Utah Gang Conference

Gang Conference Information

CLASS OVERVIEW

Best Practices in Confronting Gangs

The presentation will provide an overview of implementing multi-level, comprehensive gang control efforts, which includes trisector coalitions (government, nonprofits, and business) coming together to achieve individual and community-level goals through prevention, intervention, suppression, and reentry. An example of this proposal will be presented using existing approaches, such as OJJDP Gang Reduction Program and Kids First.

The Canadian Border: Gangs, Guns, and Dope on the Northern Front

The U.S. and Canadian border is nearly 4,000 miles long (excluding Alaska’s 1,538 mile border) and has been called the largest undefended border in the world. The exponential growth of gangs, guns and drugs challenges this peaceful image. Over 48% of guns used in Canadian crimes come from the U.S. The guns and illegal drug nexus has raised concerns as homicide rates have trended upward with a 48% increase in gang homicides in 2005 when compared with the previous year. In 2011, the National Gang Threat Assessment reported that the Asian Boyz street gang and the Hell’s Angels MC were involved in drug smuggling operations. This training segment will explore the problems along the northern border with a focus on Vancouver becoming an international haven for gang related violence and the “B.C. bud” trade. A brief award winning video segment (“Illicit Exchanges”) will provide a variety of perspectives on these important issues.

Cartel Gang Violence: No End in Sight!

The numbers of those killed in Mexico have now, by many accounts, reached 48,000 along with many thousands also considered to be "missing" since Mexican President Calderon declared his war on Mexican Cartels in December 2006. This training segment will explore the history of the narco-trafficker in Mexico with attention on recent historical developments such as:

  • The displacement of the Sinaloa Cartel by the Zetas in late 2011 as the top cartel in Mexico.
  • Escalation of violence including discovery of mass graves.
  • Corruption and fear (based on the cartel ultimatum: "Plata O' Plomo").
  • Encroachment into the U.S. by cartels using American street gangs (such as barrio Azteca and Surenos).
  • The methods of drug supply to the U.S. (ranging from giant sling shots to sophisticated multi-million dollar tunnel and submarine construction).
  • The linkage between guns and cartel money.
  • Proposed remedies to quell the violent competition in Mexico.

This segment will further discuss the ongoing history and now epic struggle between legitimate law enforcement and cartel soldiers.

Changes in West Coast Hispanic gangs

This presentation will discuss the use of violence by West Coast Latino gangs, their involvement in drug trafficking and thier growing involvment in transnational crimes.

Commitment, Collaboration and a Continuum of Caring…the keys to a successful Gang Prevention, Intervention and Suppression Process in our local school districts

School Districts will discuss the partnerships, tools, population, funding and most important of all the heart that makes our programs successful.

CYBER Safety and Bullying

Cyberbullying is impacting our society more than people realize and this is not just a juvenile issue. Teaming, educating and follow through can make all the difference.

East Coast Gangs…The History of Gangs on the East Coast… Is there a West Coast influence?

This class will talk about the History of Gangs on the East Coast and whether or not there is a West Coast influence.

East Coast Gangs…What is the difference? Are they migrating? Are they as dangerous as their West Coast counterparts? Who are the main gangs?

This class will talk about the East Coast gang mentality and the difference between East Coast and West Coast gangs. East Coast gangs are migrating South and West, and will talk about Local/Hybrid gangs, OMG’s, Extremists, Juggalos, African-American Gangs, Hispanic Gangs, and Asian Gangs.

Empowering our Latino Youth through Leadership, Service, and Literacy with the Sole Purpose of Graduating from Higher Education, Pre-K-16 Pipeline

Latinos in Action is a program/leadership class where in bilingualLatino students receive support to make important ties in the school instead of inappropriate associations in the form, for example, of gangs or other academically unsuccessful and marginal groups. It becomes an intervention and a proactive preventative measure. It becomes for them a vehicle that facilitates upward mobility and a catalyst for the acquisition of social and cultural capital.

LIA was designed to address the critical issues of academic, linguistic, and social development. It is to provide role models of educational success and tutors to serve elementary and junior high students specifically, LIA students become tutors in the areas of literacy and some numeracy.

Eurogang: A Multi-National Approach in Confronting Gang Crime in Europe

The Eurogang network is a collaborative of US and European gang experts who are creating a common framework of knowledge meant to inform the development of effective local, national and international responses to gang crime. The presentation will provide differences between US and European gangs, the importance of ethnicity and immigration history of gangs, and proposed gang typologies.

Gangs 101

This workshop is an introduction into basic gang activity in Utah, specifically in Salt Lake County. Material covered will include basic street and prison gang types, structure, criminal activity and trends. This course is suited to educate both the general public and law enforcement.

Gangs and Drugs: The common denominator.

This class will cover ongoing narcotics trends in the valley and how it relates to gangs.

Gangs and Social Networking

This presentation will provide participants with an overview and understanding of social networks including Facebook, MocoSpace and MySpace. This includes the navigation of a Facebook profile and moving on the learn the correct steps to doing searches. Searching techniques will be demonstrated as will examples of Facebook profiles and how and when they can be searched.

The presentation will provide the participants with examples of how gangs and gang members use social networking to communicate and recruit. Students will be provided third party utilities and tools that can be used to collect information from social networking sites.

Participants will receive information on legal and ethical issues concerning the use of Facebook and third party utilities to obtain information and images from social networking sites. Law enforcement officers will be provided information on what specific information to ask for when serving legal papers or search warrants on Facebook.

