Now a Boston city councilor, a former teacher says she fears gangs recruiting children in area schools.
After a sweeping raid led to charges against 56 alleged members of the violent MS-13 gang, authorities said members had been recruiting in high schools with large populations of immigrants from Central America.
"We've got to continue to offer our students, our children in this community, alternatives to bad choices," City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George, a former teacher at East Boston High School, said.
Overnight from Thursday into Friday, federal authorities raided parts of East Boston, Chelsea, Somerville, Everett, Revere and Lynn. Weapons and cash were also seized.
In a statement, Boston Public Schools said the district "considers safety of students and staff a top priority. Gang activity is very troubling and an issue all urban school districts face. BPS works very closely on a daily basis with the Boston Police Department, Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, the Mayor's Public Safety Initiative, and several community organizations, to provide resources, education, and open lines of communication for students, staff, and families with concerns about gangs and issues that are present in our communities."
The district added that it is working to expand its office of safety.
