The Kings Mountain Herald
August 2, 2007
EMILY WEAVER
we eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Gangs in Kings Mountain? Not
if the Kings Mountain Police
Department has anything to say
about it.
KMPD officers have been to a
handful of clinics and workshops
to learn more about this new
threat that is trickling into com-
munities everywhere. Although
the gangs may be coming,
KMPD wants them to know that
they won't find a happy home
here.
A committee of specialized
officers has been established to
eradicate the appeal of gangs in
KM. Manning the committee is
Det. Sgt. Lisa Proctor, Ofc. Chris
Graham, Ofc. George Gentry,
C.O.P. (Community Oriented
Policing) K-9 Ofc. Allen Emory,
C.O.P. Ofc. Todd McDougal, Ofc.
Stacy Hudspeth, Ofc. Keith
Davis, Capt. Derek Johnson and
Capt. Jerry Tessneer. But the
arms of the committee will reach
far beyond this round table of
crime fighters. Volunteers from
all walks of life will walk togeth-
er toward a common destination
- NO gangs.
KMPD hopes that one day, the
youth here will have better
things to do than get in trouble.
“We're working on building
something that’s going to take
the desire to get involved in neg-
ative activity away,” Proctor
said. “Give them something to
do in their spare time instead of
getting out here, being bored to
death and getting in trouble.”
The city already has a few
things to offer with ball fields
and the YMCA outreach pro-
gram, but more is needed. What
about the kids who don’t play
ball and like to skateboard? City
ordinances prevent them from
skating along the streets and
sidewalks of Kings Mountain
and the nearest skate park,
which isn’t free, is in Shelby.
Proctor fears that eventually the
kids will get tired of being run
off and turn to other activities
and the negative experiences
they have had with the cops will
form a prejudice in their minds.
“The kids we need to reach
more than likely don’t have the
funds or the transportation,”
Proctor said. “In this project that
we're looking at doing, we're
going to try to figure out a way
to get the community involved
and help provide what is need-
ed, like transportation, volun-
teers, and mentors. It’s not going
to be just total law enforcement.
There’s no way that we could
pull this off alone. We're hoping
the community will step up to
the plate and back us, because
we can’t do this alone.”
She agreed that this project
falls outside of the typical realm
of law enforcement’s duty. “But
we're wanting to take a more
proactive approach and do
something more for the commu-
nity than just answering calls for
service,” she said.
Committee members have
toured various facilities, looking
at what other cities are doing to
keep gang activity at a low. They
went to Martha Rivers in Gaston
County, that offers a track, park,
sand bar and water activities.
They have toured the new swim-
KMPD's new elite task force plans to take a
Left to right: Capt. Derek Johnson, Det. Sgt
K-9 Ofc. Allen Emory are a few of the elite.
ming facility in Bessemer City.
“That place was jam packed,”
Proctor said. “We saw hispanics,
asians, whites and blacks, and
everyone was getting along and
having a good time.”
Soon, the committee will visit
the river walk and small park at
the suspension bridge in down-
town Greenville, SC, which used
to be a high crime area until the
park was added.
“Most communities don’t
want to accept that they have
problems coming or have prob-
lems there,” Proctor said. “We're
willing to accept that it’s coming
if we don’t get a grip on it. We're
KM approves livestock ordinance
3
#%
. ELIZABETH STEWART
Herald Correspondent
A zoning text amendment and
ordinance approved 6-1 by Kings
Mountain City Council Tuesday
night makes it clear the kinds
and types of livestock for any
proposed new agricultural pro-
duction of swine and poultry,
limiting to 24 animals and
requiring a conditional use per-
mit for as many as 25 pigs or
chickens.
Councilman Jerry Mullinax
cast the dissenting vote.
Councilman Keith Miller said
after the meeting that the prior
ordinance did not specify kinds
and types. Specifically, the text
amendment makes certain live-
stock uses conditional uses to be
approved by city council. It
would result in any proposed
agricultural production of swine
and only those agricultural pro-
duction of poultry whether they
are free ranging poultry or con-
fined in poultry houses be limit-
ed to 24 for a permitted use by
right and if 25 subject to a condi-
tional use permit.
The Planning & Zoning Board
unanimously favored the
change. City Planner Steve
Killian said the change would be
beneficial both to the owners of
non agricultural lands in
Residential 20 as well as those
wanting to have modest live-
stock capability on modest size
pieces of land.
“You think this issue will go
away,” said Norman
Bumgardner, of 1335 York Road,
who said he wasn't for or against
the zoning change but said it
needed some improvement.
“How does a city of 9,778 peo-
ple in an area of 9.7 miles and a
governing board of seven people
have so much control over an
ET] of 22.1 miles with a popula-
tion of 5,150 people and how
does it plan enforcement?”
Bumgardner added. “Your
action tonight affects a lot of peo-
ple.”
After the meeting Bumgardner
said he felt it only proper that “I
defend what is mine for 35
years.”
trying to get a grip on it before it
gets here in this town.” And
when they do trickle in, KMPD
will know their names thanks to
new resources available to them
through GangNet, a gang-track-
ing tool.
The department recognizes
that Kings Mountain is growing
and Proctor says “with good
growth comes negative growth.”
She added that the community
has to be ready to give youth
something other than the streets
to turn to. The process will
involve a lot of research and
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EMILY WEAVER / HERALD
proactive approach to keep gangs out of Kings Mountain.
. Lisa Proctor, Ofc. George Gentry, Ofc. Todd McDougal, and
brainstorming. The committee is
open to suggestions.
Although life in a gang can
appear appealing to some on the
surface, the green grass becomes
quick sand. The “family”
becomes the devil. Chief Melvin
Proctor spoke of one former
gang member awaiting trial for
murder. He killed his best friend,
compliments of gang life. The
gang he killed for can’t save him
from jail and neither can his best
friend. He doesn’t want this to be
the fate of Kings Mountain
youth.
for making my smile
bright & beautiful!”
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~ Erin Clemmer, Gr. 8 :
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