I am a graduate of Starr’s Mill High School and a senior at Clayton State University [in] criminal justice. I recently completed my internship at the Office of the District Attorney, Clayton Judicial Circuit.

I was amazed by the extremely high volume of [gang] cases coming into the office.

I am very concerned at the comments made by retiring Sheriff Randall Johnson: “... we do not have organized gangs operating in this county.”

Well, ladies and gentlemen, in my opinion we do have such gangs in this county.

Although I disagree with Sheriff Johnson in some respects, the Sheriff was correct when he stated, “... we have gang members coming in here (from other counties).”

Well, of course we have gang members coming in here from other counties. Clayton County is estimated to have more than 60 organized gangs. One must be naive to believe that these gangs are not coming into Fayette County to prey on unsuspecting citizens and recruit young people, expanding their operations into Fayette County.

Johnson also stated, “... we have a lot of young wanna be’s.” It is widely accepted and know in law enforcement today that “wanna be’s” are ... “gonna be’s.”

I contend that a lot of these wanna be’s are not wanna be’s at all, or even gonna be’s, but are in fact actual gang members today.

I can tell you with a very high degree of certainty that these youth gangs or “hybrid gangs” do exist here in Fayette County and exist here today. Based on conversations I have had with current and former students of Fayette County High School, I can state with great assurance that there are currently at least two gangs at the school.

One goes by the name YNT (Young n Thuggin) and the other YMF (Young Mafia Family). These two gangs are said to be rival gangs and are also said to be aligned with well-known national gangs, which will not be stated for obvious reasons. My sources estimate their combined membership to be in the hundreds.

The members of these gangs are not wanna be’s just playing around and giving themselves a name; these are the wanna be’s that characterize hybrid gangs.

These gangs are organized, they have command structures, recruiters, signs, symbols, rules to follow, and are engaged in criminal enterprise.

Does Sheriff Johnson know of these youth gangs? Does Fayetteville Police Detective Scott Israel know of them? To those who are unfamiliar, Israel was the detective assigned to investigate gang activity after the gang fight in the bathroom at Fayette County High School.

I sure hope Johnson was being genuine when he stated that talks of organized gangs in the county are “a bunch of junk.” I hope he is simply ill-informed and therefore not misleading the public. I fear the sheriff is unwilling to admit that gangs are in the county while he is sheriff because he does not want it to be known that they have taken root on his watch.

Lastly, as with the issue of the recent increases in the frequency and severity of crimes being committed in the county, one candidate for sheriff has been labeled by some as fear-mongering and attempting to scare up votes. However, more recently, comments by other candidates seem to validate what the one has been saying for some time.

The time has come for this county, including the sheriff and the public, to admit to what is already here, identify it, and take the necessary steps to get it under control.

If they are gangs, then call them gangs. I am here to tell you that they are indeed gangs. It is only going to get worse if we don’t do something about it now. As sheriff candidate Dave Simmons wrote, “We must admit to the problem if we are to solve it.” Please make the right choice on July 15.

Timothy J. Hoyle

Peachtree City, Ga.