Local News

Randolph Task Force Targets Youth Violence

RANDOLPH (WBZ) ― Youth violence is becoming a big city problem that is now stretching into the suburbs.

Police across the state are worried that youth violence may increase in the summer months.

So police in Randolph are taking no chances.

"We probably have four to six gangs," said Sergeant Tony Marag. "We've seen them recruiting down at the elementary school level, which is disturbing."

It's a disturbing and dangerous threat that's normally tied to the city but has crept into this once quiet town.

That's why Marag and Detective Mike Tuitt patrol Randolph streets, trying to stop gang violence before it becomes deeply rooted in the community.

"Youth violence has a big effect on a town and on a community. It's a quality of life issue," Marag said. "It's not right if people don't feel comfortable. They want to be safe, (and) we want them to be safe."

Police check on teens with gang connections and try to get at-risk kids back on the right track.

They take note of all the graffiti and add it to a database. They look for signs of gang affiliation and the meaning behind it.

Detectives also patrol neighborhoods, making sure young offenders on probation are home and not in trouble.

This week, police waited to speak with a 15-year-old boy who's on probation for assault and battery and intimidation of a witness. He also has ties to a Boston gang, police say.

"He's got a 7 p.m. curfew that he obviously missed," an officer said.

The boy's mother says the family moved to Randolph to escape Boston's deadly streets.

"It's awful, children are getting killed everyday over colors, sneakers," she said. "I had to get out of there."

'It's filtered out from Boston and Brockton," Marag said. "We're the pipeline of Route 28. We're the meeting point in between."

A recent spike in gang violence is the driving force behind the youth violence and street crimes task force.

Last summer gunshots rang out in broad daylight, killing a 17-year-old boy. Another teen allegedly pulled the trigger.

The shooting was near the neighborhood where Marag grew up.

"I'm amazed," Marag said. "I loved it growing up, and I see this disturbing trend amongst the younger kids."

Hopefully we make a difference for people in this community and get these kids on the right path," Marag said.

The task force was formed primarily through grant money from the state. The officers hope by being proactive and letting the teens know that violence won't be tolerated in town and that the streets of Randolph will be safer, especially this summer.

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