Members of a Williamson County citizens’ group say they sponsored a gang-awareness meeting last week after a gang made its way into a local high school’s Homecoming parade.

The Southern Illinois Coalition of the People sponsored the open meeting Thursday. Williamson County Sheriff Dennis Presley and Herrin Police Chief Tom Cundiff attended the meeting.

This meeting came about because of the Marion High School homecoming parade, Mike Maynard, a coalition member, said. There was a gang symbol on the side of one of the floats, and we decided to warn the community.

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Presley said the sheriff’s department has confirmed that the slogan on the side of the float at the Marion High School Homecoming was gang-related.

The sign on the float said Growth ‘n’ Development,’ which is the gang’s public face. We have also confirmed that the people on the float were members of the gang, Gangster Disciples, Presley said.

Presley said that the sheriff’s department suspects that there are three gangs in the Marion area now.

The gang’s names are the Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords and the Latin Kings. These gangs recruit men and women in their teen-age years to mid-20s, Presley said. The gangs moved from Chicago to Sparta, then to Mt. Vernon. And they have moved to Marion.

Presley said before the gangs moved to Marion about two years ago, crack cocaine was nonexistent in Williamson County.

Gangs and crack cocaine go hand-in-hand, Presley said.

Maynard said that there definitely is a flourishing gang and drug problem in Williamson County. He said the sheriff’s department is planning on setting up programs to help the community recognize gang signs and the drug problems they are causing.

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Presley said the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department is planning to attend several classes to make the officers more aware of gangs, because police agencies in rural communities do not have a lot of experience in gang identification.

I am planning on sending four deputies to gang specialty classes in mid-October, Presley said. Last Wednesday I attended one, and I am planning on going to another one in mid-November.

Presley said in mid-November, the sheriff’s department is planning on hosting a free gang-awareness meeting for the public.

We are inviting school officials, the Department of Corrections and the State Police Gang Task Force, Presley said.