Virginia law enforcers on Tuesday gained a new tool in their campaign to prevent gang violence.
Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell introduced a new video about gang activity in the state to be used for public education. The video, called “The Wrong Family,” features interviews with current and former gang members and footage of gang violence recovered by police.
The video is structured to illustrate how area youths lacking adult guidance can be drawn to gangs for a sense of belonging.
“This is an innovative production on the part of our office,” said David Clementson, spokesman for the attorney general. “We want the video to demonstrate it’s a problem for Virginia.”
The 22-minute film, which was made by the Richmond company Metro Productions, cost the department about $75,000, but Clementson considers it an investment. He said the simple process of jailing a gang member for a moderate period of time can cost the state about $84,000.
“If one person sees this video and is convinced,” Clementson said, “then it’s money well spent.”
An initial 1,000 copies are being distributed for use by police, homeowner’s associations and in parent-teacher conferences, and may be shown to high school students in the future. The video is not intended for online use, however, because of the intense and often graphic content.
“There’s very tough footage of actual violence,” Clementson said. “I personally looked away several times during the video. It’s pretty chilling.”
Charlie Baxter, director of operations at Metro Productions and producer for the video, said he found the experience stimulating.
“It was eye-opening to say the least,” he said. The studio won the project through an open bid and began working in July, shooting for 10 days.
“I’m proud from the Metro standpoint, but I’m also proud as a citizen and as a father,” Baxter said.
