Gangs in Utah: Should we be worried about the next generation?

SALT LAKE CITY — Gangs in Utah seem to be recruiting younger and younger. How worried should we be? What can we do to prevent it?

Law enforcement officials have said a Venezuelan gang implicated in a string of high profile crimes in other states officially has a footprint here in Utah.

But that’s just a small part of the bigger picture when it comes to gang activity in the state.

Is there more danger to the public?

There seems to be an uptick in news coverage about violent crimes tied to gangs in Utah. But does that mean there’s also more danger to the public?

Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Section in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, Sirena Wissler said not necessarily.

“There is not a metropolitan area, large or small, anywhere in the United States that does not have some level of gang activity. So Salt Lake is not unique in that regard,” said Wissler. “I would also say sort of anecdotally, and just in my experience [of being a] prosecutor of 27 years, that the gang problem in Salt Lake is not currently worse than it has historically been.”

Wissler said the gang activity here is much more about gang on gang violence rather than aimed towards the general public.

What should parents watch for?

KSL NewsRadio has reported multiple times on the younger and younger ages of recruits in gangs in Utah. But how would a parent know if their child had become involved?

Wissler said you have to be aware of the warning signs.

“If you have a child, particularly a teenage child who is suddenly appearing at home wearing new clothing that you know you did not purchase or wearing very expensive pair of shoes that you know you did not purchase… Carrying a new cell phone that you know you did not purchase… Those are sorts of things that organized gangs tend to utilize in recruiting new members.”

According to Wissler, one of the most vulnerable groups for gang recruitment are teenage boys. Especially those who are financially disadvantaged and may not have strong family connections.

The main preventative measure? Be involved in your kid’s life.

“[Be] aware of who your children are hanging around with and what they’re doing and if they are missing curfew on a consistent bases or you find out they are sneaking out at night. Following their social media and knowing who they are associating with is obviously important,” said Wissler.

And being an involved parent doesn’t just mean knowing your kid’s whereabouts. It’s also about making sure they feel loved and valued. Because feeling loved and included at home goes a long way toward protecting kids from the manipulation of gang recruiters, Wissler said.

What do to if a loved one is in a gang?

Kids don’t always join a gang on purpose. Gangs are very sophisticated at spotting a young person’s vulnerability or need, and they use that information to recruit them. Sometimes without the young person even realizing what’s happening.

“If there are parents who suspect that their children have become involved in gangs either wittingly or unwittingly, contact the Metro Gang Unit,” said Wissler. “Simply because you contact the metro gang unit for help does not mean your child is going to be arrested or go to jail. The Metro Gang Unit is not only there as law enforcers… They are there as prevention experts.”

Wissler also said there are resources to help kids who are at risk, including mentors or buddies to help get kids away from gang-related situations.

Wissler said the hope and goal is prevention.

“It is troubling to see some of these kids as young as they are committing horrendously violent crimes against other very young people and they are serving very long periods of incarceration, justifiably so in my view. But it also begs the question: how did this happen in the first place? Right? So I think if we can all sort of get together and collectively figure out how to prevent it, then we don’t end up losing a generation of young men either to incarceration or to just death.”

If you or someone you know needs help, contact the Metro Gang Unit at (385) 468-9773 for support.