Cops battle gangs on two fronts

Police are involved in the organization of a gang summit in San Mateo County and were also invited for the first time to take part in the annual Tongan Mormon Youth Conference, held this year at Mills College. Talking to a group of 22 students Friday afternoon, Burlingame police Sgt. Ed Nakiso asked how many of them have family members in a gang. Six hands go up at first, then another, and another.

Many are first generation Tongan Americans, many have older brothers involved in gangs and many of them already met these police officers under less friendlier circumstances.

Last year, the wave of gang crimes in San Mateo County escalated to an attempted murder in San Mateo and the murder of a young man shot four times in the back on his doorstep. Since then, police have battled a steady flow of gang violence between two San Mateo gangs and one San Bruno gang.

San Mateo's Shoreview Crips and the West Side Tongans often square off with the San Bruno Baby Gangsters. They tend to meet in the middle, at the Burlingame Bayshore, where many gather to drink with friends.

With traditional law enforcement avenues falling short, the San Bruno and Burlingame Police Departments sent two officers - Nakiso and San Bruno police Sgt. Mark Phillips - to Tonga earlier this year in an attempt to understand the culture. The trip did more than enlighten the officers, it caught the attention of the local Tongan community and helped to break down the barriers between those behind the shield and the first generation Tongan Americans in San Mateo County.

Since the trip, law enforcement has been overwhelmed with support from the Tongan community.

"It's taken on a life of its own, there's so much energy in it," said San Mateo police Sgt. Alan Parisian.

A coalition of Tongan religious leaders are reaching out to law enforcement and welcoming them into their community. Together the groups are hoping to save teens from falling victim to a cycle of violence and under achievement common among new immigrant groups.

Tongans are one of the fastest growing racial groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. The highest concentration of Pacific Islanders is found in San Mateo County with 13,344 - or 1.9 percent. In the county, Pacific Islanders are concentrated in San Bruno and East Palo Alto and many are foreign born, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Many live in overcrowded homes with parents working multiple jobs. Mothers are often caregivers who spend many hours outside the home. Fathers take landscaping jobs. They among the least proficient in the English language, according to a recent study by the Asian Law Caucus, based in San Francisco.

"Parents are in a cultural vacuum. They work so much they don't have the time to learn the language or the American culture - which includes law enforcement, schools and community involvement," the study said.

"In their home country, where the total population is a sixth the size of San Mateo County, communities are smaller. If a child gets in trouble, a police officer most likely knows the parents who are more likely to handle the punishment themselves," Nakiso said.

In America, kids are quick to pick up the culture and, in a classic formula for gang involvement, pass idle time with other teens lacking parental oversight.

Escape from gang life

Former East Palo Alto resident Starford Taufuaa fell into the gang life and almost ended up in prison. After years of problems as a juvenile, Taufuaa soon ended up in San Mateo County Jail for a series of crimes. He shared a cell with another Pacific Islander, Manny Lui, who was later sentenced to 37 years for his role as the getaway driver in the 2002 high-profile Burlingame bank robbery that left bank manager Alice Martel dead.

"Most kids think it's fun, but I guarantee you when they do the time they'll end up crying," Taufuaa, now 21 and living in Santa Clara, told the group of teenagers.

Taufuaa was lucky to escape the cycle of violence other Pacific Islanders haven't.

In San Mateo County, from July 1, 2002 to Aug. 30, 2003, Pacific Islanders were 5.8 times more likely to be referred to probation. Of the 12 capital punishments handed out this year in the county, nine were given to Pacific Islanders, according to the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

For every officer trying get a handle of the Pacific Islander gang problem, there are an equal amount of community members trying to keep the young members out of the criminal justice system.

David Taumoepeau, member of the South San Francisco Parks and Recreation Commission, is proud to be a Tongan and proud to be a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles. He is among a very slim percentage of Tongans who actually finish college.

Only 51 percent of Tongans finish high school and only 6 percent of the ones who make it to college actually graduate with a bachelor's degree. They have some of the lowest statistics among Asian Pacific Islanders, according to the Asian Law Caucus study.

Keeping kids active

Taumoepeau is hoping to keep kids focused on school and away from gangs by making sure they have something to do when they're not in school. He was instrumental in setting up Friday's conference and is also working with the San Mateo, San Bruno and Burlingame police departments to create a Friday and Saturday night live program.

San Mateo already has similar programs. Last month on two separate weekends, police from all three departments took groups of Tongan "tweeners" to a ropes course. The day gave kids and opportunity to see cops without uniforms and outside a hostile situation, said San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer.

"The San Mateo Police Department hired four Pacific Islander officers to strengthen the relationship with the Tongan community. Two are on regular patrol and two are currently in field training," Manheimer said.

"A department should reflect its community," she said.

Gang summit

Efforts to curb and summer gang violence are well underway. The county will institute another year of the Safe Summer Task Force when officers from many cities pool their resources to target gang hotspots.

With the help of the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, police and community members are delicately planning a gang summit with members of opposing San Mateo and San Bruno gangs.

"These approaches are being handled by people who know people," said PCRC Executive Director Pat Brown.

With gang violence expected to pick up during the summer, leaders admit there's still a lot of work to be done.

"It's been a long process and a lot of hours are spent reaching out to the community," said Taumoepeau.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com