RACINE - Rev. Leondis Fuller knows how devastating street violence can be. The pastor from Word of Hope Ministries in Milwaukee has lost all three of his sons to shootings.

In 1993, his 12-year-old son was shot and killed in a drive-by. In 2000, his 21-year-old son, who had just been released from prison and promised to keep out of trouble, was shot and killed during a hit on his cousin. In 2002, his oldest son, age 27, was shot four times. He died 26 days later.

"All of my children got shot within a 12-block radius of each other," said Fuller, addressing about 80 people gathered at Gateway Technical College Monday for a conference called "Why Gangs? Building Stronger Communities."

Fuller told the law enforcement officials, educators, social workers, community activists and public officials who attended the conference that gangs have become a part of our community, whether we like it or not. Instead of just talking about the problems, he advocated talking about solutions.

"Just maybe, we need to look at a different approach," Fuller said. "We must create a safe environment for children to grow up in."

Recent violence raises concerns

The conference at which Fuller was the keynote speaker came shortly after the city's first two homicides of the year. Public officials addressed the city's recent violence when they gave opening remarks.

"It's ironic that this conference comes this week," Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen told participants. "We had a bad week last week."

He said the police department is concerned about the violence that has kicked up recently, and are preparing for more to come. "We by no means think this is over," Wahlen said. "The groups we're dealing with have a get-even mentality. That's hard to shut down."

People look to law enforcement to solve the problems with gangs and drugs, but what police really do is clean up afterward, Wahlen said.

Racine County Executive Bill McReynolds said the county is also on the back side of the issue, being responsible for the Juvenile Detention Center and the jail. "We spend a lot of money on the back side," he said.

He believes economic development, good-paying jobs and education are what can make a difference.

McReynolds, Racine Mayor Gary Becker and Racine County District Attorney Mike Nieskes all talked about programming that is available to help at-risk youth in the community. They said the problem is getting people involved and taking advantage of it.

"Crime is not just the police department's or sheriff's responsibility," said Becker. "They can't do it without working with residents, neighborhoods, churches and businesses."

Becker said the key question is how the community can motivate and inspire young people to put effort into their education and show them the connection between that effort and their future.

"The programs are there," he said. "The opportunities are there."

Nieskes said the county and city spend a lot of money on rehabilitation programs. "When we have an individual who had an opportunity to change their life, sometimes we take a risk," Nieskes said. "Some of these young men will not make it. Sometimes somebody has to say this kid can't be saved. But it's important that the community know(s) what can be done."

It takes work

Fuller, who has dedicated his life to mentoring and training at-risk children, young fathers and those getting out of the prison system, said the community has to band together to solve the gang problem. He said working one-on-one with potential and current gang members is something we must do.

"They've been waiting a long time for someone to talk with them," Fuller said. "Not at them, but with them."

As part of his work, Fuller uses a therapy that looks at why a person thinks the way they think, why they believe the way they believe and why they act the way they do. "Let's not just look at behavior, but what stimulates the behavior," he said. "If they can understand why they behave the way they do, maybe they can stop the behavior."

It begins with influences on a child. "When you look at a child or a teen, you might want to ask, what value system is he allowing to assist him?" Fuller said. "What type of help have they been offered?"

If mental health issues or family issues are ignored in a child, they give up on education. Out of school they become prime candidates for gangs, which school them on survival without basic education.

"Kids are looking for a purpose; something to belong to," Fuller said.

He said children who are initiated into gangs at 8 or 9 see that environment as healthy. They are given attention in the gang that might have been missing at home.

"Once a kid gets into a gang, over and over, they are told there's no way out," he said. "They're walking around with no future, like they're dead."

Other guest speakers at the conference included Sammy Rangel, the program coordinator for the Safe Haven Street Outreach; the Rev. Melvin Hargrove of Zoe Outreach Ministries; Ahmad K. Qawi, the director of community development at the Racine YMCA and the founder of ASI Family Consulting; Gary Vargas, a gang specialist who works at Bradford High School in Kenosha as a student liaison; and Shaphan Coleman, at-risk youth consultant and street outreach liaison for the Counseling Center of Milwaukee.

Why Gangs LLC is a consultant group started by Maurice Horton, the program director of Safe Haven's Gang/Crime Diversion Task Force. Horton said Monday he also plans to hold a similar conference for youth this year.