Pubdate: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 Source: Palm Beach Post, The (FL) Copyright: 2006 The Palm Beach Post Contact: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/333 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1743/a04.html MALL SHOOTING SHATTERS OLD IDEAS ABOUT GANGS The shooting death of a 23-year-old Lake Worth man at the Boynton Beach Mall on Christmas Eve is a grim reminder that gang violence isn't a problem only for certain neighborhoods and communities. Dozens of shoppers who ran for their lives as the bullets flew know that well-armed young criminals are prepared to settle scores most anywhere and any time - including upscale department stores during the holidays. Boynton Beach police believe a gang feud led Jesse Cesar, 21, to gun down Berno Charlemond. On Tuesday, Cesar, a reputed member of the San Castle Soldiers, was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder of a police officer; Fregens Daniel, 21, of Boynton Beach also was charged as an accessory. Police say turf wars among several small gangs in south Palm Beach County are responsible for dozens of shootings and at least four deaths this year. The gangs' crimes reach throughout the county. Detectives say a record label called Top 6 oversees six mostly Haitian-American gangs in Boynton Beach, Lantana and Lake Worth with more than 100 members. Their drug deals, weapons sales, robberies and car thefts reach from Broward to Martin counties. Latino gangs are also a problem. Two months ago in Westgate, Norman Borden admitted shooting and killing two men he said threatened him. Detectives have linked them to Surenos 13, an international drug-smuggling gang. Investigators believe gang members burned Borden's home in retaliation. Nationally, the number of murders and violent crimes is up in 2006. Some state and local authorities blame the rise on the federal government diverting money to anti-terrorism efforts instead of helping put more police on the streets. The increase in the number of males ages 14 to 24 is a demographic change that has contributed to the increased violence. The county has had at least 92 homicides this year, and all but one of the 14 teenage victims was shot. Most of those shootings involve gang activity. In West Palm Beach, at least two dozen young African-American men have been shot dead during the past three years. After a Criminal Justice Commission study, the county agreed to spend $1.5 million on youth empowerment centers in West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and Lake Worth, with the cities matching some of the money. The centers will try to divert youths from gangs and guns by promoting job training, health care and counseling, as well as recreation. "Part of the solution needs to try to educate youth that utilizing the courts to right their wrongs is the way to handle these problems," says State Attorney Barry Krischer, "not just pick up a gun or spray a whole community of people." There should be no delusions about how difficult Mr. Krischer's partial solution is. Despite gun buy-back programs and weapons sweeps, the supply of handguns on the streets seems unlimited. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw started a multiagency gang task force in January with investigators from many agencies. St. Lucie County also has one. Cooperation between the two units was critical to solving the killing of four family members along Florida's Turnpike in October. Sheriff Bradshaw rightly says it will take "organized law enforcement" to combat organized crime. Cooperation between the widest possible crosssection of authorities is essential because, as the Boynton Beach mall shooting showed, gang violence recognizes no boundaries or jurisdictions. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine