Gang-free zone only a start, Wyandanch residents say

Residents and business owners in Wyandanch Tuesday offered mixed reviews of Suffolk County's plan to make the community the first area targeted in a new anti-gang initiative.

Many residents said they welcomed the county's plan, which would create a "safety zone" in a two-square-mile swath of Wyandanch and the northern tip of West Babylon. The initiative would bar identified gang members from "standing, sitting, walking, driving, gathering and appearing" with other gang members within this zone. Critics have said the plan could be difficult to enforce and will likely face legal challenges.

In Wyandanch Tuesday, some residents and business owners declined to talk about the gang initiative, citing fears for their safety. But others said they were glad the county is doing something to stem the growing violence.

"It's outrageous here," said Frank Ravenel, 60. "Things have gotten really bad and they should do something about it." Ravenel said the plan will work only if there is more of a regular, visible police presence in the community. "If someone gets shot, the police are here in 15 minutes but other than that, you don't hardly see them around here," he said.

Clifford Murray, 77, said he is often scared of walking past certain stores because of people hanging around outside. "Now maybe I can walk down the streets better," he said.

Others were skeptical. Some residents wondered how the police will identify gang members. "You point your finger at them and it's the last time you'll point that finger," said Cynthia Dudley, 58.

Dudley lost her son, Jamal Haynes, 22, to gun violence in Amityville in 2002, she said, and the killer was never caught. "I think it's nice that they're trying this," she said. "I hope they're successful but it's going to take a lot of time. People are not going to talk to the police."

Other worry about racial profiling. "Some [police] come up in here with a bias attitude," said Muhammad Williams, 49. "I'm not saying all of them do it but some do and you have to think about that."

Williams said there aren't enough activities for teens in the community and that something has to be put in place in order for any anti-gang plan to work. "When you break them up, you have to offer them something," he said.

Reg Mays, owner of Computer Business Center in the downtown, said the plan will not be effective. "All they're going to do is give these guys criminal records rather than give them alternatives," he said. "People are in gangs for a lot of different reasons and those reasons should be addressed." Dispersing gang members from storefronts will not break up gangs, he said. "They'll just move into your neighborhood and hang out at the house next door to you."