Home Girls Don't Cry

Gang Involved Girls and Women have three major pathways into criminal justice involvement. We will discuss those and the research on girls and women and what really makes a difference for their successful reentry into the community. Several female survivors will tell their stories of gang initiation and how they escaped the binds that kill.

Identity and Trauma in the Gang Context

Adolescent identity development, social identity, Latino education, community and psychological violence, youth gangs, school social work, Latino families, school dropout and school administrators, mental health, qualitative methods, immigrant adaptation.

Juggalos

This class is not just a basic Juggalos 101 class. It will take you into the world of Juggalos and what we have deiscovered and researched through interviews and arrests. You will learn the history, Current trends, the mentality, and music of the Juggalos. By the end of this class, you should have a basic understanding of Juggalos, some subsets that make them a gang, and how to identify them. You may even learn the CHOP CHOP SLIDE (A Juggalo dance). BE AWARE that this class does contain some very explicit material and photos. SEE YOU THERE!!! Whoop! Whoop!

Juggling Responsibilities: Fighting Crime in a School

This class will cover the difficulties in juggling the many responsibilities of a school resource officer and offer some insight into how to manage the needs of the school with the needs of the police department. The class will also touch on some current trends seen in West Valley City schools and prevalent issues in school policing.

Nortenos, the fastest growing gang in Utah. WHY…?

Nortenos have been around in Utah since the early 80’s. Since that time, Utah has seen major growth in Crips and Surenos. At this time, Nortenos are the fastest growing gang in Utah. The reason for the major growth is the pressure received from the Nuestra Familia, the Father of this Major Subset. This class will teach you about the local Norte gangs in the Salt Lake Valley, from their recruitment to local trends. Bio’s on some of their leaders to the major players. The Hiearchy of the state of Utah to the Federal Nuestra Familia and its connection to Utah.

If your dealing with Rose Park Nortenos, Familia Varrio Loco, Familia Por Siempre, or Mafioso this class will discuss there history and who there leaders are.

Racist Skinhead Movement the Ins and Outs Turning Away From Hate

From his unique perspective, TJ Leyden, a former neo-Nazi skinhead can take you on the tough but fulfilling journey from a world of hate into a world of hope. As a leading recruiter, organizer and propagandist for the white supremacist and neo-Nazi movement, Leyden spent 15 years promoting hate, bigotry and racism. After turning his back completely on the white power movement, TJ worked for 12 years (1996-2008) with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, 5 ½ of them with Task Force Against Hate. TJ was the first skinhead to leave the racist movement and voluntarily give up information about the inside workings of the neo-Nazi’s and their recruitment methods. He is the leading authority on the neo-Nazi skinhead movement, with over 30 years of experience in this field. Leyden has trained members of the Pentagon, FBI, military, law enforcement (from 5 different Nations), educators, and over 850,000 students. He has also worked with the Department of Justice and other District Attorney’s offices on hate crimes cases where all defendants have been found guilty.

Refugee Youth and Gangs

The presentation will include background information on refugees -- the definition, the number, where they are, the international durable solutions. U.S. refugee resettlement will be discussed, including how refugees get to specific locations within the U.S., what services they receive, who helps them, what their biggest problems are, etc. Refugee susceptibility to gangs is the next part of the presentation, followed by how we are trying to prevent gang and gang-like activity. We will talk to the group about what law enforcement can to do help.

Regional Update on Hispanic Gangs

Hispanic gangs are the fastest growing gangs on the streets in the Salt Lake area. Recruitment is at an all time high, and new members are becoming younger and younger. Violence between Hispanic gang sets is also becoming prevalent on our streets, schools and neighborhoods and shootings are occurring on nearly a weekly basis. This class will focus on current Hispanic gang trends, recruitment methods and local sets in the Salt Lake Metro Area.

Reppin' Behind the Walls

This workshop will examine how local gang members operate criminal enterprises within the correctional facilities with an emphasis on how gang members have manipulated staff, covertly communicated, violently assaulted, and distributed drugs and other contraband within the Salt Lake County Metro Jail and other correctional facilities.

Transnational Street Gangs and Enforcement Methods

  • Works with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, in the U.S. and abroad, to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach to conducting criminal investigations and other law enforcement operations against gangs.
  • Identifies violent street gangs and develops intelligence on their membership, associates, criminal activities and international movements.
  • Deters, disrupts and dismantles gang operations by tracing and seizing cash, weapons and other assets derived from criminal activities.
  • Seeks prosecution and/or removal of alien gang members from the United States.
  • Works closely with our attaché offices worldwide and foreign law enforcement counterparts in gathering intelligence, sharing information and conducting coordinated enforcement operations.

Understanding Federal Violent Crime Cases

This class will provide an overview of federal violent crime cases, including RICO, Hobbs Act and gun cases, a discussion of the benefits of different types of prosecutions, and practical suggestions for bringing federal cases.

West Coast Latino Gang Update

This short presentation will discuss updates of behaviors by west coast latino gangs and their growing involvment in drug trafficking

WHY JOB CORPS?

Job corps is an excellent opportunity, for those who need it. For people who are homeless, looking to no longer be in their gang, etc. then this is the place for you. However, many people go into job corps without fully understanding what to expect. It seems that the community isn’t always truthful or is perhaps misinformed.

No this not a program for young adults on drugs, alcohol, or involved in “Gangs”. Or the last ditch place for those that don’t get along at home or school.

In this class you will learn the myths and truth of the program. The issues that incoming students are confused on and there parents.

