Gang awareness event held in Ephrata

Yahoo

12-05-2025

May 12—EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District organized an informational session on youth gang involvement Thursday night, bringing together educators, law enforcement and community members to address youth gang concerns in the region.
The presentation, led by North Central Education Services District Assessment Coordinator Hunter McLeod aimed to equip parents and educators with the knowledge needed to recognize and counteract gang influences among students, organizers said.
"Recognizing the reality of youth gang involvement in our community is the first step towards addressing it," said Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray. "We must come together as a community to support our youth and mitigate these issues early."
The Landscape
McLeod noted that nearly 90% of gang members have had police contact by the age of 16, showing that the draw of gang involvement begins very young. That figure underscores the urgency of early intervention and community awareness. McLeod's presentation emphasized that while Ephrata may not be as severely impacted as other towns in the area, the presence of gangs is still real and significant.
McLeod highlighted a definition provided by the Revised Code of Washington, stating that a gang is "a group which consists of three or more persons with identifiable leadership who regularly conspire for criminal purposes."
The Sureños and Norteños are two prominent street gang factions in Grant County, she said, primarily known for their rivalry and association with respective prison gangs. Sureños members are affiliated with the Mexican Mafia, La Eme. For the Sureños, blue and black, the letter "M", the number 13 and LA Dodgers are examples commonly found to represent themselves. Norteños are aligned with the Nuestra Familia. For the Norteños, the color red, the number 14, Norte, the letter N, the huelga bird, and NorCal references are common symbols representing the group.
Watchful Parents
The presentation outlined specific behaviors and indicators parents should watch for to keep their children away from gangs. Some warning signs discussed included being mindful of doodling in notebooks, watching for consistent clothing colors, monitoring social media activity, keeping an eye on tech and making sure firearms are secured.
McLeod said students often doodle gang-related symbols or numbers, such as 13 or 14, in their notebooks. For instance, a drawing incorporating these numbers could signify gang affiliation or that the student has been approached by or exposed to gangs in some way.
Young people may signal gang affiliation through specific colors. Wearing colors associated with particular gangs can make children targets for rival groups. It's important for parents to understand that clothing choices can reflect ties to gang culture. There has also been a trend of using a rosary with colored beads or bead patterns to signify gang affiliation or rank in a gang. While school districts in the area haven't banned the wearing of rosaries, students are asked to wear them discreetly to ensure they aren't used in association with gang activity on school campuses.
Gangs use social media extensively for recruiting and organizing, McLeod said. McLeod said some common apps being used to organize include: Instagram, Whatsapp, Cashapp, Snapchat, X, TikTok, YikYak, Discord, Kik, Reddit and Tumblr.
She also said another type of app called a vault app can hide photos, documents and other apps parents should watch for. Her advice for parents is to visit the app store on the student's phone and type in "vault app," "hide photos," or "secret app." If any of them have "open" next to them instead of "get," it means the app is installed on the phone. During the presentation, she showed several photos of students who had taken photos with firearms, paraphernalia and gang-affiliated merchandise from their homes.
"Many parents remain unaware of the platforms their children are using, and this lack of knowledge can lead to unintended risks," McLeod said. "It's crucial for parents to engage and understand what their kids are doing online."
Share location: Consider using apps such as Find my Friends or Life 360 to be able to see the location of the child. McLeod recommends having conversations on where your child is going and what they're doing.
"They share their location with me, not because I'm a creep and I want to know where they're at all the time, but when it's 10 o'clock at night and I don't know where they are, I can find them really easily and I don't have to worry," McLeod said.
One of the recommendations McLeod made was to do random, unannounced bedroom checks to ensure children aren't sneaking out at night.
"That's where we need to be starting and talking and coming together, family has a very big influence in this," McLeod said. "You need to be doing bedroom checks. (You) need to know what our kids are doing."
McLeod said the responsibility of securing firearms belongs to the gun owner and children should not be able to access them.
Area law enforcement has repeatedly told Columbia Basin Herald staff that firearms being stolen from unsecured vehicles often end up being used in other crimes. Bringing them inside and securing them in a gun safe helps protect them as property and keep them out of the hands of criminals such as those involved in gang activity.
McLeod said she monitors her own children's social media activity. She has access to all of their passwords and accounts so she can check them. She said a great deal of gang activity is organized through social media channels, so monitoring those platforms can help keep parents informed.
McLeod recommends that parents know who their children are hanging out with. This includes meeting their friends and parents of friends if the child will be at their house. She said she often finds parents know of their friends and their families, but haven't met them.
"That's what we're seeing more and more of and not knowing who the people are is a really big problem."
McLeod said it's also important for parents to talk to their children and ask questions when what their sons and daughters say just doesn't add up. Parents should approach the conversation by asking questions rather than seeming to attack the child with accusations.
A Community Problem
One of the key themes of the night was the idea of community involvement in supporting at-risk youth. Law enforcement officials highlighted their collaborative efforts with the school district to monitor gang-related activities and engage directly with problematic behaviors.
"We have an active dialogue between the schools and law enforcement," said Ephrata PD Cpt. Troy Froewiss, Captain with the Ephrata Police Department. "When we identify a young person involved in gang activities, we work with school personnel to provide the necessary support to help them disengage from that lifestyle."
To ensure a proactive approach, parents were encouraged to participate in community clean-ups and reporting of gang graffiti and activity. McLeod said, "When gang symbols or graffiti are reported in a timely manner, it sends a message that such behavior is not tolerated in our community."
Presenters said Ephrata residents must remain vigilant and support one another to create safe environments for the children who live there.
Parents are urged to familiarize themselves with signs of gang activity and to communicate openly with their children about the risks associated with gang involvement.
"This is just the beginning of our efforts to educate and engage our community about the reality of youth gangs," Murray said. "Together, we can create a supportive framework for our children."
As the community moves forward, it is clear that ongoing dialogue, education, and partnership will be crucial in combating the challenges posed by youth gangs in Ephrata.
The school district aims to host further discussions and workshops and encourages community members to participate actively in future events.
The Ephrata School District has an online, anonymous reporting website where parents, students and community members can report suspicious behavior.
"If you were to take anything away from this, it's really making sure that when we see concerning behavior, we say something," McLeod said.
The website can be found at https://bit.ly/SSSSEPH.
The Ephrata Police Department can also take information from the public about potential concerns. To contact EPD, email [e-mail] or [e-mail].