GANGS TOPIC OF SEPTEMBER SEMINARS

Shirley Armstead, a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, will be one of two speakers for a free seminar on "Gangs: What You Don't Know About Them Can Kill You."

The seminar will be presented in New Madrid and Sikeston.

Armstead will join Thomas E. Klekamp, gang intelligence officer for the St. Louis County Police Department, at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at the New Madrid County Central High School Auditorium.

Both Armstead and Klekamp will provide similar information during a Sept. 16 session at the First United Methodist Church, 1307 North Main, in Sikeston. The Friday's seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The tri-county citizen's advisory board requests that no children of school age attend either session.

Armstead is a demand reduction coordinator and public information officer for the DEA. She also serves as an expert drug witness for the U.S. Attorney's office in the eastern district of Missouri.

She was an undercover agent for six years. She now works as a link with law enforcement pesonnel, educators, parents and community leaders.

Klekamp is a 19-year veteran with the St. Louis County Police Department. He is assigned to gang intelligence with the Bureau of Drug Enforcement, a division of criminal investigation.

Since December of 1991, Klekamp has been assigned to work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the St. Louis Area Gang Task Force in the tracking and identification of gang members.

Topics that will be covered in the New Madrid session include: street gang phenomenon; behavior indicating gang involvement; who joins gangs and gang myths; parenting tips and advice to children.

The Sikeston session is open to the public but is structured for the professional working in the field. Topics that will be covered include: denial of gang activity in the community; street gang phenomenon and the gang problem; who joins gangs and gang myths; role of teachers and support staff; eealing with gang members; tips for identification and gang behavior.