Though gang activity is often associated with large cities, Chapel Hill police are saying the problem hits closer to home than most locals would think.
The less regimented nature of local gang activity, coupled with an influx of gang culture from outside the community, has local police and school officials concerned about the risks gangs pose to students in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Gang activity in Chapel Hill tends to be less organized than in larger cities and is often unaffiliated with nationally known gangs, said Matt Sullivan, a social worker for the Chapel Hill Police Department Crisis Unit.
Police say the gangs usually consist of 14- to 15-year-old youths who unite to commit misdemeanors, mostly involving vandalism.
"Chapel Hill has had its share of illegal organized activity," Sullivan said, though he noted that violent gang activity is still rare in Chapel Hill compared to in other cities.
"We think it's odd, but really it's an issue spreading across North Carolina," he said.
But the minor local activity that has piqued police concern could become more serious because of gang culture exerting its influence from outside of the community, Sullivan said.
An increase of nationally known gangs in the surrounding community signals potential danger for Chapel Hill youths involved with gang activity. Local youths who band together and label themselves with a nationally known name risk being hurt by rival gangs that confuse them with real opposition.
And these young people also could be coerced into becoming official members, Sullivan said.
