Gangs are still a problem in many urban neighborhoods. Mainly in larger cities like Los Angeles and New York, the poor neighborhoods tend to have gangs who settle conflicts with violence and sometimes gun fire. Cities like Compton, California, are notorious for gang activity with much of the violence being glorified in music and movies. The fact is that such gang activity keeps people in these neighborhoods scared with feelings on being unsafe. It also has the added effect of depressing home prices in the area and discouraging good businesses from moving into the area and supplying more jobs. Here are a couple of ideas that have been implemented to combat gang activity.
1.) Midnight basketball- Midnight basketball leagues aren’t necessarily played at midnight. It is a term reserved for basketball played in the evening at a time when youths are prone to getting into mischief. Volunteers participate on coaching and refereeing in these leagues. Teams are divided up usually by a draft or set rosters and players are encouraged to get together after games. These programs have been widely successful in combating crime rates and keeping kids on track towards high school graduation.
2.) Recreational Centers- Rec centers are a terrific place for kids to gather and participate in a variety of activities. Ping pong is huge in rec. centers and games can be quite competitive. Darts is another game that kids can break off into groups of two and compete in friendly games. The important thing here is giving kids the alternative to trouble and crime by giving them choices of things they can do instead. Populate your neighborhood rec center with games and activities that kids in your area are likely to enjoy and plan accordingly.
There are many things a community can do to guard against crime. One of those things is to keep the kids busy doing something else. A little investment in the kids entertainment can go a long way towards fighting gang crime.