Regional Gang Activities

The September 29th Regional Gang Summit was an overwhelming success. Over 500 elected officials, law enforcement and human service professionals were in attendance at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. The purpose of this summit was three-fold:

1. to present a clear overview of the clinical, legal, and social implications of gang activity in the metropolitan Washington area;
2. to promote policies, programs, and best practices available to reduce and eliminate gang activity and violence; and
3. to take steps toward the development and implementation of a regional plan to reduce and eliminate local gangs.

The Regional Gang Summit was just the beginning of COG's efforts to bring multiple disciplines together to face the challenges that each jurisdiction must confront in addressing the gang problem in our region. We were pleased that Congressmen Moran, Wolf, and Davis were in attendance, as well as County Executives Jack Johnson and Doug Duncan. COG received a tremendous amount of media coverage before, during, and after the Summit. The lunchtime media presentation with Eduardo Lopez (from the Line Directa Television Series), Tom Jackman (from the Washington Post), and Gail Pennybacker (from WJLA Channel 7) was especially well received as participants were given the opportunity to interact with the speakers on issues related to media coverage of gang activity.

COG was fortunate to secure a partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, who supported Day One of the Summit and sponsored an Executive Session on September 30th. This meeting was a follow up to the Summit that included local elected officials, police chiefs and representatives from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Two key questions were answered:

• What Can or Should be Done to Reduce or Prevent Gang Activity in the Region?
• What Can or Should be Done Procedurally to Promote Regional Communication, Collaboration and Coordination?

Recommendations to these questions were given by participants and then prioritized to develop next steps. These suggestions will be massaged into action steps as COG will continue to collaborate with regional stakeholders on this issue.

The Regional Gang Summit was sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the U.S. Department of Justice Programs, the Arlington County Police Department, and Cox Communications.