South City cracking down on rival gangs

"We are doing very well," said South San Francisco police Cpl. Bruce McPhillips. "I won't say it's under control, but we have a handle on it."

The South San Francisco Gang Suppression Unit identified 200 active gang members and affiliates in two Norteño gangs and one Sureño gang in the city. They often drink and congregate on the East Side on Cypress Avenue, the 500 blocks of Second, Third and Fourth lanes and a few other areas, McPhillips said.

Police in South City apprehended many gang members in the late 1990s, and are now dealing with the former members' children. Authorities questioned teens as young as 13 on gang affiliation, McPhillips said, and residents under 18 have a 10 p.m. curfew in the city.

At a City Council meeting Thursday night, Councilman Pedro Gonzalez said he has heard 10 to 12 year olds in his neighborhood out past 11:30 p.m.

"I don't know whether they're playing or fighting, the way kids talk these days," he said. He also said he has noticed more graffiti this summer.

McPhillips stressed the gangs are not as violent as others in the county, but parents should be vigilant of their children wearing red and blue gang colors. Residents are encouraged to report graffiti, which could signal a gang marking its territory. Some police officers are trained to identify gang members, and they patrol the city on foot. Police share information about gangs in frequent meetings with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and police in San Bruno and San Mateo.

Gonzalez suggested forming a youth commission to involve younger people in a discussion about the dangers of gangs, which could be organized in a high school or the community center.

"That's a very good idea," McPhillips said. "We need to get youth involved."

Stephen Baxter can be reached by e-mail at stephen@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.