KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Monday's announcement of the arrest of three alleged gang members, who may be involved in more than 10 homicides, shined a light on the issue of gangs in the metro.
According to a former KCPD gang squad member who spoke to 41 Action News on Monday, the number of total gang members in the city was estimated to be more than 3,000 back in 2014.
Ossco Bolton grew up in Kansas City and he remembers how his group of friends gave him something to belong to as a teen.
"We actually started as a rap group called 'South Side Posse'," he explained. "The draw is somebody cares about me just like I am. I don't have to change anything about myself."
The group developed a close bond but Bolton said it soon developed into something much more.
"It starts off as some young guys hanging out together and then next thing you know, you get into it with people," he explained. "That love you have for your brothers makes you fight for them and protect them."
Bolton told 41 Action News that being a part of the close-knit neighborhood group and the rivalries they had with others led him close to violence on the streets of Kansas City.
"Whether it be shootings, drive-bys, people getting jumped, sometimes brawls," he said.
Bolton's story is one of many across the area.
Gangs continue to have a presence in the metro, particularly on Kansas City's east side.
Pat Clarke, who works as a community outreach specialist, said he often talks with children and teenagers who know all too well about gangs.
"A lot of these kids do it to belong to something or somebody," he explained. "These are kids looking for something to do."
Clarke said multiple solutions could help improve life for children growing up in tough neighborhoods, including growing relationships with the police and local businesses.
He also added that growing the number of youth programs could go a long way.
"There's never going to be enough youth programs. Never," Clarke explained. "We need to give them something to do or create something for them to do."
Bolton agreed with Clarke's suggestions and said he eventually left "gang life" when he knew others believed in him.
"A whole bunch of people came around and said, 'We care about you,'" he explained. "I said, 'I've been lied to. There are people that still care about me.' That's what clicked for me."