We will be discussing pre-arrival process, center life, center culture, dorm culture, trade offerings and other valuable aspects of what the program offers. Also, speaking are students with their success stories that have gone to job corps and succeed and living life like there thought possible. Join the class today to fully understand that Job Corps Works and can make a huge difference in a student 16-24 years of age.

PRESENTERS

Jan Adams

Jan Adams is the Safe Schools Specialist for the Salt Lake City School District, and this is her 33th year in SLC School District. She has previously been a teacher of English and English as a Second Language, and has served as ESL program director for 15 years. She received an MA in linguistics and graduate certification in school counseling from the University of Utah. She was a high school counselor for several years, and began her current position at the district Student Services offices in 2008. She supervises Safe and Drug Free K-12 school programs for Salt Lake Schools, including District Safe School Hearings and discipline policy. In addition, she works with the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Gang Reduction Program Steering Committee and Intervention Committee. The Salt Lake City School Districts Gang Prevention program is a partnership with Colors of Success, which places case managers in eight of our elementary and secondary schools.

Detective Esekia "Skee" Afatasi

Detective Esekia "Skee" Afatasi is employed with the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake. He has been in Law Enforcement for 10 years. He started his Law Enforcement career in 2002 as a Correctional Officer in the Salt Lake County Metro jail where he worked for 3 years before becoming a road officer. In the jail, he worked in the minimum, medium, and maximum security units. He also worked in the Processing area.

He worked 3 years as a patrol officer assigned in the Kearns/Magna area. He worked 2 years as a Detective in the Kearns/Magna COP (Community Oriented Policing) Unit in the Oquirrh Division. While working in the COP Unit, he formed a localized gang unit in the Oquirrh Division called "The OG's" (Oquirrh Gang/Graffiti Group). This unit was formed to assist the Metro Gang Unit in combating gangs in the Kearns/Magna area. As a result of his efforts and hard work as a COP Detective, he was awarded "Deputy of the Year" in 2009. Also as part of the COP Unit, his unit was awarded "Unit of the Year" in 2010.

Skee is now assigned to the Metro Gang Unit. He attends gang conferences nationwide doing Juggalo Presentations for other law enforcement agencies. Skee has a passion for gangs and has been doing some sort of gang work his entire career.

Natalie Bartholomew

Natalie Bartholomew is in her first year as the Canyons School District's Prevention/Intervention Specialist. She received her Bachelor's Degree from UVU in Psychology and is within one month of completing her Master's Degree in Educational Counseling from the University of Phoenix. She is passionate about working with at risk students, and helping them find success early on in their lives.

Detective Aaron Bergquist

Detective Aaron Bergquist, was born in Augsburg, Germany. He was raised on a variety of United States Army Forts across the world. He served in the Army active duty as an Army Ranger. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) in Criminal Justice. He has been married for over 7 years and they have two beautiful sons, Porter (4 years) and Caleb (5 months). Detective Bergquist started his law enforcement career with the St. George Police Department in 2005. During that time he has worked in patrol working as a patrol officer, and field training officer. He is a certified POST instructor. He is a department firearms instructor and a member of the SWAT team. For the past 4 years he has been assigned to the Washington County Drug and Gang Task Force as a gang unit detective. He is a certified gang expert with the Utah Gang Investigators Association.

Gerald Brown - Director, Refugee Services Office, Utah Department of Workforce Services

  • Graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
  • 1976-1978, lived in Cairo, Egypt where he worked with young people through the YMCA of Egypt and the YMCA of Cairo
  • 19789-1979, taught English and studied Mandarin in Taichung, Taiwan
  • 1981-1984, worked as a refugee resettlement case worker, then a refugee resettlement case work supervisor, and then a refugee resettlement job developer in Houston, Texas
  • 1985- 1994, director of the national resettlement program for one of the national volags which resettle refugees through the Department of State
  • Also during this time (1985-1994), worked with Bosnian refugees while on assignment with the UNHCR in Croatia and worked with Iraqi refugees while on assignment in Saudi Arabia
  • 1994, worked with Haitian and Cuban refugees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
  • 1995-1998, worked as an Asylum Officer for the U.S. INS in the New York City office; featured in the award-winning PBS documentary, A Well-Founded Fear
  • 1999, worked with Kosovo refugees in Macedonia while on assignment with the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • 2000-2008, Senior Program Analyst for the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED), a non-profit refugee services policy and technical assistance organization based in Washington, D.C. Provided technical assistance to Office of Refugee Resettlement grantees, focusing on refugee community organizations
  • 2002, did nonprofit training for organizations in Bahrain on behalf of Dept. of State
  • 2009, named the first Director of the new Utah Refugee Services Office

Stephanie Christensen

Stephanie Christensen received her teaching degree in History/English and ESL from Westminster University. She received her Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Utah State University. She has worked in education for 22 years as a teacher, instructional coach, ESL/PBIS/Federal programs coordinator and as an At-Risk Counselor. She believes in empowering students to find their inner strengths and helping support students through a positive change process. She keeps busy with her four kids at home, and her many “kids” at school. She hopes to soon combine work with therapy dogs and at-risk students.

Detective Nate Clark

Detective Nate Clark works for the Unified Police District of Greater Salt Lake. He was hired January of 2000 as a deputy for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. As a deputy he severed the cities of Riverton, Herriman, Bluffdale, Copperton, Draper, White City, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, and Millcreek. He has been with the Metro Gang Unit since May of 2006 and is one of the senior detectives. He received the Metro Gang Unit Detective of the Year award for 2008, and the UGIA Detective of the Year for 2010.

