I REMEMBER TALKING with Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and deputies about six years ago as they were battling the onset of gangs in the Midlands. They were largely on their own.

Sheriff Lott openly talked about gang activity at schools and in specific communities even as some parents and community, government and school leaders denied the truth.

Sheriff’s deputies who tracked gang activity had identified dozens of them, many homegrown.

The sheriff continually said the community needed to wake up and realize gangs exist so we could get about the business of doing something to combat them.

The time has come, albeit far later than it should have. Increasing gang activity, gang-related violence and other violent crime have awakened our community to a level it has never been — from the halls of government to churches to neighborhoods.

This has always been a grave issue. But the violent deaths of three teens — two were shot in the front yard of one of their homes; the other was shot outside the State Fair — as well as other violence this year have people crying out for action and declaring that enough is enough.

It is important that this community seize this crucial moment and address this issue.

Certainly, the hard work of law enforcement and various organizations played a big role in getting people’s attention. They were key in building the foundation that will be needed and relied on as this community searches for answers. Over the past several years, more and more people were won over. Schools, various groups, churches and others from Northeast Richland to Lower Richland held countless forums to educate the community and parents. Law enforcement officers and gang experts discussed warning signs as they relate to gang involvement and related issues.

Sheriff’s Department officials constantly warned this was a spreading problem that was not limited to one group or community. Even when I wrote a series of columns about gangs in 1998, Sheriff Lott said that while African-Americans and Hispanics are in gangs in the Midlands, young white youths from middle- and upper-class families made up some of the larger and rowdier groups. While gangs might be found in Richland District 1, they’re in Richland District 2 and Lexington-Richland 5 as well. While they might be in older Richland County neighborhoods, they’re also in Chapin and Irmo.

Although there has been more awareness in recent years, it has been a fragmented effort. Everyone has been working for the good, but not necessarily from the same page. That has brought duplication, which lessens effectiveness and can create turfism.

That will remain the case even with renewed emphasis on gangs and violence unless law enforcement, churches, schools, government, parents and civic and community organizations purposefully come together to organize. They must be unified in mission, in deeds — and in spirit.

A number of initiatives that have been announced or taken place in the past few months ought to be coordinated if we are going to get the best results.

• The Task Force on Strategic Violence Intervention, which began meeting a year ago, is calling the community together for prayer at 3 p.m. Sunday at the State Fairgrounds. That will kick off a 48-hour prayer vigil for peace in the city and an end to violence. The vigil is the first step in devising a proactive, communitywide strategic plan to address gangs and violence.

• Local law enforcement agencies have formed a gang task force with federal powers. The task force, part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Crimes Initiative, includes officers from the Columbia Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Under this arrangement, gang members who commit drug offenses or robberies could be prosecuted under federal laws, which can carry stiffer penalties than state laws.

• The Unity 2004 youth summit, sponsored by Columbia, Richland 1 and others, was held in October at Logan Elementary School. Community members assembled to discuss the growing threat of youth violence. The idea is to take suggestions from the meeting and turn them into action.

• Columbia has announced plans to launch a youth violence hotline in the coming weeks, and the parks and recreation department has proposed new programs, including a teen talk show, twilight basketball games and conflict resolution classes.

In addition to the above-mentioned efforts, there are many more — large and small. These groups must see this as one effort, not multiple initiatives. Yes, some have been at it longer than others. Thank goodness they have been; our children needed them.

But our children need us all, if we’re really going to make a difference. That’s why we must make sure we communicate so that we are pulling in the same direction as we tug at this problem.

Reach Mr. Bolton at (803) 771-8631 or wbolton@thestate.com.