DeKalb residents affirmed their commitment to fight gangs at an anti-gang rally Tuesday night.

About 150 community and governmental officials attended the meeting to show their support and offer their help in combatting local gang activity.

Several members of the city council were in attendance including, DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow, 1st Ward Ald. Amy Polzin, 2nd Ward Ald. Michael Welsh, 3rd Ward Ald. Gary Wiggins, 5th Ward Ald. Bessie Chronopolis, 6th Ward Ald. Jamie Pennington and 7th Ward Ald. Jordan Kagan.

“Yes, there are gangs in DeKalb, yes, there is gang activity in DeKalb, and no, it will not go away,” said City Manager Mark Stevens.

There needs to be total community involvement to solve this problem, Stevens said.

“We (the DeKalb Police Department) have been doing proper activities to alleviate this problem with a lot of thought,” said DeKalb Police Chief Don Berke.

Last April, there was a man assigned full-time to monitor gang activity in DeKalb, Berke said. “At this time we noticed small incidences and it is beginning to snowball at a very small pace.”

There has been 45 to 50 incidences that are related to gang members, Berke said.

The Bishops, Latin Kings, Disciples, Vice Lords and Ambrose are gangs that have been identified at the DeKalb High School, 1515 S. Fourth St., DeKalb High School Principal Bernie Looney said.

There is no specific make up for gang members, they are male and female members and cross all racial and ethnic lines, Looney said.

“We have classified all gang members into three groups, leader, hard core and marginal,” said Mike Coghlan, DeKalb County States Attorney.

It is important to get gang members when they are at the marginal level, so their efforts can be re-channeled into positive activites like team sports and clubs.

“Gang members have committed crimes including aggravated battery, drugs and gun possesion,” said Detective Tim Moore, DeKalb police department.

The city has been working with police departments from Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Sycamore, Rochelle and the North Central Narcotics Task Force to identify gang members who are entering DeKalb to live or commit criminal acts, Moore said.

Gang members are coming to DeKalb to escape the high competition in the city and suburbs, Moore said. Gangs are there for making money, Moore said.

Gang members will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Coghlan said.

A Joliet police officer, who attended the rally, urged the crowd “to be so tough, and so mean and to cut the head off the snake before it becomes a problem in DeKalb.”

After the meeting, a community gang awareness task force was formed.

If you are interested in joining this community gang awareness task force or you have any information about gang activity contact DeKalb’s Police Department.