Koki Cline

Koki has worked for Provo City School District for five years as the Gang Prevention Coordinator and as a school social worker. He worked for the division of Juvenile Justice Services for seven years. He received a Bachelors Degree in social work from Brigham Young University and a Masters Degree in social work from the University of Utah. Koki is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked as a therapist at Lake Mountain Counseling and Stress Management. He is the former chair of the Provo City Gang Project and currently serves as the program director for the project

Shannon Miller Cox, Adult Probation and Parole Supervisor Region III, Adult Probation and Parole (Salt Lake County)

Supervisor Shannon Cox’s 18 years of experience includes service as a correctional officer in the prison and in Adult Probation and Parole. She has been a Field Supervision Agent and a Supervisor for the Institutional Parole Office and the Salt Lake Probation and Parole office. She has served in an under cover capacity for the Salt Lake City Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Office, and during the Utah Olympics on the F.B.I.’s Counter Surveillance Anti-terrorism Team.

In August 2004, Mrs. Cox opened the Women’s Treatment and Resource Center (W.T.R.C.) for the Adult Probation and Parole office in Salt Lake City, Utah. The center is the first of it’s kind in the State of Utah, combining female responsive supervision, treatment, and needed resources. The center works to increase protective factors and social capital and in turn decreases their risk to re-offend, greatly reducing recidivism with its clients. The center utilizes over 55 State, Federal, Non-profit, Religious, Treatment, and Volunteer Agencies, involved in the Utah Women’s Summit, a multi-disciplinary team, to sponsor limitless services.

Mrs. Cox was also a co-facilitator/creator of the Utah Women’s Summit. The Summit is a working group of professionals from varying disciplines and backgrounds, all working together to improve the lives of at-risk women and their children, caught in the criminal justice system. The Summit has accomplished wide-reaching goals and is currently involved in multiple charters to address the following: Housing, Treatment and Medication Issues, Support Systems, Education and Life Skills, Employment and Vocational Training.

Mrs. Cox is also a National Institute of Corrections Instructor, in the Women Offender Case Management Model. She has worked for them in several States, helping to teach best practices and Gender Responsive tools. She also created 20 hours of curriculum taught by the Utah Department of Corrections to all women’s facility staff, involved in the prison institution and in the field with female offenders. She has spoken at State Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, and at National Adult and Juvenile Female Offender Conferences across the United States.

Jose Enriquez

Jose is an immigrant that was born in El Salvador and grew up in East L.A. He attributes much of his success to his hard working mother who sacrificed everything to give him and his siblings a better life here in the U.S. She is his Hereon! He served an LDS mission in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jaymilyn and has three beautiful girls Isamar, Ciara liz, and Eva Jane.

He graduated high school from East L.A. John Glenn H.S. with a full ride scholarship to wrestle at BYU.

He now wrestles to close the achievement gap in our school communities. His whole focus as he initiates programs and speaks to students at different venues, is to help all students develop the talents they already have in order to navigate their way through the American school system. He also focuses on the importance of parental involvement.

Executive Director and Founder of Latinos In Action www.latinosinaction.org

Jose is on his 11th year as an Assistant Principal in the Provo Orem area. He is currently an Assistant Principal at Mountain View High school.

He is a PhD candidate at Brigham Young University to graduate Fall 2012

Appointed a Commissioner on volunteer by Lieutenant Governor Bell’s Utah Commission on Volunteers

He has helped many High schools and Junior High schools begin the Latinos in Action (LIA) Class/program in the State of Utah, Idaho and Washington. Currently 58 high schools and Junior high schools in Utah have the Latinos In Action class/program.This effective leadership class/program allows bilingual High school students an opportunity to engage in serving their community. It helps foster confidence in it’s participants by giving them the opportunity to be role models, mentors, and tutors in local educational settings.

Jose has helped organize Latino Leadership Conferences with over 1500 Latino students in attendance from across the state and the state of Idaho. He is also the Co-founder of the Latino Youth Leadership in Action Conference (LYLAC) Annual conference. Jose has been published as a co-author in refereed and non-refereed journal articles. He has also presented this program at national and local conferences.

Jose has applied for and received grants for the LIA program totaling over $100,000 from Learn and Serve America, BYU, Private grants, CDBG Provo, Orem City Block Grants and from local service learning organizations.

Carlos Gamarra

Carlos Gamarra, has been an ICE Special Agent since 2003. Recently returned from Honduras from a 90 day TDY assigned to the ICE Honduran vetted gang unit. While on detail to Honduras I assisted the U.S. State Department-U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa, Honduras with forming the first Honduran National Gang Unit. Provided training and provided resources to the Honduran National Gang Unit. Accompanied Honduran National Police with operations in the field. Debriefed Honduran MS-13 and 18th Street gang members. Recently accepted a full time position with DHS in the US Embassy in Honduras. Will continue working with the Honduran government and Honduran National Police with criminal investigations. In 2011 Federal Gang Officer by the Utah Gang Investigations Association (UGIA). Received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Salt Lake Area Gang Project in 2011 for my work in gang investigations

Detective Rogelio Garza

Detective Rogelio Garza has been a Corrections Officer at the Salt Lake County Jail for Fourteen years and has been assigned to the Metro Gang Unit for 21/2 years. Rogelio is the Security Threat Information Officer for the Jail, handling internal gang related issues, assisting outside agencies with investigations and coordinating the intelligence unit within the Jail known as the Jail Security Threat Information Committee (JSTIC). Rogelio has been a CIRT team member, CIRT team instructor. Rogelio provides training on an array of different subjects in behave of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Metro Gang Unit.

