Gang awareness training for county school custodians

The Sussex County Community-Based Gang Task Force - facilitated through The Center for Prevention & Counseling - recently organized a countywide gang awareness training for school custodians. Held at the Sussex County Technical School in Sparta, about 40 custodians and supervisors from many different school districts attended the half-day training, that was sponsored by the NJ School Buildings and Grounds Association and the County Superintendent of Schools. The keynote speakers were Lieutenant Edwin Torres, who is based in Trenton, and is the Supervisor for the Gang Management Unit, NJ Juvenile Justice Commission and Detective Kim Baeli, of the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office. Lieutenant Torres is an expert in the field of gang violence and prevention and has been in law enforcement for sixteen years, specializing solely on gang violence for the past thirteen. Torres gave an in-depth presentation that included the history of specific gangs that have infiltrated the State of NJ in the past decade or so. Detective Baeli has been with the Prosecutor’s Office for the past six years and investigates potential gang activity in Sussex County, in addition to her other duties and fieldwork. Her presentation focused mainly on the signs and symbols that have been noted around Sussex County in recent years, that may be linked to peripheral gang activity. Although the task force believes there currently is no cause for alarm in Sussex County, there is reason for concern - based on how rapidly gangs have developed in bordering counties and states in the last few years. Both presenters stressed that the gang issue cannot be solved by law enforcement alone, and that community involvement is key in prevention efforts. For more information, please contact 973-383-4787.