ROCK HILL, S.C. -- For the first time a group is pulling communities together to face up to the gang problem that many once denied existed.

Police and community leaders agree, gangs are in South Carolina, and they're not going away.

Kai Burkins is a York County parent who came to a two-day event in Rock Hill to learn about gangs.

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VIDEO: Conference In Rock Hill Raises Awareness About Gangs

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"They're going to take over our communities," she said. "I think that can happen, and we don't want to see that happen."

An organization called Youthnet sponsored a two-day conference on gang awareness and prevention. The first goal was to get it all out in the open.

David Cornely with Catawba Mental Health was glad to see that.

"Instead of sweeping it under the rug, and saying it doesn't happen here, I think we've started to become aware," he said.

Parents, police officers, educators and community leaders took part in the all-day event at York Technical College. On Saturday, the group will talk exclusively to kids.

Parents like Burkins said they have a fight on their hands battling the attraction of gangs on TV and in pop culture.

"It's all over TV and the media," she said. "I think we're all partly to blame."

York County alone has 16 known street gangs with more than 200 members. Rock Hill gang officer Tim Ayers has seen them as young as 13 years old.

"We have started to see more and more of the violence here," he said. "Just because this is not la, this is not Chicago, this is not New York, doesn't mean we don't have it."

Organizers with Youthnet said the key goes beyond awareness to getting people involved. They said parents, teachers, church and community leaders, all must reach kids before the gangs do.