Detective Ken Hansen

Detective Ken Hansen has 26 years experience with the Salt Lake City Police department working in Patrol, Traffic, SWAT, Vice, Gangs and Public Information. He graduated from the FBI SWAT School and the California Highway Patrol Motorcycle Operations School. In 1990, he started the Salt Lake Area Gang Project. He has received two Chief of Police Awards for supervision of the Metro Gang Unit and the SLCPD Vice Squad. In 1996, he graduated from the United States Army Combat Medic School and completed Nursing School. He has a current LPN license in Utah. He was hired by the Utah Attorney General’s Office as a Section Chief in the Investigations Division in 2000. In 2000, he started the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He is on the Board of Directors for the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program. He was appointed by Governor John Huntsman to be the Chairperson for the Pete Suazo Athletic Commission from 2005-2007. He received the FBI Directors Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement in 2002. He is the current instructor for the Fox Valley Technical College, in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 2008, he was hired by the Midvale Police department and has been assigned to Sex Crimes, Narcotics and Vice. He is currently a Midvale Police detective assigned to the Metro Gang Unit.

Dena Helps

Dena Helps, Admission Counselor for the Job Corps Program Employed by Management Training Corporation, located in Centerville, Utah. Which holds the contract for the Clearfield Job Corps Center and the Utah/Montana Admission and Career Transition contract.

I have been working with Job Corps for 10 years. I have worked at the Clearfield Job Corps Center for 4 years in various positions also working with students on center. I am currently on the Regional State Youth Council as co-chair, ICAT, Gang Advisory Board, and other Advisory Boards with schools also work hand in hand with the community. I recruit students 16-24 to enroll into job corps. I enjoy my job knowing that I can make a difference in there life in a positive way.

Trent Hendricks

Trent Hendricks has taught for nearly 12 years in alternative settings in Granite School District. Within the district he has worked as a teacher in various settings including Children Behavioral Treatments Units, Youth in Custody, Kearns, Valley and Eisenhower Junior Highs. Trent currently works for the district as a Safe School and Guardianship Specialist and teaches part time in the safe course a program required of safe school offenders to empower families. He also oversees the skills for success program which provides extra social skills and mentoring to diminish gang involvement. He participates in several community organizations such as M.A.S., I.O.U., and S.H.O.C.A.P.

Special Agent Jed Hirschi

SA Hirschi was born and raised in Southern Utah. After graduating from Hurricane High School, SA Hirschi joined the US Marine Corps and served as an 0311 Rifleman. He also worked in the Military Intelligence field and served in Iraq from 2003-2004 interrogating High Value Detainees that worked for Saddam Hussein’s regime.

SA Hirschi has been in law enforcement for 9 years. As a law enforcement officer, Special Agent Hirschi has worked for the Utah Highway Patrol, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, US Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations. He currently is assigned to the Washington County Gang Task Force and focuses his investigations on fraud and identity theft.

Special Agent Hirschi graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He is married and has two active boys Dax (4) and Rhys (2).

Sergeant Julie Jorgensen

Sergeant Julie Jorgensen has over 16 year of experience in law enforcement with West Valley City Police Department. Her career has included assignments in patrol, the Neighborhood Narcotics Unit, a HUD Narcotics Taskforce, and Special Victim’s Investigations. She was promoted to sergeant in 2004 and has been the Youth Squad Detective Sergeant for 6 years; leading investigators in youth crimes and managing the School Resource Officers. Sergeant Jorgensen has written and implemented several policies and procedures including school safety and lockdown plans for West Valley City schools.

Hema Katoa, MSW, LCSW

Hema Katoa is Tongan American and a lifelong resident of Utah. He has work with gang involved youth in many settings (schools, churches, community, & clinical). Hema has a Masters of Social Work, Bachelors of Sociology, and a Criminology Certificate from the University of Utah and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He has worked as a Counselor/Specialist for Student Intervention Services in the Jordan School District for 12 years. His responsibilities include individual and group counseling (K-12), provide training on at-risk behaviors (including gangs), District Crisis Team member, and support to school administration, teachers, and staff. Hema is co-owner and operator of Mana Training Consultants, LLC were he provides individual, marriage, and family counseling, alternative placement services, and provides culturally competent services targeting the Pacific Islander community of Utah. Hema currently serves on the Salt Lake County Commission on Youth (COY) and as co-chair of the Salt Lake Area Gang Project Community Advisory Board (CAB). Hema has presented on Polynesian gangs in prior Utah Gang Conferences and has presented in many conferences, agencies, and organizations.

William Kendall

William Kendall works as Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. At that office he serves as the Anti-Gang Coordinator and the Deputy Section Chief of the Violent Crimes Section. Previously, he worked as a Deputy District Attorney for the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, where he served on several teams, prosecuting drug, gang, SVU and homicide cases. Currently, he handles a variety of cases, including Hobbs Act violations, bank robbery, carjacking and gun crimes, and he is lead counsel in the federal racketeering case against 17 members and associates of the Tongan Crip Gang.

Detective Lorenzo “Snow” Leuluai

Detective Lorenzo “Snow” Leuluai has been with Salt Lake City Police Department for 9 years. Snow currently works for the Safe Street Gang Task Force as a Detective and is assigned to Nortenos, Eastside Rascals, and Crip Sets. Prior to his current assignment, Snow was assigned to the Metro Gang Unit. While working for Metro Gangs, Snow was assigned to Polynesian Gangs, Sureno Gangs, and Gangster Rap.

