| Gangs are dead end, Passaic cops tell students |
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| Friday, 13 June 2008 | |
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By KAREN KELLER PASSAIC -- Kids: Gang membership leads to prison or death. Forget about feeling cool or getting instant credibility. And if you think you can be friends with gang members without being a member, you can still end up dead. Think about it. Police Detective Kevin Merkerson delivered this grim message to 189 sixth-graders at School 14 during a gang-awareness seminar Wednesday morning as part of a safety-themed event sponsored by the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. Although police can't say for sure whether youth gang membership is up in the city, school officials say there's a heightened awareness of gang culture after the stabbing death of 18-year-old Jose Robles in April. Early prevention is key, Merkerson said. Gangs start recruiting children in the sixth grade -- ages 10, 11 and 12. By middle school, gang membership is a reality in the city, he said. READ MORE: http://www.myheraldnews.com/view.html?type=stories&action=detail&sub_id=36836
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