After months of brainstorming with community members following the “Gilbert Goons” controversy, the town council has unveiled its plans including a plan to vote on brass knuckles ordinances in May.
The council panel on teen violence was born out of community outcry in response to an investigation by The Arizona Republic in December that found the “Gilbert Goons” a gang. A band of mostly affluent teenagers, had engaged in a string of blitz-style attacks on other teens in the southeast Valley for more than a year, according to interviews, court and police records, and social media posts.
The panel was formalized in January and over the past four months the three-member subcommittee, made up of Vice Mayor Scott Anderson and Councilmembers Chuck Bongiovanni and Jim Torgeson, gave community activists a forum to express their frustrations as well as a place to come up with solutions.
Those plans were shared at Tuesday’s council meeting with the full seven-member elected body.
The council asked staff to prepare two ordinances, expand the Community Task Force’s scope of work, financially support all phases of the town’s advocacy center and add a new police officer for community youth engagement.
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Brass knuckle teen ban ordinance
Gilbert’s town attorney Chris Payne is working with Chandler’s town attorney to mirror language to a brass knuckles teen ban and parental ordinance ordinances the city introduced earlier this month.
A state-wide attempt to ban brass knuckle sales failed in February. Cities are now attempting to put regulations within their municipalities.
Chandler proposes making it illegal for a minor to own or purchase brass knuckles and Gilbert wants to follow suit.
Arizona is one of 12 states where brass knuckles are legal. In 17 more states, the weapon is legal with a permit.
Members of the Goons have been accused of using the weapons during some attacks including against high school student Conner Jarnagan who campaigned for the statewide outlaw of brass knuckles.
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The second ordinance proposed is dubbed the "parental responsibility" ordinance. Councilmember Chuck Bongiovanni told the Arizona Republic, that the ordinances would add punishment to parents who host parties of minors where alcohol is served. Chandler already has an ordinance like this and is looking to expand it.
Details on how the proposed ordinances could be enforced were slim. An in-depth conversation and presentation to the council on the ordinances is tentatively scheduled for May 7 and a vote on May 21.
Community task force
The council subcommittee will pass the baton to the town’s Community Engagement Task Force to take on the work it already started.
The board in the past focused on various issues including domestic violence, human and sex trafficking, mental health, suicide prevention, homelessness and low-income challenges with the mission to ensure “Gilbert is a kind welcoming and inclusive community."
The council will formally add teen violence to its scope of work at a future meeting. Part of Tuesday’s direction was to expand the panel from seven members to 11 members with three alternates.
At least four of those members and one alternate need to be teenagers that live in Gilbert and go to school within Gilbert town limits, the council decided.
Resoundingly the council said it needed to hear from teenagers on the task force to address teen violence.
Applications for new members could open as soon as Monday and stay open for a minimum of two weeks. After the fact, the council will interview and appoint its new members.
The plan is to have the first meeting with the new members in June.
Expanded funding for Gilbert police
A Community Youth Engagement police officer to be a liaison and help support the town’s youth leadership academy and cadet programs is proposed.
The council will need to approve the new full-time sworn officer position as part of the police department’s budget in July. The department proposes the initial cost to create the position could be $276,940 and in the following years $150,160 annually for personal and equipment costs.
The vision behind the proposed officer is to identify “impactful opportunities to connect” with teens and to break down stigmas with reporting to police officers, spokesperson for the Gilbert Police Department Brenda Carrasco told the Arizona Republic.
The new officer would be assigned in the police department's public affairs office.
The town council is also planning to fully fund all three phases of the department's planned advocacy center near its municipal campus along Gilbert Road.
The center aims to be a central location to provide services for families and individuals who have experienced domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault among other violent crimes.
Services will include crisis intervention, forensic interviews and exams to collect evidence for investigations, case management and legal advocacy among others.
Phase one of the center cost the town about $43 million and was partly funded by COVID-19 relief funds.
On Monday, the town will begin site preparation for phase one with construction planned to start in 2025.
Phases two and three could cost an additional $55 million.
Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.
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