HALIFAX — Learning the dangers of gang violence and seeing what is being done to combat the problems are on the minds of many local leaders, area law enforcement and residents in Halifax County. 

Presentations about gangs from police informed the public about the issue at an event given by the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Tuesday.

Enfield Police Chief Eddie Buffaloe led the presentations, describing ongoing gang issues in his town, issues leading to a gang-related shooting Sunday.

“A gang is an association of greater than three people,” Buffaloe said, “they may have a common symbol or name and who individually or collectively engage in criminal activity.”

A lot of gangs, Buffaloe added, wear specific colors to show their affiliation. Members of the Bloods, for example, wear red, and those involved with the Crips wear blue. A lot of the gangs in Enfield, Buffaloe stated, are “Blood sets,” meaning they are affiliated with the Bloods, but carry their own names, the same way sorority or fraternity chapters sometimes do.

Sometimes gang members will be very subtle in showing their affiliation, Buffaloe said.

“They may carry a red bandana in their left or right back pocket,” Buffaloe told the large assembly in the Halifax Agricultural Center Auditorium. “I’ve seen defendants at the defense table who will lean to the right or left to show their affiliation.”

In Enfield, Buffaloe estimates 75-100 active gang members operate. He said they range in age from 13-30, are 99 percent male and the youngest they’ve idenfied was six years old. They engage in drug sales, drive-by shootings and assaults.

“Some of the gangs are making their way into identity theft,” Buffaloe added. “They’re not only stealing your credit, but also they’re using your identity to obtain insurance.”

Neighborhoods in Enfield show gang signs on the walls — graffiti designed to mark territory or issue challenges to rival gangs. “They’re talking to each other symbolically,” Buffaloe stated.

Capt. James Avens, of the Weldon Police Department, also estimates about 75-100 active members in his town and he urged concerned citizens and parents to keep their eyes open and to attend events.

“If you really want to know what’s going on,” Avens said, “go to a football game, come to a basketball game, come to a dance. Especially at countywide events, it’s easy to see the gang signs and who’s got a beef with who.”

Avens added out-of-town family members help proliferate gang activity.

“Some kids in New York get sent down here because they’re troublemakers,” Avens said. “They come from upstate with that gang mentality and they’re going to educate their country cousins.”

Det. Corey Dixon, of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, warned citizens to be wary of anyone you suspect is in a gang or wants to be in a gang. “A wannabe gang member is just as dangerous as a full-fledged gang member,” Dixon warned. “Because they have something to prove.”

Combating gangs effectively, Buffaloe said, needs more collaboration among county law enforcement agencies, because gangs are everyone’s problem.

“We’re our own worst enemy,” he stated. “Everyone wants to be on the front page above the fold. I don’t care who arrests the gang member, because his problem in Weldon is my problem in Enfield.”