Please feel free to call the South Hill Police Department at (434) 447-3104 or dial 911 to report any criminal or suspicious activity. You may also e-mail this department at shpd@meckcom.net
The following is information on specific types of criminal activity:
Gangs:
Q: What is a gang?
Virginia State Law 18.2-46.1 defines a criminal street gang as any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, (i) which has as one of its primary objectives or activities the commission of one or more criminal activities; (ii) which has an identifiable name or identifying sign or symbol; and (iii) whose members individually or collectively have engaged in the commission of, attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of two or more predicate criminal acts, at least one of which is an act of violence, provided such acts were not part of a common act or transaction.
Q: What other factors indicate gang involvement?
Location where individuals gather, clothing and gang names are a few factors to consider.
Q: What is the ethnic origin of the gangs?
Although some gangs limit participation to their own native ethnic grouping, in fact there is no major ethnic group within the county that is not represented in one of the major criminal street gangs. It should not be assumed that any ethnic group is more predisposed to membership in a criminal gang.
Q: Why do kids join gangs?
Reasons vary, but often young people who join gangs feel peer pressure, want protection, know gang members, want excitement, seek money, feel insecure, have an unhappy home life, grew up with violence, feel hopeless, or want a replacement for the family.
Q: Is being a gang member or dressing like a gang member illegal?
Several Virginia laws were passed, beginning in 2000, which address this issue. The recruiting of a juvenile into a criminal street gang is a class 6 felony. It also prohibits criminal street gang participation. There is also additional legislation being proposed. There are school regulations which prohibit students from wearing gang clothing and gang paraphernalia. For the most current information on gang related legislation visit http://www.oag.state.va.us/KEY_ISSUES/GANGS/index.html and http://leg1.state.va.us/000/src.htm, search using the keyword “gang”.