User:Sting146/Larry Parham

Larry Parham is a Nationally recognized public speaker on the topic of Gangs in rural Communities. He is a Detective for a Gang/Drug Unit in Central Missouri. He has been involved in Law Enforcement for 11 yrs. His passion for gang enforcement came during his time working as a Corrections Officer where he saw himself in the inmates that he spoke to. Never knowing his Father and son to a 16 yr old Mother with drug and alcohol addictions, he was raised by his Grandparents whom he credits for saving his life. While working as a Gang Detective for a small police department, he saw that law enforcement agencies had a problem with sharing information with each other.

Using the old tradition of Sunday Dinner, Larry created a style of Gang intelligence meetings where surrounding law enforcement agencies were invited to come and share information about Gangs, Drugs etc then share a meal at a local restaurant. This in turn helped relations with law enforcement and the community by spending money at locally owned businesses. Over the years the Gang intelligence meetings has grown from 4 or 5 Officers getting together to over 35 people representing agencies like the Department of Corrections, Highway Patrol, FBI Gang Task Forces and National Drug Intelligence Centers have come to the meetings. His Gang intelligence meetings are now Internationally recognized with members though out the US, UK and Australia.

Larry is considered a Expert Gang Specialist by the National Gang Crime Research Center in Chicago Illinois. In 2008 he won the Midwest Gang Investigators Association-Missouri Chapter Award for Excellence in Gang Investigations and in 2009 he was awarded the Fredrick Milton Thrasher Award for Superior Service in Law Enforcement by the National Gang Crime Research Center. Detective Parham has taught hundreds of classes about gangs all over the country specializing in Gang Enforcement for Rural Communities. He is also an Adjunct Instructor for the Law Enforcement Training Institute at the University of Missouri.