A machete attack in Springfield which police have linked to a notorious street gang has local officials and members of the community concerned about preventing similar incidents.
Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D-Lee) called the incident, which took place on Sunday, May 29 in Springfield's Lynbrook community, a "tipping point for community concern," and expressed concern about the ability of such an incident to occur again.
"The reason for my landing hard with both feet is you don't want an isolated incident to become a regular occurrence," said Kauffman, who presented what he called a "broad outline" of the issues involved in the situation before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Monday, June 6. At that meeting, Kauffman pointed out that county zoning enforcement officials had visited the home in question, located in the 6800 block of Lynbrook Drive, on May 4 to inspect for possible overcrowding and other unusual activity. Despite reports of over 20 different cars parked at the house in the first few months of the year, zoning officials reported the status quo at the home in early May.
"Zoning Enforcement reported back … that their team inspection on May 4 found no violations, only a nice family," Kauffman said at the board meeting. "How did we miss signs of trouble at this address?" He called the issue a sign that the Lee District is continuing its transformation into an urban environment.
"We're dealing with urban challenges here. While I want to preserve our suburbs, I want our police to be armed with urban tools."
Capt. David Rohrer, Fairfax County chief of police, said he is pleased that the county Board of Supervisors approved money for four more gang detectives in the 2005 budget, bringing the department's total to 12 detectives and two supervisors. He said he believes his department is well-equipped to deal with the problem, but could use the input of other county agencies, as well as private citizens.
"Frankly, the more we can leverage the expertise and the resources that are out there, not just police," he said. "These are the ones who are going to know what's going on."
Rohrer said Kauffman's remarks to the Board of Supervisors regarding training county inspectors more specifically in gang warning signs were "appropriate," in "making sure we are all speaking the same language."
"I think the issue here is whether we can perhaps update the training and make sure (they) have the most accurate up-to-date information we have," he said.
According to a search warrant, an 18-year-old resident of Augusta Drive, was playing basketball at the house in question on Lynbrook Drive around 8 p.m. when he was approached by a 17-year old, who flashed a gang sign consistent with membership in the street gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. The 18-year old did not respond, according to the report, but later that day, a group of approximately seven individuals, some with baseball bats, and one brandishing a machete approached him. Police reports claim several members of the group shouted "MS" and one swung a machete at the victim. He deflected the blow with his hand, sustaining a laceration, and turned to flee, when he was struck in the back of the head. The victim fled but was treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital for his injuries.
Eyewitness reports identified the suspect as the one with the machete and police reports indicate he was identified in a police lineup. He has been charged with malicious wounding and gang participation.
Police executed the warrant on the home, a tri-level house on the corner of Lynbrook Drive and Augusta Drive, on Wednesday, June 1.
"I'm not shocked and I'm not surprised. We've been seeing these situations throughout the area. Now, it's kind of come to a head, and we're forced to address it," said Tawny Hammond, president of the Springfield Civic Association. "It's taking something the civic association and the county were already concerned about. This is going to ratchet it up to be more of a critical situation, to look at solutions sooner than later."
Hammond said the civic association was taking a closer look at addressing the issue of overcrowding, which seemed to be a factor in the house in Springfield where the incident took place.
"We're very sensitive to various cultural and socioeconomic conditions," she said. "We're very sensitive to extended families. What we don't embrace are these homes meant for single families being meant for boarding houses."
Rohrer pointed out, however, that while having county inspectors be on the look-out for gang red flags would be a benefit, he believed it would be overzealous to point the finger only at recent immigrants or specific ethnicities.
"We have a wide variety of gang members, and it's hard to say that any sort of race or ethnic group are responsible," he said. "Many of our gang members are homegrown, so to speak. They're residents here."
Gang activity has been a major focus of both of the past two General Assembly sessions, passing legislation aimed at cracking down on gang activity. In the 2005 session, the legislators passed a resolution directing the State Crime Commission (SCC) to study gang activity. The vice-chair of the SCC is Del. Dave Albo (R-42), who also proposed several gang-related pieces of legislation.
"It only takes very few people to cause huge problems," said Albo, who said one of the primary tasks of the SCC will be to officially identify certain gangs, to allow prosecutors ease in prosecution.
"I believe the laws are in place right now, with what we've passed the last two years, and now it's a matter of enforcement," said Albo, adding that when it comes to enforcement, the tough work may be ahead.
"The next step is to do what we did to drug dealers in the 80s — find incredibly brave police officers who will infiltrate gangs," he said.
Albo, who is running for reelection this November, added he is considering possible legislation that would provide more authority to zoning enforcement officials, levying heavier fines for violations and using funds for increased surveillance.
Kauffman said the solution to the problem, which he called "a big knot" consisting of "many strands of issues," will rest in combining the efforts of state and local politicians, as well as communities, schools and law enforcement.
"Right now, we have a somewhat contained problem and we need to make sure it stays confined," he said.