Fri., March 26, 2010 1:01pm (EDT)

State Attorney General Speaks on Augusta Gang Problem
By Noel Brown
Updated: 3 years ago

AUGUSTA, Ga.  —  
Attorney General Thurbert Baker was the keynote speaker at an event dealing with Augusta's growing gang problem.
Attorney General Thurbert Baker was the keynote speaker at an event dealing with Augusta's growing gang problem.
Georgia's Attorney General, Thurbert Baker, was the main speaker at a Thursday event intended to educate parents and children about the dangers of gang violence. Baker told the crowd that Augusta’s recent upswing in gang activity can’t be stopped by law enforcement alone. He said it’s up to parents to be positive role models for their children and to steer them away from gangs.

"Some days we forget that there are still kids in the house that need some kind of guidance," Baker said . "If we don’t give it to them, they’re learning it from each other and many times they are learning it in a gang environment. Those are not the kinds of values we want them to learn."

The attorney general’s visit comes after two Augusta high school students were killed in gang-related shootings last month and one student was severely beaten.