Editorial Editorial (October 08, 2004)

Nip teen violence in the bud

Whether young Alex Fernandez died in a gang-related killing, his death on Rengstorff Avenue two weeks ago was a senseless crime that should never have happened in Mountain View.

But unfortunately, all signs suggest that this was a gang-related event. Although the Bay Area is not overrun with the gang warfare that has plagued some other California cities, violent types of behavior occasionally pop up on the Peninsula. Police records show an average of more than 30 gang-related incidents a year (other than graffiti or vandalism) have taken place in Mountain View over the last five years.

The Mountain View Police Department has correctly taken Alex's death very seriously, even though it has little to go on, other than a flimsy description of the suspects' vehicle, said to be a small car, possibly with tinted windows.

On Tuesday, Police Chief Scott Vermeer led a community awareness meeting at Los Altos High, where Alex was a student. It was good to see the chief explain the signs to look for among teenagers who are entering the world of gangs, because it is the first line of defense parents and school officials have to combat this disturbing trend.

Los Altos High officials said that very few of the school's approximately 1,500 students are affiliated with gangs, although Principal Wynne Satterwhite, who had spoken to Alex on the day of his death, said "... any district that says they don't have a gang problem is probably lying."

On the other hand, most students who spoke with the Voice last week said they had not seen evidence of gangs on the school's campus and did not feel threatened.

But now is not the time for school officials and students to become complacent. One grandparent told the Voice about a recent violent clash between girls on the school campus that was gang-related.

The death of Alex Fernandez is a wakeup call for the school district and the city. It is time to take the offensive against all types of gang activity, whether it be clothing or other behavior patterns that identify young men and women as either members of a gang or sympathetic to gang culture.

At the same time, it would be a mistake to focus this outreach on the Mexican-American community alone. The entire student body, as well as the teachers and staff, need to know the signals and signs used by gangs, and be instructed to know what to do about them.

A 17-year-old, Alex Fernandez was said to be turning his life around, getting away from gang-related activity and focusing more on doing well in school. He was on the right track, but tragically, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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