MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)-Myrtle Beach police want to help parents understand different signs they should look for to indicate possible gang involvement. Lieutenant Joey Crosby with the Myrtle Beach Police Department told me anytime you have a community of this size with a lot of people coming in and out, there are going to be gang problems.
The Myrtle Beach police department has a gang unit to deal with these concerns. Officers in the unit pay close attention to markings on buildings, like spray paint and vandalism. They find out what the symbols mean which group they’re associated with and who could have put the signs and symbols there. Officers also talk to people in the area about what they’ve seen to understand what problems people in neighborhoods have noticed.
Officers say gang control goes beyond what city police can do. Lieutenant Crosby says it starts at home.
“It’s vital. You have to talk to your kids, you have to be involved in your kid’s life, you have to communicate with them as for what problems they’re going to be facing as young adults in our society. So we want to give you that information so you have the knowledge and the capability of having that conversation with them so you can identify any problems they may be having.”
A community activist of more than forty years told News13 he used to be in gang. Bennie Swans told me he wanted to be accepted, to belong, to fit in. He says society didn’t accept him, but his gang did.
Swans’ biggest piece of advice is to never think your child isn’t capable of being in a gang.
“They didn’t know. We often want to blame parents. And I had both parents grow up in the house. Very strong father. Very loving mother. But they didn’t know.”
Officers want to let parents know which signs they should look for in their kids and how to pick up on gang behavior patterns.
First, Swans recommends checking your child’s bedroom. He says it’s not just your right but your responsibility to know what your child is doing. He said make sure to check under the bed, in the closet, in drawers and tight spaces and especially under the mattress. Swans said the biggest thing you should look for are guns and drugs.
That meeting starts tonight at 6 at the train depot building. On Saturday, February 20th, there will be a meeting to address youth in our community to let them know the danger of gangs. It will be at the Mary C. Canty Recreation Center featuring former professional baseball player Wilson “Willie” James. Ages 10 to 16 are invited. The event also includes games and pizza. James, who played for the Atlanta Braves and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, will talk about making good decisions.