U-S ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER AND EDUCATION SECRETARY ARNE DUNCAN ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO STOP YOUTH VIOLENCE - IN THE WAKE OF THE HORRIFIC BEATING DEATH OF DERRION ALBERT.
SOME SAY BEEFED UP LAW ENFORCEMENT IS THE ANSWER. BUT OTHERS SAY THAT'S ONLY PART OF THE EQUATION.
DECADES AGO, DR. IRVING SPERGEL, A UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SOCIALOGIST, FOUND A WAY TO STOP THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF VIOLENCE. GANG EXPERTS SAY THE MULTI-PRONGED EFFORT PROVED YOU CAN TURN TROUBLED KIDS AROUND. UNFORTUNATELY, FUNDING AND POLICE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATION DRIED UP - AND THE PROGRAM WAS SHUT DOWN.
HERE'S A TRANSCRIPT FROM OUR 2002 WGN-TV SPECIAL, "STOPPING THE STREET GANGS"
(JULIAN AUDIO TRACK)
FOR FORTY YEARS ... DR. IRVING SPERGEL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO HAS STUDIED CHICAGO
GANGS FROM THE STREETS.(Dr. Spergel at 51:22)
"You gotta be able to talk with the kids. You gotta be able to respect the kids."
HE STARTED ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-GANG PROGRAMS EVER DEVELOPED.
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(
GANGS #6 - LITTLE VILLAGE B-roll at 07:57:47)-----
(Irving Spergel at 47:37)
"You can't do this kind of work from 9-5, you gotta be out there from like 4-5 and maybe midnight and beyond"
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("LITTLE VILLAGE
STREETS" - 02:11:42)-----
SPERGEL'S PROGRAM FOCUSED UNPRECEDENTED RESOURCES ON ONE OF CHICAGO'S TOUGHEST NEIGHBORHOODS, THE LITTLE VILLAGE COMMUNITY ...
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(Spergel on
GANGS #4 at 54:40)"You've got to have special programs for these kids. you can't just kick them out. and you've got to have jobs and training for them."
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(LITTLE VILLAGE
STREETS - COP SHOP - 02:15:59)-----
FOR SEVEN YEARS ....THE LITTLE VILLAGE PROJECT BROUGHT POLICE, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND EDUCATIONAL COUNSELORS TOGETHER AS A TEAM ... LITERALLY LURING GANG MEMBERS AWAY FROM THE
STREETS.-----
(Spergel on
GANGS #3 at 40:46)"We had two full-time tactical officers. we had two part-time neighborhood relations officers. we had three adult probation officers."
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(MORE SPERGEL VIDEO/'LITTLE VILLAGE
STREETS" - 02:07:56 )-----
U OF C RESEARCHERS CAREFULLY TRACKED THE RESULTS.
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("GRAPHICS" OR "ILLINOIS CRIM. JUSTICE INFO AUTH." - 01:00:26)
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RESULTS PUBLISHED BY AN INDEPENDANT ORGANIZATION, THE ILLINOIS CRIMMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION AUTHORITY. IN A SERIES OF REPORTS THEY CONCLUDED,
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(PAGE TURN FROM "COMBATING GANG VIOLENCE" - 03:52:12 TO "OUTCOMES OF THE GANG VIOLENCE" - 03:53:01)
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(DISSOLVE TO QUOTE #1)
"THE NUMBER OF....SCHOOL DROPOUTS (FROM ONE GANG) DECREASED FROM 52 TO 35 PERCENT.
WHILE "THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL DROPOUTS (FROM ANOTHER GANG) DECREASED FROM 44 TO 26 PERCENT.
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AND IN THE TOUGHEST CASES ...
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(QUOTE #2)
"THE PROJECT APPEARED TO BE PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE MORE SERIOUS OFFENDERS ..."
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(Spergel at 41:51-58)
"We tried to give the guys jobs or getting them back to school and try to distance each of them from the gang"
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(MORE LITTLE VILLAGE B-ROLL?)
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THE STUNNING SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT DREW NATIONAL ATTENTION. AND NOW, SPERGEL'S ANTI-GANG MODEL IS WORKING IN MORE THAN THIRTY CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
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(
GANGS #4 - POLICE HEADQUARTERS - 03:39:35)-----
BUT IRONICALY ... HERE IN CHICAGO ... THE EFFORT WAS DROPPED... ABANDONED BY THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
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(Spergel on
GANGS #3 at 42:37)"I thought we would get police involved to take over the project. but they didn't want to do it"
(butt to 44:21)
"I suppose they didn't want to work with former gang members, there is always some risk, but other cities have done it".
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("LITTLE VILLAGE
STREETS" - JULIAN STAND UP - 02:19:47)"TOO OFTEN LAW ENFORCEMENT'S ATTITUDE APPEARS TO BE, "OUR JOB IS TO LOCK THESE GANGBANGERS UP. NOT TO COUNSEL THEM."
ACCORDING TO DR. SPERGEL, THAT'S AN ATTITUDE THAT **HAS** TO CHANGE IF CITY LEADERS ARE SERIOUS ABOUT REDUCING THE TRAGEDY OF GANG VIOLENCE."
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