NEWPORT BEACH : Task Force to Deal With Outside Gangs

A city without any known street gangs is forming a community task force to combat problems created by gang members who come from outside.

The city’s gang problems, which include graffiti, vandalism and occasional beach scuffles and stabbings, are relatively new, said Councilman John W. Hedges, who pushed for formation of the task force to generate community awareness.

Councilwoman Janice A. Debay, who was appointed to serve on the panel, said: “We are starting to notice more graffiti here. We are not used to seeing graffiti in Newport.�

Formation of the five-member panel--which is composed of the two council members, one Newport-Mesa school district board member and two residents--was approved by the City Council Feb. 8. Members were appointed earlier this week.

“The community has had a deep concern, and I wanted to help before it became a problem,� Hedges said. “Gangs are at our doorstep . . . so let’s face reality and not bury our heads in the sand.�

The task force, which was proposed by Hedges two years ago, has formed at a time when Newport Beach residents and police more frequently deal with gangs from outside the city. City officials have begun talking about closing down beaches at 10 p.m. in order to keep gang members away.

Acting Police Chief Jim Jacobs, who has committed to working with the task force, has said that fights among rival gangs and even stabbings are not unheard of on Newport beaches anymore.

Jacobs told a gathering of residents recently that gangs that operate “within blocks of Newport Beach are more frequently coming to town to carve out a piece of the beach.�

Hedges said the task force, which will hold its first meeting probably next month, will study the influence of gangs, learn from other communities, and make policy recommendations to the City Council.

“The police units cannot be everywhere at once, so we in the community have to sometimes deal with the problems,� Hedges said.

Judith Franco, a Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustee, was appointed Tuesday by the Board of Education to serve on the task force. She will be joined by Hedges, Debay and residents Fred Hernandez and Shirley Feller.