Shannon Unveils Plan to Fight Gangs

Identifying these statistics and other public safety warning signs, Democratic candidate for Virginia Attorney General Steve Shannon spoke to a small crowd outside of Ida Lee Park on Saturday, Aug. 29 on the topic of his most recent initiative—a plan to curb gang violence and gang recruitment in the Commonwealth.

While anti-gang rhetoric is popular among candidates of both parties, this election cycle has seen Loudoun as a receptive audience for public officials from both parties planning to address gang recruitment and gang violence. It is something of a sore subject for residents of Loudoun, whose sense of security was tested this past March after William Bennett and his wife Cynthia were attacked during an early walk through the upscale community of Lansdowne. The attack left William Bennett dead and his wife Cynthia in critical condition. At least two of his three attackers were believed to be associated with gang activity in Loudoun.

If there’s a plan to combat gangs regionally, Loudoun is likely to support it.

Having been the host to former Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell when he unveiled his own plan for combat gangs, the small crowd listened intently to the man who hopes to replace McDonnell as Virginia Attorney General—Steve Shannon.

Elected to the House of Delegates in 2003, Shannon does bring a level of familiarity with criminal law, having once served as a Fairfax County prosecutor. Speaking to the crowd in Loudoun, Shannon shared a few of his experiences as a prosecutor, including trying cases where the victim was a child.

This experience seems to have colored his approach to the 2009 campaign, which has already moved to increase resources dedicated to identifying online sexual predators—even his approach to gangs includes a heavy dose of protection of children in schools and protection of witnesses who testify against gang members.  While the establishment of increased mentorship and after-school activities for children has been a familiar theme in anti-gang recruitment efforts, Shannon has also committed to making it easier for the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) to relocate low-income witnesses with safety concerns.

Shannon’s legislative approach to suppressing gang activity is not unlike other proposals. However, he has also moved to increase the scope of the “gang participation” charge. Currently, only certain criminal acts done for the benefit of a gang can be considered for the additional charge. Shannon proposed that any crime done for the benefit of the gang would be eligible for the additional charge.

Citing the fact that statistics show an increase in gang activity in rural areas, Shannon also proposes the creation of additional regional task forces, pointing out the Shenandoah Valley. This regional approach would likely continue the work of the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force, and formalize relations with nearby Maryland and the District.

“The gangs up in Northern Virginia don’t discriminate between Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William and Alexandria,” said Shannon.