Snow has been teaching in the Metro Gang Conference for approx five years on topics of Polynesian Gangs, Influence of Music, and now Nortenos the fastest growing Gang in the Salt Lake Valley. Snow has been teaching gang related topics throughout Utah and Wyoming. He has also been interviewed by our local newspaper and media outlets on Gang Issues throughout the Valley.

Before his Gang assignment, Snow worked on Salt Lake City PD Fusion Bike Squad that dealt with Local Business Issues, Graffiti, mobile drug dealer, and Capturing Salt Lake’s most wanted criminals. NFD

Thomas J. Leyden Jr.; Founder and CEO of Hate to Hope Inc.

Hammerskin Nation is a transnational gang whose goal it is to create an Aryan caliphate. This movement gave me a sense of identity and a purpose for my hate and anger at a dark place in my life. I spent 15 years promoting hate, bigotry and racism. My change of heart was slow and it began with my children and visualizing the hate I was consuming their lives with. I had to look deep within myself and I had to ask; if I didn’t want this life for my family, why did I want it for me? It was a process of self-realization but I did eventually and completely turn my back away from the white power movement. I then became a consultant and worked for 5 ½ years with the Task Force Against Hate at the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Then I started StrHate Talk consulting in 2001 and founded Hate to Hope inc., a non-profit organization, in 2010. I now and will always work with young people around the world helping them leave dangerous and radical lifestyles.

TJ was the first skinhead to leave the racist movement and voluntarily give up information about the inside workings of the neo-Nazi’s and their recruitment methods. He is the leading authority on the neo-Nazi skinhead movement, with over 30 years of experience in this field.

TJ Leyden was a featured speaker at the Clinton White House Conference on Hate in Washington D.C. and was a major contributor to California Governor Gray Davis’s report “Governor’s Advisory Panel on Hate Groups.” Leyden worked with Google’s Think, Do Tank, as a member of the steering committee for the S/A/V/E Summit (Summit Against Violent Extremism) which was put on by Google, CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) and Tribeca Films.

Leyden has trained members of the Pentagon, FBI, military, law enforcement (from 5 different Nations), educators, and over 850,000 students. He has also worked with the Department of Justice and other District Attorney’s offices on hate crimes cases where all defendants have been found guilty.

TJ has been seen on the History Channel’s Gangland Series (Hate Nation and Basic Training) and was a Technical Adviser for the FX hit show Sons of Anarchy, season 2. TJ worked with Dr. Phil as a subject matter expert. TJ has also appeared several times on FOX, CNN, MSNBC and other news agencies as an expert in the field of Hate and racism. TJ was also featured in Time Magazine and in over 2000 other publications, newspapers and BLOGs.

TJ Leyden co-author the book SKINHEAD CONFESSIONS from Hate to Hope in 2008, the autobiography of his life.

Detective Thomas Loevlie

Detective Thomas Loevlie began working with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 2004. He served as a Field Training Officer in the Patrol Division until his assignment as a detective with the Salt Lake Area Metro Gang Task Force. Detective Loevlie travels to multiple Gang Investigators Conferences throughout the United States to speak on Juvenile Gangs. Detective Loevlie splits his time with Gang suppression, the Shocap program, The Graffiti Task Force, and the Juvenile Initiative , acting as the liaison to the Juvenile Court, Juvenile Justice Services, Probation and Parole.

Prior to Law Enforcement, Thomas was working in multiple administrative capacities in the Juvenile Justice field since 1987. Thomas serves as a member of the executive board for the Utah Gang Investigators Association.

Leticia Medina

Leticia Medina is currently the Executive Director for Colors of Success and is also a national trainer for the National Youth Gang Center. She has served as the Director of the Office of Hispanic Affairs under Governor Leavitt, and Director for the State Community Services Office where she administered over 20 million dollars in state and federal funds for state wide homeless and housing services; She has developed and implemented various projects through collaborative efforts with public and private businesses and government on behalf of ethnic communities including poverty and homeless issues in the state of Utah.

Leticia continues to advocate for families who are under-served, and provides training to various national, state and local organizations and families on diversity, gang intervention and prevention, drug and alcohol prevention, and vocational program development throughout the country. She is the recipient of the Good Housing Keeping’s Women in Government Award for 2002 and a recipient of the 2003 National FBI Director’s Community Leadership award.

Leticia received her degree in Social & Behavioral Science from the University of Utah and currently resides in Taylorsville, Utah.

Detective Brett Miller

Detective Brett Miller has been in law enforcement for approximately fourteen years. He previously served in the Metro Gang Unit and is currently assigned to the Taylorsville Police Department Street Crimes Unit.

Detective David Montoya

Detective David Montoya has been a Corrections Officer at the Salt Lake County Jail for over Eight years. David has worked in all areas of the Jail including the maximum security unit for three years. He has been assigned to the Metro Gang Unit for over two years. David is the Security Threat Information Officer for the Jail, handling internal gang related issues and Security threats, assisting outside agencies with investigations and coordinating the Intelligence Unit within the Jail known as the Jail Security Threat Information Committee (JSTIC). He has been a member JSTIC for the past five years. He has been a CIRT team member and a CIRT team instructor. David provides training on an array of different subjects on behalf of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Metro Gang Unit.

