mr. speaker , as the congressman said , i have 33 years of law enforcement experience .  in fact , up until january 3 of this year , i was a cop .  one of the things i know about cops is that they need all kinds of tools , and we do need police officers on the street ; but one of the most important things that cops want is to know that their community supports them , local , state , and federal .  mr. speaker , we are here today to talk about a very serious problem .  across the country we are seeing a resurgence of organized crime sprawling into our towns and our neighborhoods .  gangs are becoming a magnet for youth , as they long to belong to something .  this is hardly the team we want our children to join .  gang violence in america is not a sudden problem .  it has been a part of urban life for years , offering an aggressive definition and identity to those seeking a place to belong in the chaos of a large metropolitan area .  however , as gangs gain momentum and invade smaller communities , it is time to take a more serious and focused approach .  the gentleman from virginia ( mr. forbes )  addresses this critical problem today in the gang deterrence and community protection act of 2005 .  prior to being elected to sheriff , as i said , i served 33 years as a cop .  i have worked with prostitutes , drug dealers , and gang bangers for that length of time .  my colleagues in the sheriff 's office and i actively fought to curb the growth and influence of gangs .  i know not only in my home state of washington but across the country , law enforcement officers recognize gangs for the serious threat they are to our community .  i believe in taking problems head on , not running away .  you evaluate the facts , you make a decision , and then you see the solution through .  we have recognized the consequence of letting this situation go forward for far too long .  it is dangerous to all americans .  whether a gang currently has a presence in our hometowns or not , we need to take a careful look at where this issue is headed and stop the influence of gangs before it spirals out of control and out of our hands .  the united states department of justice cites that there are currently 25 , 000 active gangs in 3 , 000 jurisdictions across this country ; 25 , 000 gangs .  that equals 750 , 000 gang members .  if growth continues , we could be looking at 1 million gang members across the country in only a few years .  these groups are a funnel to criminal activities , allowing a central point to encourage violence and a family that preaches drug trafficking , murder , theft , prostitution , and rape .  in fact , street gangs are the primary distributor of illegal drugs in the united states .  mr. speaker , i am a man of faith who believes deeply in family and responsibility .  our obligation is to american families and communities .  we need to look out for their futures .  we need to direct our youth towards a path of success and progress as productive members of society looking towards a better country .  we can not afford to lose those talented youths in our community to a life on the street with drugs and a gang hierarchy whose form of discipline is violence .  mr. speaker , i applaud the gentleman from virginia 's efforts to deter gangs across the country and urge my colleagues to support the rule and vote for final passage later today .  