Neighbors fight back against gangs

"They should go somewhere and do something with their lives," said Rockford resident Dontea Tremmel.

Gang's presence alone puts families on edge.

"I don't want that life style," said Rockford resident Terreshia Woods.  "I don't want my son to go through that."

Gangs in Rockford have been vandalizing neighborhoods and bringing violence to many people's door steps.

To combat the activity, Rockford Urban Ministries hosted a program on fighting back against gangs, and to provide resources for people struggling with gang activity in their neighborhoods.

"We think that everything is in peace and quite, but there is something going on," said Centennial United Methodist Church pastor Enrique Gonzalez.

Gonzalez says there's many reasons people are attracted to a gang lifestyle, among them are money, fame, and protection.

"The people identify that they have to be in packs all the time to defend themselves," said Gonzalez.  "To make a presence that they belong to the community."

Gang graffiti can be found all over Rockford's neighborhoods, but it's the violence that's associated with gangs that has many residents concerned.

"I've had a whole bunch of friends killed because of gang violence," said Woods.

Terreshia Woods says she left Chicago because of gangs, and in the last five years, she's had six friends killed in gang violence.

"Gang violence is not that answer, gangs, none of that is the answer," said Woods.

Woods and Trammel say they try to be the difference in peoples lives, and attempt to steer them away from gangs, hoping to make their community safer for their child and others.

"I be worried for him to walk somewhere, and something be going on, and he could get hurt, I be really worried," said Trammel.

Police say when they identify gang graffiti they attempt to cover it up within a few days, and they also encourage anybody who notices gang activity to contact police.