The first line of defense
Part 1 of a twopart investigation into gang prevention at Simi schools
By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers COMMUNICATION IS KEY- Student Resource Officer John St. Laurent speaks with a student in between classes at Simi Valley High. Officers like St. Laurent, who has worked in the school district for more than 20 years, are on the front lines in the fight against gangs, who often seek out new membership among high school-aged students.

Though they may not even be aware of it, most students attending high school in Simi Valley will at one time or another be exposed to gang-influenced activity.

Whether it's fighting, stealing, tagging or the use or sale of narcotics, the influence is there- even in a low-crime city like Simi that's home to only two documented street gangs boasting what police say are less than 50 "card-carrying" members.

But just as schools can unwittingly provide gangs with a setting to spread their influence, they can also help diminish the power of gangs. That's because schools and educators can keep in check the one thing all gangs need to survive: new membership.

In an effort to steer students away from thoughts of joining a gang, school officials and the local police department- through its Student Resource Officer (SRO) program- are constantly on the lookout to identify students who are at risk of joining gangs or who may already have a gang affiliation.

Simi Valley High principal Steve Pietrolungo said some students find it easier to fit in with gangs on the street than they do with their classmates at school.

"That is something we're trying to stop," Pietrolungo said. "Kids need a sense of belonging. If they don't get it from us, then they're going to get it from somewhere else."

Pietrolungo said that only a small percentage of students, "maybe 2 or 3 percent," are the "knuckleheads" who cause trouble at school. Most gang activity occurs offcampus, beyond the jurisdiction of schools, he said.

But when gang activity does rear its ugly head at school, SVPD's student resource officers come into play.

Identifying changes in behavior

Officer John St. Laurent has been a student resource officer in Simi Valley for 23 years. In that time, there's little that hasn't come across his desk.

Schools are not immune to serious criminal activity, he said, as he's had to deal with everything from hard-core drugs to violence and rape.

Visiting each of the more than 30 public and private schools throughout Simi Valley on a regular basis, St. Laurent is one of the first lines of defense when it comes to identifying potential at-risk teens at school and seeing if gang influence may be playing a role, he said.

"We don't tolerate any suspicious activity," St. Laurent said. "That could mean anything from a student that sits by himself at lunch every day or someone whose grades are dropping and is involved in drugs."

SROs interact with students on a daily basis, St. Laurent said. When a student is exhibiting behavior that seems to be out of the norm for that student- anything from rapidly declining grades to numerous truancies or even to hanging out with a new group of friends- SROs are responsible for checking up on that individual, he said.

"Every day is a different day, and sometimes we don't know what to expect," St. Laurent said.

Lt. Gregory Riegert, who oversees the police department's Special Problems section- which includes the gang enforcement unit- agreed with Laurent. Identifying individuals who might be involved in gang activity is the first step in controlling the problem, he said.

He describes an SRO's job as a preventive measure.

"Kids are growing up and they are going to make mistakes," Riegert said. "We have the opportunity to point them in the right direction before it's too late."

SROs search groups of students for "the look," Riegert said.

Baggy pants, oversized jerseys, tagging on their notebooks and even shoes like Nike Cortez and accessories such as Lokes sunglasses- a type of eyewear traditionally worn by Hispanic gangs- could be signs that an individual is involved in gangs, he said.

"Sometimes the smallest things can lead to bigger problems," Riegert said.

There are 40 registered gang members in Simi, but very little gang activity is seen in schools, the lieutenant said. What is visible is usually related to tagging and sometimes fights over girls, he said, but recruiting does occur, often by older brothers and peers who are already in gangs.

Administrators from Royal High School did not return repeated calls from the Acorn for comment on this story.

Look for part two of this story next week dealing with changing kids' minds about gangs.