Detective James Morton

began his law enforcement career in 2001. He hired on with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office as a Correctional Officer. He worked in jail housing medium security for one year and jail security for eight months. In 2003 he left the jail after accepting a position with the Sheriff's office as a Deputy. After completing the academy and FTO program he was assigned to patrol in Taylorsville. April 2005, he left the Sheriff's office after accepting a position with the newly incorporated police department in the City of Taylorsville. James has worked patrol, motors, and was transferred to the Metro Gang Unit in April 2010. James is a FTO, firearms instructor and pepper ball instructor. He has taught at POST and the SLCC police academy for three years.

Sgt.Marlon Mosley

Sgt.Marlon Mosley has been a member of the Baltimore City Police Department for 17 ½ yrs. and is currently assigned to the Education and Training Unit, where his is one of the lead instructors of the Diamond Standard Training program. Sgt. Mosley has been a patrolman, member of the SWAT team and member of the Criminal Intelligence Section where he investigated gang activity in Baltimore City and neighboring jurisdictions. He has worked numerous gang cases to include the Federal indictment of three major gangs in the Baltimore, Maryland area; Tree Top Pirus (TTP), L-Gang (Pasadena Denver Lanes), and Black Guerilla Family. Marlon holds a Masters Degree in Management from The Johns Hopkins University and will be going back to school for Early Childhood Development.

Eileen Nicholas

Eileen is presently employed as a Teacher Specialist at the District Office in the Ogden School District. She supervises the District K-12 counselors, conducts all of the Due Process Hearings, administers the gang prevention and intervention programs for the district, service learning, At Risk Counselors and Sabs Program She also works with drug and alcohol prevention and intervention. Eileen has been in education for over 38 years at the Elementary, Jr. High, high school and university (Under and Grad) levels. She also spent seven of her first years in education working in the youth correction field. She holds a M. Ed. in Guidance and Counseling from B.Y.U. as well as training in numerous counseling theories and techniques. She has also done graduate work at W.S.U. and U.S.U. Eileen teaches for the University of Phoenix and has so for over 18 years and continues to do so both in under graduate and in the graduate Counseling and Guidance Programs. She has been a guest speaker on talk shows on both radio and three local TV channels speaking on Counselor related issues and our local school system. She served on the Utah School Counselor Association Board for over fourteen years. Eileen was also selected Middle/Jr. High School Counselor of the Year for 1996 by the U.S.C.A. and nominated for the Counselor of the Year on the national level for the American School Counselor Association for 1997. In 1999 she was named Child Advocate of the Year by the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Ogden. She was also chosen as Teacher of the Year for the University of Phoenix in 2000. February 2008 Eileen received the Human Rights Award from USCA for her work with disadvantaged children. Eileen is the supervisor of the counselors in the Ogden City Schools. Eileen loves the field of Education and working with all children and community with School Counseling and Guidance as her specialty. She is married to John M. Nicholas. They reside in Kaysville, Utah.

Clay Pearce, Associate Director of Student Services (Safe Schools), Granite School District

B.S. Political Science and History, M.S Educational Administration, University of Utah. School administrator at Brockbank Jr., Cyprus, Taylorsville, and Cottonwood High Schools. Taught Social Studies in Tooele and Granite School District.

Moisés Próspero, Ph.D.

Moisés Próspero, Ph.D., is a research-practitioner with IE Consulting, LLC. Dr. Próspero conducts prevention & interventions that have been found to be effective in reducing antisocial behavior, such as the Incredible Years for parents and Life Minus Violence-Enhanced for violent youth. Dr. Próspero evaluates the effectiveness of programming through mixed methodology & provides training to organizations that work with diverse populations.

Dr. Próspero was the chair of the Governor’s Gang Task Force assessment subcommittee & was involved as the research partner with the Salt Lake City Gang Reduction Program, Provo Gang Project, & Ogden’s CROSS gang program. He was the director of the Utah Criminal Justice Center at the University of Utah & has presented at local, national and international conferences & has published in various scientific journals, such as the Journal of Juvenile Justice, Journal of Forensic Social Work, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Journal of School Violence.

Detective Rick Simonelli

Detective Rick Simonelli has been with the United States Marshals Service (USMS) for ten years. He started his career in Washington D.C., prior to moving to Utah in 2003. He was assigned to the Joint Criminal Apprehension Team prior to coming to the Metro Gang Unit in July 2004. Within the unit, he is assigned as a gang investigator. He was named 2005 Officer of the Year for the Metro Gang Unit. He received the 2007 Utah Gang Investigators Association Distinguished Service Award.

Nanon Talley, LPC

Nanon Talley, LPC, is a Program Manager for the Division of Juvenile Justice Services and is the Female Programs Specialist. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University and her Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix.

Nanon has worked in various capacities with adolescent female offenders for thirteen years and works to keep the needs of Utah’s girls a number one focus of Juvenile Justice Services. As the Program Manager for Female Programs, Nanon chairs the work of Utah’s Adolescent Female Advocacy Network (AFAN), which provides system implementation of gender-responsive practices for the juvenile system within the state of Utah. Nanon has presented at several conferences, both locally and nationally on system issues related to adolescent females. Nanon served as the Chair of the Planning Committee for the 14th National Workshop on Adult and Juvenile Female Offenders, which was held in October 2011. Nanon is actively involved with the Association of Programs for Female Offenders and serves on the national board.

Tony Tueller

Tony Tueller works for Sandy City Police Department. He has been an Officer/Detective for about six years. He is currently assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Gang task force and has been there for just under two years. Before getting transferred to the Gang Task Force he was assigned to the Salt Lake Area Gang Project (Metro Gangs). He has served as a SWAT Team member and also served as an accident investigator in Sandy previously before coming to Metro Gangs. His love and passion is with working with gangs and gives him a challenge.

