Gang prevention unity showcased at ‘Breaking the Silos’

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Georgia State Representative Carl Gilliard is calling for unity among gang prevention organizations.

Gilliard’s Chatham County Legislative Gang Prevention and Intervention Commission brought groups together Thursday to “break down their silos,” meaning working together as a collective rather than individually.

The gang prevention group is a part of House Bill 750, and was signed into law in 2021.

Gilliard says he’s been fighting the battle to keep kids from gangs for 43 years.

“In 1991 we had the highest murder rate in the nation per capita,” Gilliard said. “I’ve seen those things, and part of it is its a recycling of us not working together.”

Groups share experiences at conference

A portion of the conference set aside as a lunch break served as a part of that effort, providing time for attendees to have conversations and share experiences. Gilliard said it is a key part of the process.

“We need law enforcement, we need elected officials and we need those who have programs to come together and work together realistically in order for us to break the cycle,” Gilliard said.

Gilliard said he projects a couple thousand gang members in Chatham County alone.

Multiple speakers raised working with the education system as a necessity, citing that gangs recruit kids as early as elementary school.

Education system cited as factor

“The real criminals are people who graduate kids that can’t read and give them a diploma and tell them to go out to the workforce,” said one member of the audience.

“Either in the classroom or the courtroom, which are we going to deal with, our school system is going to deal with the literacy problem we have, wrap-around services are very few, the community centers are a desert right now,” said Gilliard.

One speaker, Dr. Keith Strickland, sold over a million dollars in drugs by the time he was 16.

“The only people who were there for me were the streets, I went to what was there,” said Strickland, CEO of Making the Transition.

Strickland now helps kids find options and said he sees the importance of breaking down gang prevention silos.

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Gilliard cites Oglethorpe Mall incident

Gilliard said despite reports of violent crime decreasing in the county, the time to act as a unit is now.

“Look at the Oglethorpe Mall incident, since that time, what have we done collectively? Not individually, what have we done collectively. We should be very concerned and we should take a proactive approach,” Gilliard said.

Gilliard said Thursday’s conference was a step on the path to that proactive approach.