In reaction to increased gang activity over the past three months, Princeton Township will hold a forum to inform community members about gang-related trends in New Jersey.
The Township Police Department, Princeton Middle School and Corner House, a nonprofit counseling agency, are cosponsoring the Nov. 29 event. Police officers from the Borough and Township will be available to answer questions.
Senior Investigator John Antinoro will be the keynote speaker, answering questions based on his experience with the special investigations division of the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
The Department of Corrections has "observed a gang presence in every [New Jersey] county, whether it's a posse, a clique or a super-gang," such as the Latin Kings, Antinoro said.
The University community has remained relatively unaffected by these events.
"I don't have an idea of half the things going on at Princeton, let alone in the town," Nick Burroughs '08 said. "I also find it really hard to believe that there are real gangs in Princeton. This is nice, rich suburbia, not gang land."
The Department of Corrections has identified 263 distinct gangs and about 9,000 individual members in New Jersey. About 50 percent of the members are in jail, Antinoro said.
Antinoro said gangs recruit at malls, local schools and universities.
"I'm sure they go to these high-priced areas and schools so that they can double their profits. It's about selling their drugs," he said.
Public Safety is aware of the recent gang-related events, but will continue with normal operations, said Steven Healy, director of Public Safety.
"I don't think that most of [the University] students would be interested in forming any relationship with organized gangs, although again, we need to keep our antennas up to make sure," he said.
Recent gang activity
The Princeton community has witnessed three distinct gang-related events in the past three months.
Borough resident Jean Mario Israel, 19, was killed in Trenton on Sept. 24. Police believe he was affiliated with a gang.
Adrian McPherson, 19, and James Kornegay, 20, were arrested on suspicion of committing aggravated assault with a bat on Witherspoon Street on Oct. 31.
They are accused of attacking two bystanders, sending one to the hospital with severe head injuries.
The perpetrators "were copying gang sounds and signals. To say they're in a gang could be a leap of faith, but they're engaging in actions that would be indicative of someone in a gang," said Borough Police Lt. Dennis McManimon.
Princeton High School officials restricted the school's usual open campus policy on Nov. 1 after receiving a warning of gang-related violence, according to McManimon.
Members of a Trenton gang allegedly wanted to settle the score from an argument at a party the previous weekend.
There has also been increased activity from a high school gang called the Purple City.
"They're not an officially recognized gang. However, if you get a group of kids and they start wearing colors and acting in specific ways, then they are a gang," McManimon said.
Borough police have had one minor confrontation with Purple City members.
"On Halloween night, a lot of the kids we had a problem with, harassing trick-or-treaters for instance, are kids that we have affiliated with that group," McManimon said.
Law enforcement officers continue to be vigilant because they "consider the wannabes more dangerous than the individuals who are active gang members because they have more to prove," Antinoro said.
The events have unsettled some Princeton High School students.
"I personally feel like I have to be more cautious and that I need to protect my friends that are illegal Hispanic immigrants," said senior Laura Speldman. "They don't know what resources they have and that they can go to the police."
Police initiatives
Township and Borough police have mounted efforts to combat increased gang activities.
Police officers have changed some of their patrol tactics and routes, met more frequently with the public and given advice to adolescents at the high school.
They are also continuing to train officers on gang awareness and started using a confidential hotline through which residents can provide tips to the police.
"First and foremost, I still believe that Princeton University and the Princeton community in general are very safe places," Healy said. "I understand that there have been some isolated gang events, but I do not believe that they have had an overall effect on the safety of the community."
Healy said Public Safety will continue to work and share information with local police. Acting Director of Operations Lt. Duncan Harrison will attend the forum next week on behalf of the University.
"I applaud both the Borough and Township police departments for facing up to the facts and publicizing that we seem to have a problem brewing because when you bury your head in the sand, the problem gets bigger than you can handle," Healy said.
The Township meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 29 in the John Witherspoon Middle School auditorium and is open to the public.
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