The winners of the Teens Against Gangs poster contest say the goal of their artwork is to make youth think twice before joining a gang.
“It seems to me a lot of kids who get involved in gangs … don’t think about the other people in their lives who care about them, or the consequences of their actions,” said Douglas Scandrett, a student at Elgin Park Secondary in South Surrey, one of the three winners.
The winning posters were selected by a panel of judges that included police and former UN gang member James Coulter.
“The message of the campaign is clear: crime doesn’t pay, and being in a gang will make your life much shorter,” said Coulter, who spent five years in the gang while battling an addiction to crack cocaine.
The posters will be displayed on a SkyTrain car, and in secondary schools around the Lower Mainland, for a full year.
