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A Letter Parents Don't Want To Get From The Cops: Your Kid's In A Gang

Letter from Cops: Your Kid's in a Gang
A Letter Parents Don't Want To Get From The Cops: Your Kid's In A Gang
Parents can protest the gang designation, but KPBS found recently that the 10 parents who received the letters from the San Diego police didn't challenge the finding.

California law enforcement agencies are now required to notify parents before they document minors as gang members and give them the opportunity to appeal the decision.

KPBS recently took a look at the San Diego Police Department's notifications process, which involves sending a letter to parents. We found of the 10 parents who received the letters, none responded.

The police suggested parents may remain silent because they're already disengaged from their children or are afraid to snitch on their children. Marriage and family therapist Kahalifa King works with families impacted by gangs and said he believes mistrust of the police is the bigger factor.

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Read the whole story. You also can find the audio version of the story on this webpage.

Our look into gang notifications continues our examination of San Diego's gang culture and the community's response to it.

Read more:

The Scope Of San Diego's Gang Culture

In Southeastern San Diego, The Fine Line Between Gang Policing And Gang Behavior

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KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.