in the Maine Township area. Members can be as young as 8 years old to grown adults, officials said.

Officials said they are working with federal and suburban law enforcement agencies to address the problem and not displace it from one town to another.

"It's just a vicious circle there," said Sheriff's Police Cmdr. Kevin Ruel, head of the Gang Crimes/Narcotics Unit. "Our partnership with you is most important because you are our extra set of eyes."

Officials also promoted the department's graffiti removal efforts and advised residents to call a hotline, if they notice any in their neighborhood. That number is (773) 869-4710.

"We really don't have any excuse to have graffiti anymore in suburban Cook County," Dart said.

Gangs are certainly not new to suburbs that lie closer to Chicago's borders.

Police Chief Jim Prandini says Des Plaines has seen gang activity for as long as he has served with the department, 28 years.

The department has a four officers dedicated to drug and gang-related investigations. Police have identified about 75 gang members in the city and aggressively arrest violators of city ordinances, Prandini said.

"We've modeled a lot of enforcement strategies on the Chicago Police Department," Prandini said. "For us, it's to keep it in check. Not to have it infiltrate to the point of drive-by shootings. Once it gets away from you, it's tough to get it back."