The City of Madison will hold its annual Neighborhood Roundtable Saturday to discuss gang activity in the city.

The informational workshop will address gang prevention and intervention strategies. George Twigg, communications director for the mayor, said gang activity in the downtown area is noticeable and becoming more prevalent.

"There is certainly a growing concern of the gang activity in Madison," Twigg said. "We have seen gang activities, like graffiti, appear near our high schools. It's not a crisis by any means, but we would like to nip the problem in the bud before it gets to that point."

According to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, the informational workshop's purpose is to educate citizens.

"The Neighborhood Roundtable will help Madison families to learn more about gang-related activity in our community," Cieslewicz said in the release. "I hope that anyone who is concerned about these issues will attend this important event."

Jamie McCarville, a downtown neighborhood volunteer who has dealt with gang-related activity in her community, expressed in the release how crucial it is for communities to be educated about the signs of gangs in the city and to come together to combat the problem.

"Neighbors didn't recognize the type of gang activity that was occurring in our downtown neighborhood until we started to understand what activities contributed to gang initiations," McCarville said in the release. "We have made connections with local organizations, such as Girl Neighborhood Power, so we can help in providing positive experiences for our young teens."

Twigg said a key to dealing with gang activity is to stop it before police have to get involved.

"The roundtable will include discussions from the leaders of neighborhood groups and high school groups because our citizens are struck by these problems before the police are even brought in to resolve them," Twigg said.

According to the release, five speakers will provide insight on gang activities in Madison neighborhoods. The panel, along with a speaker from the Madison Police Department, will include speakers from the Dane County Neighborhood Intervention Program and Project Hugs at LaFollette High School. A cross-cultural consultant will also address the audience.

The roundtable will be held Saturday at Warner Park Community Center from 8 a.m. until noon.