WICHITA, Kan. - A new Wichita program will allow people to have their gang tattoos removed in exchange for community service projects.
The program, arranged by the Wichita Police Department, is expected to begin after laser equipment that can remove all colors of tattoo ink without leaving scars arrives from Denver in a few weeks. Dr. Mike Stevens of Cypress Aesthetics bought the $110,000 laser and will remove the tattoos.
Depending on the size of the tattoo and where it is on a person's body, removal takes between eight and 10 session and normally costs between $200 and $800 per visit.
A similar program, called Operation Fresh Start, helped remove tattoos from about 1,300 area teens starting in 1999, according to Kelly O'Brien, a Wichita school resource officer who helped create it. That program ended after four years, when Dr. Clarence Wiley moved to Oklahoma and O'Brien couldn't find another dermatologist to donate time.
"It's a great program," O'Brien said. "We have such a need."
The current program was started by Lt. John Speer of the Wichita Police Department, who said he wants to help young people who want to leave gangs. Joan Moore, past president of the Junior League of Wichita, helped Speer find Stevens.
"They want out and they can't get out," Speer said. "I think we ought to help them do that."
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Information from: The Wichita Eagle