Members of the Guardian Angels hosted a meeting Thursday to outline plans to combat gang violence in Suffolk County.
The quadruple homicide in Central Islip last month and other killings linked to the MS-13 gang have many residents on edge. That's why residents met with the Guardian Angels about the issue.
The Guardian Angels say the key is to centralizing the neighborhood watch groups in Central Islip and Brentwood.
"We want to centralize all the community watches, and also we're going to be creating new ones," says Obdulio Deleon, of the Guardian Angels. "But all the community watches are going to be run through us now. So nothing is lost in the cracks."
Deleon says by having communities unite, the Guardian Angels can be informed of where suspected gang members are living and where they may be dealing drugs. He says the information will then be turned over to the authorities.
The Guardian Angels say they also plan to form a junior Guardian Angels group. They say the idea is to empower the youth and encourage them to say no to gangs.
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