Years ago, gangs were considered problems for places like New York and Los Angeles. Gang activity was a scourge that didn't touch smaller cities like Hickory.
That has changed. There are gangs in Hickory and on Saturday, local residents listened to former gang member Ron Mayfield tell the story of how he went from a star running back at Hickory High School to spending three years in prison.
Mayfield, 31, of Hickory, was a member of the Folks. He was convicted on common law robbery charges.
He was one of several speakers at a symposium called "Gangs…What You Need to Know" held at Viewmont Baptist Church in Hickory.
Mayfield serves as a mentor with an outreach and mentoring group called Young Men of Integrity, where he uses his experiences from his past lifestyle to help youths who are in gangs or considering joining them to avoid the mistakes he made.
"In Ridgeview, there are a lot of kids that don't have a father — that don't have a role model," he said. "I've set my mind to be positive, and that's what they need."
One factor that made gangs especially appealing to Mayfield was his difficult home life and the fact that being in a gang was a way to get acceptance and money, he said.
Being sent to prison didn't end his involvement in the gang — it intensified it, he said.
What changed him was being a single father to his daughter and finding God.
"The number one thing I had to do to live right was to give my life to God. That was the choice I made," he said. He has now devoted himself to helping young people make good choices.
Other speakers at the conference included Deputy Mike McKenzie of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. His address concerned Internet networking sites and how gangs use them to recruit new members, conduct illegal activities and spread their influence.
He focused on MySpace and told of the sexual predators who use the site to identify new victims and of gang members who use the site to arrange drug deals and other illegal activities.
He advised parents to monitor their children's Internet activities and to remember that children often make two Internet profiles — one for their parents to monitor and the real one.
Sgt. Vidal Sipe of the Hickory Police Department's Street Crimes Interdiction Unit and Gang of One Coordinator Cindy Rickman spoke about signs and indicators that young people are interested or involved in gangs. They showed photos of gang signs, clothing and graffiti.
Sipe said the HPD is continuing to enter and validate gang members. The unit has identified about 140 gang members in the city with ties to the Bloods, Crips and Surenos 13, along with 16 other gangs encountered in the city.
The Rev. Sandi Hood of Viewmont Baptist Church said the church decided to host the two-day conference after meeting with representatives from HPD about how area churches can partner with local law enforcement and the community to address Hickory's gang issue.
"The gangs aren't really bad right now, but they could be. We're being proactive for our youth and giving them alternatives," she said. "It's got to start in the church."
Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins opened the conference Saturday and said it's time for parents and members of the community to take an active role in raising children rather than leaving the task to movies, video games and peers.
"It's going to take a group effort. It's going to take the community to combat this issue," he said.
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