WASHINGTON COUNTY GANG TASK FORCE

The Washington County Gang Task Force was created on November 14, 2005 as a result of learning from other community's misfortune at having recognized they had a gang problem too late to make a real impact in the prevention of gangs organizing within their community. Washington County believes that it is more effective and cost efficient to prevent gangs from organizing than it is to suppress them or intervene in gang activities once they are established.

The Washington County Gang Task Force has a membership that includes law enforcement, state government, county and municipal governments, Parole and Probation, Public Schools, State Division of Corrections, the Detention Center, States Attorney's Office, the Health Department, Social Services, C-SAFE Program Coordinator, Local Management Board, Department of Juvenile Services, Hagerstown Community College, and other private and public entities.

The definition of gang used by the Task Force is a group of three or more individuals, juvenile or adult, who associate on a continuous basis, form an allegiance for a common purpose, and are involved in delinquent or criminal activity.

The Gang Task Force is presently providing as many gang awareness training sessions as possible so that parents and concerned citizens can recognize individuals as being a potential gang member or that an individual is at risk for recruitment into a gang. Any group that would like to host a gang awareness training is asked to contact one of the police agencies within the county.

An email is presently circulating that states that in Winchester, VA there is a gang initiation that has occurred which includes two women being picked up at Martin's Food Store and Sheetz. The women were allegedly raped by a potential gang member as an initiation into the gang. This email is not true and should be ignored as propaganda being spread.

An email is also being circulated that states that you should not flash your headlights at a vehicle that is passing by with its headlights out because the vehicle contains gang members who will turn around and do harm to the people in the vehicle that flashes its lights. This email is also not true and should be ignored as propaganda.