TEHACHAPI, Calif. -- While many areas are plagued with gang activity, Tehachapi is relatively unaffected, and residents want to make sure it stays that way.

Over 50 residents in gathered Thursday night to hear Sgt. Michael Grant, of Stallion Springs Police Department, talk about gang prevention.

Grant warned of the danger of assuming someone is affiliated with a gang simply because they are wearing baggy clothing. Grant said many kids dress like that simply because it is in style, not because they are in a gang.

He said community members should look out for suspicious activity in their area, graffiti and people that typically don’t fit the area.

“This more of a prevention issue. Again, there is always a possibility that there may be a gang issue in an area, and we have some kids who are involving themselves in pseudo gang activity, so this is something that -- hopefully -- at this point, we can educate enough people to say, ‘Ok, you know, this is something we can do, here’s some tools that we can utilize to prevent further gang activity,’’’ Grant said.

He also stated the importance of the community and the police department working together as a team to prevent gang activity in Tehachapi.