Youth gang prevention in Albany
Since his release and reintegration into society, Luke's been wanting to make sure kids stay on the right path.
ALBANY, Ga. – An Albany man spoke up at Monday’s Dougherty County Commission Meeting, imploring commissioners to take action to help keep local kids out of gangs.
The man who is fighting to make change in the community is 39-year-old, Travis Luke. Luke, a former gang member served ten years in jail on drug charges.
Since his release and reintegration into society, he’s been wanting to make sure kids stay on the right path.
“I’m not saying that people shouldn’t go to jail when they commit crimes. But, what I am saying is that we should be putting preventative measures in place to prevent kids from getting locked up, even if they joined the gangs…” said Travis Luke, Opportunity Nationally United Society.
Luke had been in a gang from the time he was a pre-teen until his incarceration, now he wants to help and try to break the cycle that’s affected so many in Dougherty County.
Especially since from his experience, incarceration can only make the issue worse.
“Gangs grow in prison. Anybody that knows anything that’s done any research and paid attention knows that gangs grow in prison. You only go to prison to get smarter and being a better criminal. That’s it,” said Luke.
Luke said that the crime rate is a result of the environment many of these kids end up in…
And in a city like Albany, it’s a problem that feeds into itself.
“If you stop committing crime, more jobs come to Albany. More jobs to Albany, property values go up. All you got to do is stop committing crime. So, all you got to do is come to a solution where you tell the other gang ‘hey, listen man, we’re gonna call a truce. If you don’t do this, we won’t do this’ now we’re put in a position where our momma ain’t got to be retiring from Long John Silvers…” said Luke.
In fact, one commissioner spoke up and commended Luke for wanting to try and get local kids away from the gangs.
“Certainly, we can move forward, if we have a person who’s been a part of an organization. Someone who can help us with our crime and bring our crime rate down. Cause these guys who are out here they’re smart, and we want to put that talent to use,” said Anthony Jones, Ward 6 Dougherty County Commissioner.
While nothing has been set in stone yet, Luke is keeping optimism that something will eventually happen and help right the lives of so many local kids.
Luke also works with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice to help address this problem at the state level, but wanted to focus on his hometown.
Brian Roche reporting.
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