When there are weeds in the garden, they need to be uprooted. In Gary, the biggest weeds are gangs. They need to be ripped out so the city can thrive.
Saying that is a lot easier than accomplishing it, we realize. Gangs are more brutal and less organized than ever before, Lake County Sheriff John Buncich said.
Addressing this problem requires a multi-pronged, multi-agency approach.
One aspect, of course, is to get rid of abandoned buildings that can serve as a haven for crime. We can't hammer home that point hard enough. Make it difficult for gang members to hide, then hunting them down should be easier.
Gary Police Department resources need to be deployed effectively, too. The department has a manpower shortage, with 30 officers resigning this year, but the number on the street has held steady. Put officers on the streets and not behind desks, as was the case in the past.
Continue to work with other agencies, too. Their help is needed not just for Gary, but for other communities, too.
"For anybody that believes what occurs in Gary is going to stay in Gary -- they're badly mistaken," Buncich said.
There has been progress in removing some of the gang kingpins in Lake County. But into that void have fallen some really nasty criminals.
"The bottom line is these gangs are becoming more vicious, more brazen," Buncich said. "They're better armed than ever before. They don't care if they live 'til tomorrow."
They're fighting for smaller and smaller territories, too.
And they're fighting for new recruits, which is why efforts to keep kids from joining gangs must be reinforced.
The more time children have under suitable adult supervision, they less time they have to get into gangs' control. Programs like the Boys and Girls Club, mentoring, after-school athletics and clubs — anything that keeps kids out of mischief — need the community's full support.
To be clear, most Gary youths are not in gangs' orbit. But keeping kids where they're safe from gang influence means starving the gangs of potential members.
These and other efforts are needed to clean up crime, and perceptions about crime, in Gary. That will go a long way toward not only saving lives, but also toward encouraging development, which improves lives.
Hit ‘em hard, because lives depend on it.