Following a meeting on youth violence Feb. 10, a degree of alarm rung out over Federal Way.

The public meeting was meant to foster discussion about youth violence. The hope was to engage attendees in a conversation, educate them on the tough situations some youths face and inspire the community to become involved in the lives of youths.

Speakers from organizations serving youths in the greater Federal Way/Seattle/Tacoma area were present. But, to nobody’s fault, emotions ran high and the meeting took an unexpected turn — causing some in attendance to panic slightly.

Before we get to this point, first know this: The need for the meeting originated within the community. It was not initiated by city staff in response to a wild and ferocious spree of gang related crime like shootings or homicides, assaults or robberies.

Teniel Sabin, the city’s Hispanic liaison, regularly meets with Federal Way’s Hispanic population in an attempt to bridge language and culture barriers. During a previous meeting, members of the Hispanic community spoke about the choices facing their children and teenagers. The discussion included the topic of gangs.

The group wanted the community to share ideas on how to offer services to youths that provide alternatives to violence. From this, a second meeting arose that took place last week.

Now, back to that gathering. It was presented as a “gang/youth crime prevention meeting.” Naturally, folks latched onto the word “gang.” Just a day prior, a front-page Tacoma News Tribune article detailed the arrests of 11 Crips members who allegedly contributed to two dozen crimes in Tacoma’s south end. With emotions wound tight and gang violence on the mind, more than 120 individuals flocked to City Hall.

What was intended to be a presentation on local agencies that provide counsel to youths quickly turned into Gangs 101. With several items on the agenda and a captive audience, presenters spoke about the reasons some youths join gangs. They also recounted personal experiences. Generalizations were made on more than one occasion.

By 8 p.m., there was little time left to discuss the initial reason for gathering — youth crime prevention and resources. AmeriCorps, the Multi-Service Center, YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club, among others, were skimmed over. Little public discussion took place about ways to contribute to healthy lifestyles for the city’s youths.

This discussion is still needed. It must include the topic of gangs. Not because gang members are running amok in the streets and schools, but because they do exist, in a relatively unknown degree, in Federal Way — whether city leaders like to admit it or not.

It does not matter whether gang members live here or visit, scrawl their graffiti on public or private property, or are associated with any one sort of crime. The community is worried and fearsome of even the slightest degree of gang presence. The fear must be addressed. The topic is already being talked about. Why not invite more to contribute to the discussion?

There is a need for collaboration. The City of Federal Way, school district, police department, service agencies and community members must all gather. It must be clear that stereotypes do not contribute to productive conversations. It must be clear that measuring gang presence or violence is not an easy task. There is no guaranteed way for police to know if a crime is associated with a gang member. Furthermore, though some will argue otherwise, there is no fool-proof way to distinguish whether someone involved in a gang is committing a crime on behalf of the gang.

Let’s step away from the fixation on gangs and instead focus on all youth violence. The needs of Federal Way’s young residents must be identified. Gaps created by those missing links in youths’ lives must be closed. The City of Federal Way has made clear it does not have the resources, nor the will, to be a director of this movement. However, the city will sit at the table. It will contribute knowledge and expertise. The police department has a gang unit. The human services department acts as the facilitator to bring concerning topics to the public’s attention. But the community must rise to the occasion.

If youth and gang violence is something that sparks an intense flame of emotion, do something about it. Take action. Become part of a movement to move directly to preventative measures and avoid a large-scale problem.

To learn more about crime prevention: Contact Kelly Crouch at (253) 835-6710 or Lindsey Tiroux at (253) 835-6707 with the police. To learn more about getting involved in the lives of youths, contact Lynnette Hynden: (253) 835-2650.