June 12, 2009
By Wes Bowers
SAN JOSE — Berryessa officials say there is little
evidence of any significant gang activity in District Four.
District officials held a meeting last month in the wake
of a fight that occurred outside the Berryessa Library March
27.
A number of groups including San Jose Parks, Recreation and
Neighborhood Services and the city librarian, met with District
Four Councilmember Kansen Chu, Berryessa Union School District
Superintendent Marc Liebman and San Jose Police Department
representatives to discuss the amount of gang activity in
the area.
Officials said the fight occurred in the park near the Berryessa
Library, with a number of students present to watch.
Students watching the fight dispersed when school administrators
and the police arrived.
Liebman said the majority of students at the incident were
Piedmont Middle School students, but the altercation didn't
escalate beyond punches.
"When I think of violence I think guns and knives and
that sort of thing," Liebman said. "None of that
happened. A couple punches were thrown and one of the kids
was thrown into the pond. But people get upset when they see
or hear about a large number of kids in the area."
Officials said after discussing the incident, there was a
consensus the gathering was not gang-related.
They also agreed there's no evidence to suggest there's significant
gang activity in Berryessa, although they did acknowledge
gang members attend schools in the area.
Officials said students who "hang out" at the library
and in the park are not causing on-going problems.
"Our schools are safe, and the kids are safe when they're
in school," Liebman said. "The kids who hang out
at the library are good kids. And a lot can happen at the
library, but the staff there does a good job in making the
area safe. It's something you have to work at."
Liebman said the altercation was nothing compared to incidents
at other places he's worked before coming to the Berryessa
district.
While Liebman is confident Berryessa students are safe, Chu
is concerned with crime in general around the district.
"I don't want to paint a scary picture, but I've heard
more and more about car thefts, burglaries and home invasions,"
he said. "It's not at an alarming level, but I am concerned
with the current level and I'd like to see a decline."
Chu said he didn't have statistics to compare previous years
with 2009, but said the crime level in Berryessa has remained
steady over the years.
At the meeting the group came to several conclusions regarding
the incident:
n The library and park are public places, meaning students
and children have the right to be there as long as they act
appropriately, which they do the majority of the time.
There needs to be more communication with the parents who
allow their children to be in the area after school. While
students and children have the right to be there, parents
need to take responsibility and be aware of their children
and the activities they do after school.
The need for organized activities such as clubs, tutoring
and after school programs for the students and children who
go to the park and library needs to be addressed. The library
is already running some of these organized activities but
formal supervision of the students and children is needed.
This can be accomplished through cooperative efforts between
the City of San Jose, school districts, and other libraries.
Continue the close relationship with the police department
to provide service and support for the area when the occasional
problem arises.
Volunteers are needed for help. Parents, neighbors, and community
members need to be involved to make this happen.
The district and city will hold another meeting in the fall
as a forum to give parents a chance to discuss issues or concerns
they have.
Chu said he's making a consistent effort to tell his constituents
to communicate with their neighbors, including trying to initiate
more Neighborhood Watch meetings throughout the district.
"I want to try to plead with the community to get more
involved and be the eyes and ears and stop crime before something
happens, instead of relying on the police all the time,"
he said.
Chu added his office is working closely with San Jose Police
Department's Crime Prevention Unit to make this happen.
He said the fall meeting will be designed to tell Berryessa
parents how their children should behave in public places
such as the library.
"I want to try to send a message at the beginning of
the school year to parents to help us educate their children,"
he said. "Not restrain them, but instruct them how to
act appropriately in public places. It's really a parental
responsibility."
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