Our Voice: Pasco men seek to curb gang violence

Tragedies often spur action.

When something is fresh in the public’s mind, people are likely to take action in hopes of preventing a repeat of the heartbreak.

A gang-related murder last month in Pasco has spurred that response from some folks who have long been trying to make a difference.

Jesse Campos and Jesse Orlando Mercado Retana have created the community group Pasco Unidos with the support of city officials who also see the need to stem gang violence in the city.

The group held its first public event recently, providing a forum to make citizens aware of community resources like tutoring services, WorkSource, health providers and Armed Forces recruiters that provide young people with help and alternatives for their futures.

Campos and Mercado Retana aren’t just talking the talk. Both walked the walk as young men living the street life. They changed course and now try to help young people choose a better path in life. Because of their past on the streets, both adults are able to connect with young people in a way that others can’t, and that credibility earns them respect from teens.

Campos has been a long-time mentor to gang-affiliated and at-risk youth, and Mercado Retana is part of a boxing club that gives kids on the edge another outlet.

The shooting of George Garcia Thacker hit close to home for both men. Campos said he worked with the young man from his days in juvenile court to more recent times. Mercado Retana is related to the two brothers named as suspects in the killing.

Neither man was willing to let another young person’s death by street violence pass without trying to do even more than they already are for our community.

Immediately after Garcia Thacker’s death, Mercado Retana expressed his frustration on social media, spurring Campos to invite everyone to the River Church to talk about how to stop the violence. One of those who showed up was Pasco Police Chief Bob Metzger.

And that’s what makes this effort special. You have men who are connected to young people and understand gang life. Those men also are viewed as legitimate by the very young folks they want to help. Those men can offer a bridge between police and the teens, as well as a link to services that may help them leave gang life behind.

By working with law enforcement, the effort also shows solidarity in a community that not so long ago was divided over the shooting of a rock-throwing man by Pasco police.

The challenge of bringing teens back from what they sometimes view as the glamour of the streets is a big one. Campos and Mercado Retana have been in the fight for a long time. They deserve our support as do the Pasco police in this effort.

Even though it may be cliché, if they save even one young person from a life of crime and a death on the streets, their efforts have succeeded.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Our Voice: Pasco men seek to curb gang violence."