"They're gonna-bes," Nawojczyk said in answer to a question at Powers Performing Arts Center Wednesday.

"If that child thinks he's a Crip, he's a Crip."

Wanna-be is a word frequently used by local school officials and police to point out that there are no pure gangs here. Pure gangs are connected directly with original gangs in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.

By saying that though it is an insult to the gang member and may make them into violent and criminal gang members faster than they might have gone on their own, Nawojczyk said.

Calling gang members wanna-bes also lets people believe "we don't need to worry about it," he said, and communities do need to worry about it.

Along with his seminar, Nawojczyk spent time with Radcliff Police, checking out graffiti sites and gang hangouts; and doing what he appears to do even better than he lectures -- talking to the kids.

Being featured in the HBO special "Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock" has gotten Nawojczyk in a lot of neighborhoods.

A group of young men at Radcliff City Park recognized him as soon as he walked up, and even mentioned that he didn't have a beard in the HBO show.

The men -- 23 to 28 years old -- were playing basketball at 4:00 p.m. on what used to be a tennis court with bent backboards and chains for nets.

They told Nawojczyk that kids must have structured things to do -- a YMCA, a large public swimming pool complex, something -- or they won't leave gangs and more will pop up.

A group of students at band practice at Fort Knox High School also recognized Nawojczyk and talked openly about the gangs there and their rivalry with gangs from North Hardin High School.

They're not too serious at Fort Knox High School, the students told him. There's just a small group there. From looking at the graffiti near the school and talking to about eight students, Nawojczyk agreed, but did mention that the group of girls he talked to knew all the sign language.

Also, mention of drive-by shootings and a high rate of juvenile crime is a sign the gangs have reached a higher, more serious and dangerous level, he said.

Nawojczyk called the men at the Radcliff City Park "hard-core" gang members. One man, Tom, said he wasn't in a gang, but knows that the gangs are well-organized in Hardin County and dangerous.

"There are parts of Radcliff I wouldn't walk through at night because of gangs and guns. I had a 14-year-old kid pull a gun on me," he said.

Another man had a six-pointed star tattooed on his left arm with numbers and symbols surrounding the star.

It's the sign of the Crip-Folk Family.

"It's just my set," he said. "It's how you're identified, but it ain't nothing. It's old news."

He didn't want to say much else about that life, but did say crime and gangs could be prevented with some activities for the youth.

That's what Kellie Jeffries and Beverly Johnson of the Nolin Family Focus Center, and 26-year-old Daphne Simpson, are counting on.

Johnson and Jeffries said they attended Wednesday's conference because of the gang graffiti they've seen in White Mills, Eastview and Stephensburg.

"Mainly we want to be able to know what to tell our families and tell them that it's not just in Radcliff," Jeffries said.

She believes White Mills is a prime location for drug dealing because of its remote location, which is the same reason residents are reluctant to believe it.

"I hope this will be an awakening for people," Jeffries said.

Simpson, a student of Kent School of Social Work and a graduate of Fort Knox High School, wants to open a community center in Radcliff with interesting, innovative programs to get kids off the streets.

"My senior year here a lot of racial tensions were brought up and it seems it has gotten worse. ... I would like to find out what is going on." To help communities facilitate some of these changes, Nawojczyk says school officials must not be afraid to ensure safety in schools by taking drastic measures such as requiring uniforms and installing metal detectors.

"If your child doesn't feel safe, they can't learn. If a teacher doesn't feel safe, he can't teach," he said.

"If your school isn't safe, you must make it safe. It is not a reflection on the superintendent, mayor or local law enforcement that you have gangs. Until officials know this, they can't effectively deal with this."