Gangs show true colors in Santa Rosa County

Ask any Santa Rosa County resident why they love living here, and the answers consistently include a variation on a common theme.

The advantages of life in the county include the quiet, the sense of community and the safety of small-town living. The area is seen as a haven from the problems that plague larger and more urban areas.

There is, however, a dark side to life in the county. Gangs are becoming an increasingly dangerous problem for local authorities, and what was once thought of as a big city problem has come home to small town America.

Florida ranks fourth in the nation in terms of gang problems and the state ranks first in the nation for having the most gang growth. Nationwide, there are more than a million gang members, more than 40 percent of which are under the age of 18.

For more on this story, see the July 7 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.