City Task Force on Drugs, Gangs Urges Collective Effort : Crime prevention: Twenty-eight community, school, civic, law enforcement and business leaders convene to address the growing problems in Westminster.

Gangs and drugs are becoming epidemic in the city, and Councilman Tony Lam told a special task force Saturday that the community must work together to gain control.

“To us, the gang problem is our No. 1 priority,” Lam said, adding that gangs are terrorizing the community.

Hoping to learn more about the gang and drug problems, Lam is spearheading the task force of 28 community, school, civic, law enforcement and business leaders who met Saturday to discuss and share possible solutions.

The group wants to bring recommendations before the City Council by July.

The task force has previously identified issues facing the city, including the need for juvenile delinquency programs, recruitment of qualified Vietnamese police officers, increased citizen participation in Neighborhood Watch programs and legislation to deport convicted criminals who are non-citizens.

“We need to give Asian gangs a strong message that we don’t tolerate gang activity,” Lam said.

John Rey Adame, the city’s drug and gang specialist, noted that Westminster has multiethnic gangs and praised Lam’s efforts to pull the community together.

“It has to be a collective effort,” Adame said. “If it’s not, it’s going to fail.”

Jo Porter, a 21-year Westminster resident and a city planning commissioner, said that “it’s everybody’s problem, because everybody is touched by it.”

“Everybody has to do their part,” said Porter, adding that she has seen the city’s drug and gang problems not only grow but spin out of control.

Steven R. LaFond, public affairs director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said that the church is willing to offer its resources to combat the problems.

“We want to be part of the community--and not just us but all churches should be used as a resource,” LaFond said.

“We have teachers, counselors, professionals. . . . If we all got together, look at the impact they would have.”

Tony Wilson, Westminster’s senior code enforcement inspector, also discussed developing a juvenile delinquency program that would include counseling, job training and intervention.

Wilson said that Westminster gangs are not only involved in graffiti but also set vacant buildings on fire and break windows.

“If we can prevent gangs, we’re not going to have the destruction of property,” Wilson said.