Charlottesville and Albemarle County Police are working to respond to an increase in gang activity in the area despite a period of reduced violence.
Gang activity is defined by property crime and identifying oneself with a gang, Charlottesville Police Department Lt. Ronnie Roberts said. "If a member is involved in a confrontation with someone, they are open to indicate that they are part of a gang," he said.
There are at least 150 confirmed gang members in the area, said Col. Steve Sellers, Albemarle County police chief. The Albemarle Police Department has also identified members through the Charlottesville regional jail, he said.
University Police Lt. Melissa Fielding said students might be affected in their living communities or areas they frequent off Grounds. "The University doesn't have a fence around it, and there [are] no secure entry and exit points," she said.
Although increased gang activity is a new phenomenon for Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Byers said, both police chiefs have experience with existing models of gang control. Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo came from Baltimore while Sellers came from Fairfax.
A new dynamic in gang formation has contributed to the increase in gang activity, Byers said. "What we're seeing is that social media is taking gangs in a whole new direction," he said.
Members can communicate instantaneously, allowing social media to serve as the driving force which keeps gangs together, he said. "They can communicate literally coast to coast or across town in a 15-mile spread," Byers said.
Activity is not limited to one area, Roberts said. "I wouldn't say it is specifically more in one area than another, it just may be more visible," he said. Graffiti is one example of such visibility, he said.\nThe root incentive to join a gang is for identity or a sense of family, Roberts said, referencing the impressionability of teens. "As they go through their life cycle, they get to a point where they ask: What did I do this for?" he said.
Roberts said decreased gang activity starts at the home through parenting. Parents' awareness of their children's activity is important to preventing gang involvement. "We want to get involved with community, with the parents and with the educators," Byers said.
The Albemarle Police Department supports the advent of a gang coordinator, who would work for the department, coordinating efforts between the City, county and University. The civilian or police official in this position would coordinate with faith-based groups and different organizations within the community "to get out there and see how we could tackle this problem," Byers said.
There has been a national reduction in violent crimes, Roberts said. "I would say that has come from the partnership between local, state and federal agencies - it's about an open line of communication between all law enforcement, sitting down at the table together and addressing the problem," he said.
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