|
|
ADVOCACY
Did you know that in 2008 the North Carolina Criminal Justice Analysis Center identified approximately 550 active gangs across the state of North Carolina?
Combined, these gangs have a total membership of 14,500 individuals. The 550 identified gangs across North Carolina met the national gang definition criteria of (a) a group of three or more individuals with (b) a unique name and other identifying attributes who (c) demonstrate a commitment to crime as evidenced by prior and/or current substantiated criminal activity. (“Gangs in North Carolina: A Law Enforcement Survey.” The North Carolina Criminal Justice Analysis Center, 2008.)
In response to the alarming growth of gang activity in Nash and Edgecombe Counties, the City of Rocky Mount Police Department, the Nash County Sheriff’s Department, the United Way Tar River Region, and the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, have come together to implement GRASPP, the Gang Resistance, Awareness, Suppression & Prevention Program, which puts into action gang and youth violence prevention strategies throughout Nash and Edgecombe counties.
GRASPP works closely with a Community Collaborative, comprised of local law enforcement and government, Rocky Mount-Nash Area Public Schools, Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as a host of community organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, Communities in School, as well as members of the United Way Tar River Region. The GRASPP Community Collaborative will work as a partnering agent to help cultivate, execute and advance the goals and objectives of the program, overall of which is to provide gang resistance, awareness, education, youth violence prevention and outreach to Nash and Edgecombe communities.
In addition to the Community Collaborative, GRASPP educates qualified trainers who will complete a 20+ hour, weeklong training in gang awareness and youth violence prevention. Our trainers immerse themselves in educational and youth settings, churches and other locations across Nash and Edgecombe counties, providing gang awareness, education and violence prevention training to youths ranging in ages from 7-14 years.
GRASPP is proud to be born out of the dedication of the City of Rocky Mount Police Department, the Nash County Sheriff’s Department, the United Way Tar River Region and the North Carolina’s Governor’s Crime Commission, who have committed themselves to keeping our communities safe by choosing to educate our youth who are at risk for gang initiation and by choosing strategic, evidenced-based prevention methods for eradicating gang violence and culture from our communities.
If you have any ideas, concerns or comments about GRASPP, or would like to volunteer to help keep our communities safe, please feel free to give us a call at (252) 937-2213.
|
|
|
