A forum to educate the public on "gang think and gang speak" will be held on Thursday.

The Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety is sponsoring the forum which will be hosted by Sgt. De Lacy Davis, a motivational speaker, author and youth advocate from Newark New Jersey who has been advising the Ministry on gangs in Bermuda.

Thursday night's forum will see Sgt. Davis and several members of his team from VOICES (Voices of Inspiration Community Enrichment Services) ? L. Louis Jordan, Gloria J. Long Groves, Dr. Lenworth Gunther and Keene M. Walker talk about how gang members think, how they act, how they dress and they will give a power point presentation to show how to decipher the coded messages of gang graffiti.

Sgt. Davis who describes gang graffiti as a 'street newspaper,' says he has pieces to the puzzle of the gang problem and he is looking forward to sharing this knowledge so more members of the community will also know how to recognise signs of gang activity gang clothing and gang attitudes in their neighbourhoods.

The forum, at St. Andrew's Hall, Church Street Hamilton from 6- 9 p.m., is designed to create more community awareness about gang activity ? an important first step in reducing and or eliminating gang-related type violence, said a Government press release. Sgt. Davis is a 20-year veteran of the East Orange, New Jersey police department. He appeared in the 2005 documentary of the year, "The Vanishing Black Male". He is the author of the best seller, "Black Cops Against Police Brutality: A Crisis Action Plan." He is presently the executive director of the East Orange Police Athletic League (PAL). Davis has consulted on several high profile cases; he knows the gang-related lifestyle of children because he has adopted several who now live in his home. With over 25 years in Law Enforcement, Mr. Jordan was assigned to the Bias Crime Street Gang Awareness and Community Relations section of the Special Investigative Services Unit of the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office. He has been tracking street gangs and extremist groups since 1980 and has gathered a wealth of intelligence on them. Mr. Jordan is one of the principal instructors on gangs, youth violence, bias crimes and hate groups in the United States.Ms Groves has worked as a clinical social worker, private therapist, college professor, consultant and community activist for over 20 years. She conducts workshops on Culturally Specific Treatment Approaches to wellness for numbers of human service agencies throughout the United States. Her many motivational seminars and workshops include: Violence Prevention, Strategies for Inner City Parents; Healing the Village and SANKOFA, a Journey into African Consciousness. She is known for work with women, youth, inmate populations and African American families.Dr. G?nter is one of America's most prized public speakers. He believes that all avenues of communication should be used to reach the greater public. Dr. Gunter travels across the United States and throughout the world to bring his informative and inspirational, educational and empowering words to thousands of community colleges, corporate, government and law enforcement groups. His international reach includes lectures and workshops in Germany, the Bahamas, US Virgin Islands, and Jamaica WI. Mr. Walker is a dynamic and masterful motivator. He trains and encourages thousands through his speeches and seminars. A former school teacher in the Montgomery Alabama Public Schools system, Mr. Keene founded Day 2 Care Technologies to elevate the educational, cultural, financial and spiritual well-being of humanity.