If you don't think we have a gang problem or a juvenile gang problem in Austin, you are wrong.

That's according to the Joint Juvenile Gang Intervention Unit, which was created by the city and county in 2006 after the gang related murder of Austin High School student, Woody Briseno.  City and county officials had the forethought to form the J.J.G.I.U. to try to prevent kids from joining gangs in the first place before a problem forms.  Problems like they have in L.A.

I was surprised to learn that documented juvenile gang members are as young as 8 years old in Austin and that 10 year olds consider gang members as friends. 

With the economy not getting better anytime soon, we may not see violence yet, but just ask police, robberies and burglaries are up.  Many committed by gang members.  We've done stories on them already.

What do you think....a real problem or we have nothing to worry about?