POLICE CHIEF PHELPS DISCUSSES GANG ACTIVITY
Brenham Police Chief Rex Phelps met with members of the local media this (Wednesday) afternoon to discuss a recent Houston Chronicle story about gang crime moving out of Harris County into nearby counties. He said that the Brenham Police department believes that Harris County gangs are actively trying to recruit local youths. Chief Phelps said that some of the bicycle thefts and vehicle break-ins are being committed by juveniles that are being enticed by gang members from Houston. He stated that local officers have even made traffic stops on some people and when their drivers license is checked, it comes back flagged as a known gang member from Harris County.
The Chief is asking that parents know what their children are doing at all times and not let them run loose at late hours. He also asks that they take notice of what clothes they are wearing:
Chief Phelps said that if a parent notices anything that appears to be gang related that they can contact him or any investigator at the Brenham Police Department.
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The Police Department appreciates the questions asked regarding this news release and the opportunity to answer them. In respect to clothing: There are no particular articles of clothing that indicate gang activity. It is rather the color worn frequently that raises the concern. Red and blue are the most prevalent colors worn; it could be a bandana, shoe laces, a shirt – anything that seems to indicate a pattern of routine. In terms of behavior a child could become more defiant, more rebellious than before. They may possess items that parents haven’t seen before or bought particularly like bikes, laptops and GPS systems. They may be hanging around new people of questionable conduct and activity. They may have new friends that don’t want to come in and meet the parents, or only show up late in the evening.
It’s important that parents understand that habitual offenders tend to enlist or recruit juveniles, young teens and young adults; they especially target those in socio-economically depressed areas. With all the stresses in life, it’s vitally important for all parents to stay engaged with their children. It’s important to know where they are, what they are doing and who they are with. As police officers, we continually see juveniles and young teens out at all times of the day and night. In the past, the negative influence we see moving into our town might not have been there; however, as urban areas continue to grow our way, that negative influence will attempt to grow with it. We want our community to be aware of that. We are doing what we can to keep that negative influence from impacting our children and our community. We need everyone’s help with that. Remember, that intervention and prevention are just as effective tools in the fight against crime as is apprehension.
On several occasions, Chief Phelps has asked/or informed our community to be aware of certain events necessary in keeping our community safe and secure. For those of us who have lived in Brenham for thirty plus years, we have seen substantial growth in our community. Keeping Brenham a small, rural community is a thing of the past…and as we are just “a stones throw” from Houston and Austin, we must keep our community, our property and our children safe from harms way. I applaud our police and sheriff’s department in assisting our community in keeping abreast of important safety events through public announcements.
Googled and found this informative site.
https://www.k12.wa.us/Safetycenter/Gangs/pubdocs/ParentGangBrochureFinal.pdf
What clothes indicate gang activity? What behavior would indicate gang activity? Education is important.