Dr. Al Valdez

Dr. Al Valdez is currently the department chair, Criminal Justice, at Westwood College, in Anaheim, California where he manages the academic administration of approximately 550 criminal justice students and helps facilitate the teaching duties of 19 full-time and adjunct professors in the department.

Al retired from the Orange County District Attorney’s office in April 2006; where he was the Gang Unit supervisor. He has over 28 years of law enforcement experience with special emphasis on narcotic and gang investigations, undercover field operations, and multi-agency task forces and prosecutions. He has written many articles and published several books on gang histories, customs and practices, and related issues. Al was selected as the 2001 District Attorney Investigator of the Year for the state of California.

Allan Whitmore

Allan Whitmore has worked in the Evidence Based Learning Office of Canyons School District as a teacher specialist and prevention coordinator since the district was established.

He received his Bachelor's Degree from BYU in therapeutic recreation and worked eight years in the latency aged Residential Treatment Center at PCMC. He earned a Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix in Educational Counseling, and spent another eight years as an elementary and middle school counselor in Heber City, Utah.

Detective Nate Wiley

Detective Nate Wiley has been with the Salt Lake City Police Department for eight years. For the first three years, he worked as a Patrol Officer for Liberty/Pioneer Patrol and worked as a Field Training Officer. He was then transferred to the Fusion Bike Squad which dealt with mobile drug dealers, gang suppression and fugitive arrests. While working with Fusion he was also assigned to the Joint Criminal Apprehension Team (JCAT). Nate worked with the Metro Gang Unit in 2009 and was recently transferred to the Safe Streets Gang Task Force in October of 2010.

Dr. Michael J. Witkowski

Dr. Michael J. Witkowski, CPP is a tenured Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and director of the graduate program in Security Administration at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM). He has served UDM for over 20 years. He came to UDM after spending nearly 19 years in the private sector with Ford Motor Company. His final position with Ford was that of Personnel Services Supervisor in the Staff Security Department. He presently is a tenured associate professor who teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate level in Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, Gangs and Deviant Social Groups, Gender Issues, Comparative Security, Security Management, Security Systems & Crime Prevention, Computer and Information Security, and Leadership. He is a regular presenter and trainer at academic conferences, symposiums, seminars, and police crime prevention programs nationwide.

Dr. Witkowski is also a nationally known security litigation expert with many years of experience handling civil litigation involving premises liability issues and crime by street gangs. He has researched gang activity in a number of venues including: public-housing, section-eight apartments, schools, casinos, nightclubs, concerts, fast-food restaurants, shopping centers, sporting venues, convenience stores, and entertainment centers. He is a member of the Detroit Chapter of ASIS, the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan (CPAM), and the Downtown Detroit Executive Security Council (DDESC). He is also a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by examination.

Dr. Witkowski has published articles in a variety of professional journals including the Journal of Gang Research, Security Management, The Journal of Security Education, Police Chief , The Journal of Applied Security Research and Security Journal. He is a frequent reviewer of academic texts for major publishing companies on the topics of security, criminology, juvenile delinquency, gangs, and criminal justice generally. He was also named a Frederic Milton Thrasher award recipient for gang research in 2001 and again in 2006 and 2008 by the National Gang Crime Research Center (NGCRC) in Chicago. He appeared in a 2008 Media Lab/PBS special entitled: “Illicit Exchanges” dealing with gangs, guns, and drugs along the Canadian border which won an Emmy Award for best documentary.

Dr. Mike (as his students call him) was awarded the University Faculty Mission Leadership Award in March of 2003 for his work at UDM for exemplifying the values of the mission of the institution. Most importantly, he is the father of five caring and successful children and a cancer survivor of seven years.

James E. Yapias

Is an educator who is committed to implementing research-based school reform initiatives that empower teachers, students, and their families. Mr. Yapias has a Masters of Education and Counseling and Bachelors Degree. He also has endorsements and certificates in English as a Second Language, Administrative Supervision, and Special Education. He has extensive experience with Title I schools and has held several positions in the school system including vocational coordinator, teacher, and counselor. He has worked for Salt Lake City School District as an Assistant Principal, East high School, Assistant Principal, Northwest Middle School, and is currently a Principal at M. Lynn Bennion Elementary School and Director of Poder Para La Familia Hispana.

The "Ocho Pasos" program is a prevention and intervention educational service for at-risk youth ages 12-18 who have been court adjudicated and/or referred by Salt Lake County's Third District Juvenile Court. "Ocho Pasos" is implemented in collaboration with the Salt Lake Peer Court, Salt Lake County Social Services, Salt Lake Area Gang Task Force, Utah Third District Juvenile Court, and the Salt Lake Community College Highland Campus. All program staff are bi-cultural and bi-lingual trained professionals.

Award Recipient:

  • The 21st annual Utah Gang Conference - He received an "Outstanding Achievement" award.
  • Salt Lake City School District Top Elementary- Title I Performing School
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., NAACP Award. James Yapias for their outstanding achievements.

Areas of Expertise/Presentation:

James E. Yapias, Identity and trauma in the gang context. His recent presentations include "Innocent Lives - Borderlands: Creating, Transforming, and Sustaining Academic Identities among Latino Adolescents." In 2006 he Researched/Developed and Trained Coordinated the Utah Multi-Agency Cultural Competency Curriculum (UMACCC). The curriculum was developed for attorneys, judges, youth corrections, division of child and family services, youth probation and law enforcement.