Welcome to Rio Rancho's D.A.N.G.E.R. Program.

You have come to the right place! If you asking yourself, "What is the D.A.N.G.E.R. Program?" It stands for...

DADS AGAINST NARCOTICS & GANGS ENDANGERING RIO RANCHO.

The D.A.N.G.E.R. program is a place where parents (dad’s and mom’s), teachers, and other persons can obtain and share useful information about our Rio Rancho children, other persons, and illicit activities in order to prevent drug use, gang activity, and other criminal acts in the Rio Rancho, NM area. Communication is paramount in this endeavor and we must share this information in order to protect our children. This program was brought forth to the community on March 5, 2007.

Why was this program established?

My son is enrolled in the 8th grade Rio Rancho Mid High. Recently after a long period of heartaches and painful arguments throughout the school year, my son finally opened up to me, only because I caught him in a major lie. He told me how he was jumped into a gang called "SURENOS 13" about 1 year ago. He did not agree to be jumped in, but they still beat him up anyway. This is how these gang members operate now. They don’t need approval anymore. Their philosophy now is if the child fights back or if the child does not crawl away balling in tears, then they will be in the gang. Also, the gang members assault children just to assault them, acting as if they are now in the gang. However, the child will not be in the gang. This is another way to spread their terror on the child. In Rio Rancho, a hot spot for these “Surenos 13” is the old Stapleton School area and in the fields. If your kids hang out there, you might start questioning their participation, regardless if they are there to "just play football".

Without going into detail at this point, I want you to understand one thing. Your children ARE having a very tough time avoiding this, to include the drugs. DO NOT be so naive that you think that your child isn't contributing to this behavior. You must be absolutely sure! Don't think that you’re such a great parent that you know everything that is going on in your child's life, because you don't. Children today, have a much more difficult time with peer pressure, gangs, and drugs. If your child “RATS” on a gang member, the gang retaliates against family members. This sticks in the mind of the child and prevents them from telling the truth. Did you ever wonder why he/she always wears blue clothing, use bandanas, and/or has excessive baggy clothing all the time? I thought I was doing well until I heard this news from my son. Oh, and by the way, my wife and I make a very good income, we do our very best to provide for our children, and also attempt to be in their lives as much as we can. So if you think that you’re a great parent, think again for your child’s sake. Just last night (3-4-07), after getting off the school bus in the Vista Hills area on Pearl St., an unknown gang member waiting in a white midsize vehicle at the bus stop jumped my son. He asked my son what his name was, he said that he heard that my son was talking "smack" and then he beat him up. He knew who my son was even though they never met before. A witness luckily screamed out at the much larger individual as he took off in his car. Unfortunately the witness didn't get the plates or had a clue as to what type of car it was. There was no description of the suspect because he had a hooded sweatshirt on. Please, don’t buy these for your children. Gang members often use them to avoid knowing who they are.

Let me ask you a question, because I've only lived here 2 1/2 years. What is going on with these kids??? Why aren’t the school board (particularly Mid High) and City of Rio Rancho cracking down on this behavior? Why aren't the Parent’s watching over their children and stopping this activity? Why aren’t the teachers asking children roaming the halls where they are supposed to be? Some reasons would include; hard working parents who are never home but must provide for their families; parents who just don’t care where their children are or care to hold their children accountable for their actions; school board members and faculty with insurmountable limitations or those who just don’t care or are scared; lack of law enforcement manpower; not enough education or after school programs; and the list could go on forever. For me, in my opinion, nobody is stepping up to the plate. I am not afraid to speak the truth. I do not fear retaliation. I will become part of the solution. As a direct result, I have created the D.A.N.G.E.R. program.

The community of Rio Rancho is in desperate need of clean up and the school system and city is doing NOTHING to help the situation. Oh, and in case you didn't realize, NW Albuquerque is cleaning up its gangs and guess where they are moving? You guessed it, Rio Rancho. This is a whole new gang. We must pull together and form one voice for our children's sake. Pay attention to your children. Know where they are and who they're with. Lock them up in the house if you must. Remember, although a cellular phone can be a benefit to know where your child is, it can also keep you child in contact with the wrong crowd and it also provides a link to negative behavior or situations. Television does not help either.

This “D.A.N.G.E.R.” program is in its early stages. We need DANGER RANGER’s from abroad to help combat this problem. We need DANGER RANGER’s to assist with ideas, assist in community watch programs, and assist in being a resource for the D.A.N.G.E.R. cause. Let’s do it now before its too late. Let’s protect our children and the community in which we live.

If there is any information that you could share with the D.A.N.G.E.R. program, or for other parents, teachers, and ect, please provide a detailed description of what you would like to accomplish in the D.A.N.G.E.R. program, a description of any incidents in your neighborhood (without any personal information), or any useful information. Street names and general areas are ok. Please have respect for other individuals that are going through the same thing, regardless of any fault on the child’s part. The main reason for this informational piece is to provide individual’s with the ammunition to prevent drug use, gang violence, and illegal activities in Rio Rancho.

I would like for everyone to sign up for my newsletter. Email me today with any interests or ideas about how we could combat this plague together as a community.