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Idaho gang summit brings new hope Nampa Mayor Tom Dale met with about fifty former and current gang members, their families, and city officials on Monday. From the meeting came new hope there will be a final solution to end the recent crime wave. The private gang summit took place at the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho in Nampa. “It was open and honest — very raw conversation that I think is a starting place for meaningful changes," Dale said. City officials are trying to change the course of troubled youth in Nampa who are falling into gangs, resulting in an increase in violent crime that had one family caught in the cross fire last Friday. From Monday's summit, the key suggestions include more programs for education, job training, and recreation. Steve Torrano is director of OG's Basic Academy of Delinquency, a program that reaches out to young gang members. He says similar meetings have taken place in the past, and implementing changes is not easy. “I think (former and current gang members and their families) are looking to see if in fact the community will band together and give them some of the things they need to clean up their neighborhood,” Torrano said. Mayor Dale says he heard many parents express concerns their children are turning to gangs because of the lack of job opportunities. In turn, he says gang members need to understand the consequences of their often violent actions. “That means the violence causes us to lose economic development opportunities, which mean their kids have fewer job opportunities,” Dale said. It is a carrot and stick approach that may hinge on cooperation between gang members, their families, and city authorities. Dale says the good news is Monday's meeting marks the first time these parties have had an "honest" dialogue about the crime in Nampa. It may take weeks to know how much progress has been made.
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