EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District, in collaboration with the North Central Educational Service District, the Ephrata Police Department and the Grant County Sheriff's Office, is set to host a town hall meeting titled "Understanding Youth Gangs" on Thursday, May 8.  

“At a minimum, we believe we're still on the front side of this, and so we're really trying to be very proactive in recognizing and understanding for our district to be positioned as well as we want to be,” Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray said. “It really needs to be a collaborative effort between not only law enforcement, but also the school district (and) families. The goal is to increase awareness so that we can stay ahead of this to the best of our ability.” 

The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ephrata High School Performing Arts Center. This free, public meeting will engage community members in vital discussions about gang activity in Ephrata and the surrounding communities. 

“Criminal street gangs have been in Grant County for decades,” said GCSO Sheriff Joey Kriete. “They are involved in drug distribution, human trafficking and the violence that goes along with those enterprises. For communities to better manage their gang issues, the public needs to be educated about the criminal street gang culture. Better understanding can help prevent our children from joining gangs and can help the entire community band together to reduce gang-involved crimes.” 

The evening will feature a detailed presentation by the NCESD that will cover several key topics, including the types of gangs operating in Grant County, recognizably behaviors and indicators of gang involvement, observable markers of gang affiliation and preventive steps that communities can take to combat gang influence.  

Following the presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session featuring representatives from the Ephrata School District, the Ephrata PD and the GCSO.  

This, according to Ephrata Police Chief Erik Koch, is essential for fostering an inclusive dialogue.  

“This is not just a law enforcement issue – it’s a community issue,” Koch said. “We all play a role in keeping our neighborhoods and schools safe. Open conversations like this help strengthen the trust and partnerships we need to make lasting change." 

Murray said this is going to be a significant event for the community. 

“Our kids deserve to grow up in a community that sees them, supports them and stands beside them,” he said. “This town hall gives us a chance to come together around the shared responsibility of keeping our youth safe and on a positive path.”  

He noted that the meeting serves not only to inform but also to engage parents, caregivers, educators, students and all community stakeholders in discussions about the important social issues impacting local youth. Murray said that the intention is to stay ahead of these emergent issues rather than merely react to them as they occur. 

“Ephrata is my home," Murray said. “It's been my home for a long time. I bleed orange and black almost to a fault. At the end of the day, I want this community to be the best it can possibly be, and for us to be the best we can possibly be, we also have to ensure that we're aware of (the current reality). I think for a long time in Ephrata we have had a mindset that it doesn't happen here, but it is happening here. If we're not going to take some proactive steps to engaging conversations and try to be responsive, at some point, Ephrata may not be what we want it to be.” 

GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman echoed this sentiment, highlighting that public education on the dynamics of gang culture is vital.  

“An informed community is a safer community,” he said. “Helping our communities understand criminal street gangs can lead to bigger conversations about keeping our youth and neighborhoods safe.” 

As part of the town hall, attendees will receive information about observable behaviors associated with gang involvement, such as specific dress codes, graffiti, and social interactions.  

“We want our families to recognize tendencies in their children or their friends. If they see these indicators, they should feel empowered to discuss those issues,” Murray said.  

The town hall is not expected to be a standalone effort. Murray indicated that there is a vision for ongoing education and engagement with the community regarding gang-related issues.  

“This is absolutely the first step in our community ... we want to grow our capacity to be responsive, and this initiative is just the beginning,” he said. 

In addition to being a platform for education and engagement, the town hall invites a broad spectrum of community members to attend.  

“We want our community members that have youth in their homes to be there, whether or not they're a school district patron,” Murray said. 

The Ephrata School District has communicated with neighboring school districts to encourage participation, ensuring a wider reach within the community. 

“If we see a decrease in our community of some of the graffiti that we're seeing, if we see a decrease in some of the violent behaviors that we're seeing in our region. I say that's a win,” Murray said. “At the end of the day, we want all of the people that are within our county – whether it's Moses Lake, Quincy, Mattawa, Ephrata, Grand Coulee – we want everybody in our region to know that this is a region that's safe, that this is a region where kids can thrive. At the end of the day, if we can reduce some of the gang behaviors and some of the associated risks that it presents to our youth, then that's a win.” 

GANGS TOWN HALL
Ephrata High School Performing Arts Center
333 Fourth Ave. NW
Thursday, May 8
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Free and open to the public 

    Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray said he has noticed some behaviors associated with youth gangs within the district; however, he said they have not been significant. He hopes that with education and collaboration Ephrata will remain on the front side of the issue.
  

    Grant County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman, left, and Sheriff Joey Kriete, right, said the town hall is a good opportunity for collaboration and education of the public. “An informed community is a safer community,” Foreman said.
  

    Ephrata Police Chief Erik Koch said open conversations like the upcoming town hall allow for the community to keep the neighborhoods and schools safe. He said this isn’t just a law enforcement issue but a whole community issue.