Published: May 08, 2008 05:32 pm      

GANGS TAKE ROOT HERE

White supremacist group identified

Two known gangs have set up shop in Live Oak, according to Det. Justin Bates of the Live Oak Police Department.

Bates said authorities have identified the gangs as the West Side Folk and the New World Alliance. The New World Alliance is reportedly "a white supremacist/anarchy group," said Bates. The gangs are not very organized at this point and little is known about them, he added.

Bates said the gangs are not a major problem -- yet. He said law enforcement officers are addressing the situation before it gets out of hand. "We want to be more proactive than reactive," said Bates.

Bates said some gang members have been charged with burglaries and thefts and have "tagged" some property with graffiti.

Most of the gang members are local juveniles, said Bates, though the leaders came here from bigger cities.

To help combat the problem, Bates and sheriff's deputy David Crutchfield attended a gang investigation certification class sponsored by the Florida Gang Investigators Association recently. There they learned about gangs and gang activity and how to prevent it.

Bates said he and Crutchfield are participating in an in-service training program along with other officers and plan to provide training to school district employees later in the summer.

Bates and Crutchfield have also done presentations for other agencies in the area.