WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The North Carolina Gang Investigators Association (NCGIA) hosted a training called Gang 101 at the Benton Convention Center Monday night that was free and open to the public.
Gang 101 training served an educational purpose.
"We do 'gang free N.C.' symposiums 3-4 times a year throughout the state of North Carolina," Mark Bridgeman said. He is the President of the NCGIA.
"Our 'gang free N.C.' initiative is designed for those not in law enforcement that work with the gang population or have a need to know about gangs within their community or just want to be educated about the gang problem in North Carolina."
The mission of the training is to ultimately rid communities across North Carolina of gangs, and that starts with preventative measures.
"If you talk to your children about cigarettes, tobacco, firearms and sex; talk to them about gangs because that’s something our children have to navigate through a lot of the school systems in our state," Bridgeman said.
Law enforcement and criminal justice professionals taught those who attended how to look out for the signs of gang membership, how to prevent gang membership or how to suppress gang-related activity if it's already occurring.
"The signs and symbols of the gangs, they change with the gang itself generally its not normal for children under the age of 18 to get tattoos or have gang style writing in their notebooks or in their schoolwork," Bridgeman said.
Bridgeman said many folks are 'seduced' into the gang lifestyle. Dante Franks lives in Greensboro and says he used to be in a gang.
"Most people that join gangs because their best friend is in it, and then something might happen to that best friend and then you pretty much need revenge like you took something from me now I'm going to take something from you and it never ends," Franks said.
Dante says he no longer lives that lifestyle because he has his kids to think about.
"I didn’t want that lifestyle for myself not for my kids I wanted to break the cycle."
Franks has lost many friends and family members to gang violence over the years, and some are in jail.
"I've lost my younger sister, my older brother, my oldest sister and about 5-6 cousins just to gang violence, gun violence, its out of hand."
Franks helps those close to him in the Triad escape gangs and find a better path.
If you suspect gang violence in your community, the Gang 101 training encourages people to report it. Certain types of graffiti can be an indicator of gang activity. Law enforcement officials said if you see new graffiti popping up around town, report it and have the city officials remove it within 48 hours. They say that will send a clear message that their gang is not welcome.
In the training, law enforcement officials said being in a gang is not a crime. It's the criminal activity that's done for the benefit of the gang that's illegal.