Experts on gang violence shared information with various agencies that serve families and children. Catholic Charities of Buffalo and the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies hosted the event. WBFO's Eileen Buckley says the forum was designed to discuss why children get involved in gangs.
130-members of child welfare agencies from Buffalo and across the state gathered at a Catholic Charities site in Lackawanna. That's where they shared information on gang violence.
"We've got to begin to see value in our youth," said Pastor James Giles of Buffalo, Executive Director of the Back to Basics Ministry.
During the past 40 years of his work in the Buffalo community Giles has watched gangs develop. He's not alarmed by it, but works to prevent children from joining gangs.
"A lot of that was due to mass expulsion -- when you suspend kids and don't give them to do they get frustrated with that process," said Giles. "When they drop out -- they form families in our neighbors and they become the neighborhood gang."
The keynote speaker at the event was a member of the New York City Police Department -- Kevin O'Connor is the assistant commissioner. He told the audience a good defense against growing gang violence is working to interact with youth through social media trends. "Adults -- 40 and 50 years olds didn't grow up in social media understanding what these kids do every day. It's just kids being kids, but they need to get into that world," said O'Connor.
O'Connor says law enforcement works to share gang activity information to educate communities.
The Council of Family and Child Care Agencies (COFCCA) is the principal representative of child welfare agencies across the state, including Catholic Charities, Hillside, Berkshire Farm Center, Baker-Victory, New Directions, and others. The organization works with agencies "to share best practices, and advocate with them for appropriate funding and legislation to improve their work with families," said Mary Jane Dessables, Director of Information, Research and Accountability.