Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gang Expert Speaks

Steve Nawojczyk, one of the greater experts on gang violence in the United States, spoke to a crowd of 173 persons at the Prescott Middle School cafeteria December 14, concerning the awareness of gang violence.

Nawojczyk is a retired Pulaski County coroner. He has traveled extensively in 30 states preaching anti-gang violence to schools, businesses and communities and on the dynamics of gangs and non-traditional solutions to youth violence.

His presentation was based on a two world rule: Do Right. "If you do right in life," he said, "the right will come back to you."

He spoke at length concerning the death of young people due to gang activity. In 1983 there were 38 homicides in Little Rock. In 1993 the number had nearly tripled to 111. Most of these homicides were black males under the age 17.

He also noted that during this period gangs from Chicago and Los Angles had moved into the Little Rock area. He said that most of the Africa-Americans who were killed were killed by African- Americans.

Nowojczyk said that he is not an expert, but that he learned from the experts gang and ex- gang members. They are the experts.

Some of the ex-gang members have gone on to do well in life, because they decided to follow the two word rule, Do Right, he said. Before a person can get help, he or she must first want help.

Statistics show that 100,000 times a day kids go to school with guns. He said that bullets do not have names on them. They will hit anybody or anything. When you tend to resolve a conflict with a gun, you have no idea when the bullet is going to go. Kids must never be allowed to carry guns to school Nawojczyk told the group.

Two things must be done to have a safe community and school, he said: 1) practice zero tolerance; and 2) offer strong intervention and preventive programs. The reasons kids join gangs are for identity, recognition, respect, discipline and belonging, he said. They will find it where ever they can get it. Families, schools and communities must compete for their kids.