    
marie
Citizen
Username: Marie
Post Number: 974
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 6, 2004 - 3:36 pm: |     |
On October 2nd 2003, I attended the MMS Back to School Night where I spoke with two officers from MMS, Keven Kisch and Ira Ford. They are the current PEACE ( gang intervention ) officers at MMS. I asked them if they had any plans to host any kind of educational forum for parents in the district regarding gang encroachment and gang intervention in our schools. They told me that while they had already held meetings with parents of kids who had already been identified as gang members or who were at risk for participation in gangs, no program was in place to address the general parent population at MMS. They expressed a sincere desire to do bring some sort of program to parents at MMS and even possibly to the other district schools. They asked assistance in getting the program up and running - who they might approach at MMS for help. I suggested they contact the MMS HSA. The following day, I personally contacted the HSA President and told her about my conversation with the officers and asked if they would assist them in getting this forum organized. I was told that permission was needed from the principal before they could commit to this undertaking. I agreed to contact the Principal and discuss the issue.
I coincidentally learned of a group that had recently formed called NAG Neighbors Against Gangs, formed by two community members Eugene Brown and Eric Burbank. This group had formed as a result of community concern over gang encroachment and gang activity in and around the Seth Boyden School.
After several discussions with Eugene over the phone it was apparent that we shared the same concerns regarding gang encroachment. I told him about my conversations with the PEACE officers, etc and that I was trying to facilitate a program at MMS. Eugene promptly droped off a packet at my home with pertinent information on the identified gangs in essex county, grafitti, gang wear etc. He invited me to attend a meeting in which Officer Cross was going to do a presentation on gangs. I then took the initiative and called the Superintendent's Office to set up a meeting between Peter Horoschak, Eugene, several other NAG members and myself. We met approximately a week later at The Superintendent's Office and discussed NAG's involvement and the role they hoped the district might play in helping them acheive their goals. Namely, allowing the Seth Boyden School Auditorium to be used for an after school basketball program for at risk kids in that part of the community. I voiced my personal concerns about gang activity in our schools and the role I felt the district should take by implementing a district wide program - especially in light of a suspected gang related assault on a 13 year old MMS student in Memorial Park the preceding Friday evening. The Superintendent hadn't heard about the incident. He assured us that he shared our concerns and would support any and all community endeavors ,to the best of his ability. I reported back to the interim principal Ralph Celebre, who suggested I work with the HSA and the PEACE officers in getting the event organized. He also mentioned the HSA was presenting a coffee talk at a future HSA meeting in which the PEACE officers would do a short presentation on the effects of bullying on students and the negative environment it created in a school.
I then contacted Officer Cross the Maplewood Police Dept.Gang Specialist whose presentation I had seen at NAG's second meeting. I asked if he would be interested in bringing that program to MMS. He was more than happy to participate, but told me the Chief needed to be apprised before he could commit to any presentation. I called the Chief who requested we meet with the Superintendent to insure that everyone was "on the same page" regarding the content of what would be included in this forum. I called the Superintendent's office and recieved three possible dates for a meeting - eventually I was able to coordinate everyone's schedules and a meeting was set up for the first week in Jan. The Chief of Police, Officers Kisch and Ford, Detective Cross, the newly appointed principal of MMS Chris Harriso, myself and the Superintendent were scheduled to meet at his Office to discuss the organization and implementation of an educational forum for parents of children at MMS regarding gang activity in and around our schools and community. I recieved a call three days before the meeting from the superintendent's secretary informing me the Superintendent was cancelling the meeting due to a conflicting appointment. I was assured that he would reschedule at a future date. After two weeks, I and called the Superintendent's Office to find out if the meeting had been rescheduled and was told that the Superintendent wanted to meet with the Chief of Police before any further meeting was scheduled. I called the Chief and asked whether the Superintendent had been in contact with him and he told that he had not been contacted by anyone in the Superintendent's office and that indeed he had called the Chief and cancelled the meeting. He hadn't contacted the cheif yet. I then called the Principal at MMS who told me that he had mentioned the issue at an unrelated meeting and was told that the original meeting had never been okayed by him, and that he had no intention of rescheduling it. I called the Superitendent's Office again and was told that the Superintedent had in fact had a discussion with the Chief over the phone, but was not apprised of the outcome of the call. I called the Cheif, his sescretary told me that to her knowledge no such call had taken place. I called the Superintendent's Office again to inquire as to the accuracy of that statement and was unable to reach the superintendent's office. Several days later I received a call from the Chief who told me the Superitendent had called him and told him that he was not interested in participating in this discussion at the present time. The Chief then extended an offer to create a program that would perhaps be offered through the Township. He also informed me that the HSA had been instructed not to participate in any such forum.
Approximately a week later I recieved a letter from the Superintendent office which reads:
Dear Ms. Stratechuk,
I am responding to your recent inquiries to my office regarding your concerns about gang related activities at Maplewood Middle School. I am aware that you have discussed your concerns with Principal Chris Harrison and Maplewood Chief
Robert Cimino. I also believe that the response to such concerns are being addressed at Maplewood Middle School through a coordinated effort witht the Maplewood Police Department and MMS Home and School Association.
Therefore, I am unclear as to your intentions in requesting I convene a meeting with and others on this topic. I would prefer to receive a written explnation from you before initiating another round of meetings.
Sincerely,
Peter Horoschak
Superintendent
Last week I received a call from a concerned citizen about an incident she saw unfold in front of her house outside of Columbia Hish School. She reported seeing a car of four youths pull up in front of the school, jump out and begin punching several students who were outside the school. A melee broke out and about approximately 100 students began fighting. The police showed, the crowd scatterd and the four youths jumped back into their car and drove off. She observed they were wearing colors. She also they were throwing signs to each other as they drove off in the car.
In this weeks News Record Police Blotter this incident is reported. The report goes out of its way to make the point that this was not a gang related incident. In a front page article about vandalism and theft at SOMS mention is made that gangs are thought to be involved. The person who observed this fight's account differs drastically from the News Record account.
This same parent voiced her concerns about the issue of gangs and gang activity in our community and schools and asked for a response from the Superintendent and the BOE. She was told she would receive a written response over the next week. She has not received the letter as of yet. Apparently, those sitting in the audience were highly supportive of her plea as they cheered after her three minute presentation.
Our district has taken some measures to combat gang encroachment and gang activity in our community - via placing gang officers in MMS and and a gang officer at CHS. The issues are not being adequately addressed and I sincerly hope that the scene that unfolded outside of Columbia High School does not escalate to the next round of violence.
Is it time to come to grips with the reality that gangs pose an ever increasing threat to the public safety and well-being of this community?
Is the correct response a continued denial by our community leaders in the hopes that all of the good press our community recieves will counteract the reality of this growing cancer?
Is the correct response to pick up and move to Westfield, or just opt to send our children to private schools?
What advice do we give those young families who are putting their homes up for sale in and around CHS? What do they tell the prospective buyers about their experiences living around the High School?
I have formed a group that will document on film and video any and all legal transgression that take place in and around the High School. It will be presented to the Superintendent, the BOE and the TC in the hopes that they will aggressively address the issue of gang encroachment, gang activity and gang violence in our community. Please private line me if you are interested in being part of this group.
|
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page