The Evesham Township Police Department is committed to affording its residents the opportunity to reside in one of the safest communities in the State of New Jersey. In the summer of 2006, Chief Joseph Cornely recognizing the need for education, prevention, and eradication of criminal street gangs in Evesham Township responded to a request by Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi, by assigning two members of the Evesham Police Department to the Burlington County Gang Task Force. The task force is made up of representatives of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies who are committed to combating gang violence.
The Evesham Township Police Department has two officers assigned to monitor and track gang activity within the Township. These officers work closely with other law enforcement agencies to track gang trends and develop and coordinate efforts to halt gang related criminal activity. At the local level, our officers work hand-in-hand with the Evesham Township School District and the Lenape Regional School District to provide educational programs on gang awareness and prevention for students, parents, and teachers.
Street gangs are no longer strictly an urban problem. With increasing frequency, gang members are choosing to live in what they perceive to be relatively safe, suburban communities such as Evesham Township. In addition to dealing with local residents that may be members of or affiliated with criminal street gangs, the presence of two major state highways passing through our community requires that the Evesham Police Department adopt a proactive strategy to prevent criminal activity involving gangs.
In 2005, Attorney General Peter C. Harvey released the results of a new, statewide report on illegal street gang activity. The State Police Gang Bureau survey of law enforcement personnel in New Jersey has provided the most thoroughly researched estimate to date of street gang membership in New Jersey. Information from this study places the number of street gangs at approximately 700 and the number of active street gang members at 17,000.
In addition to providing a statistical picture of the street gang presence in New Jersey, the 2004 survey offers compelling anecdotal evidence that gang activity is on the rise statewide. For example:
- In 44 percent of the municipalities in which an active street gang presence was reported, gang activity was said by police to have increased compared to the previous year.
- In 37 percent of municipalities that reported no street gang presence during a similar survey done in 2001, police now report that there is gang activity taking place.
- In 39 percent of responding suburban municipalities, police reported the presence of gangs in their towns, an increase of 27 percent compared to 2001.
The above statistics were posted after a survey conducted in 2004, and the numbers continue to rise. Gangs, which have traditionally been the boon of urban areas, are now moving into the suburbs and conducting their recruitment efforts in local schools and other popular youth hangouts. Gang recruitment crosses all racial boundaries; the only color that matters is the color of money.
In the fight against gangs, it is essential that parents maintain a close relationship and involvement in their children’s lives. The following are indicators that a youth may be involved in a gang lifestyle:
- A change in clothing. For example, a child who begins to wear certain colors exclusively
- A change in musical interests. Certain musical artists are proven to be gang members or gang supporters, including Snoop Dogg, The Game, DMX, 50 Cent and Cam’ron. These artists are all former or current gang members and are affiliated with two of the largest street gangs in the country, The Bloods and The Crips. The following are lyrics from a Snoop Dogg song titled “Drop It Like It’s Hot”:
“I keep a blue flag hanging out my backside, But only on the left side, yeah that's the Crip side.”
- Parents need to familiarize themselves with the musical interests of their children and take action.
- Get to know the friends of your children, as new friends may be introducing a child to the gang lifestyle.
The above are just some of the many examples of gang indicators. Parents need to remain vigilant to keep their children away from this lifestyle. The Gang Awareness Officers of the Evesham Township Police Department are available for group presentations and can be contacted through the following e-mail link:
Feel free to send questions or comments to the e-mail link and if you would like to speak to an officer, If anyone would like to speak to an officer regarding gang activity, please contact Detective Jason P. Siitonen at 856-983-6471. All communications will be kept strictly confidential.
