† 10-27-08 :
Omaha Gang Officers Target Community, Not Just Criminals
OMAHA, Neb. - Gang membership in Omaha is down 26 percent from last year. Gang unit officers credit the drop to their proactive, community-oriented approach to keeping kids out of gangs. Officers can arrest people all day and every day, said Omaha gang unit head Lt. Rich Gonzalez. But they're right back out of jail and on the streets. Officers work the streets, looking to catch not only gang members, but also the youth who live in the high-risk areas.
† 10-25-08 : Glasgow looks stateside for ways to solve gang problems
SCOTLAND - The view is that nothing has worked in tackling gang-related crime in Glasgow for 40 years. There has been the odd small drop in violence here and there, but nothing has managed to break the culture of territorial street fighting which has defined parts of Glasgow for decades, sometimes centuries. Yesterday, a very modern step forward was taken in a bid to end the hostilities. Around 200 young people with known links to gang violence and those who perpetrate it were invited to Glasgow Sheriff Court - not for punishment, but to hear a plea for the violence to stop.
† 10-24-08 : Group plans program focused on gang diversion
RACINE — Several fatal shootings here in the summer months prompted public outcry over the condition of our city, pledges of more time and resources to combat violence by government officials, and many others wondering what could be done to spur real change. A group of prominent black men and women say they have been meeting to discuss what exactly they can do for the community and how they can help the young men who too often become victims of violence. What they came up with is a program called Holistic Man that they hope to have implemented here soon.
† 10-22-08 : Early intervention best way to stop youth from joining gangs
CANADA - By the time young men involved in gangs begin to face charges in court, it is usually far too late. Early intervention and diversion are key to preventing young people from joining street gangs, according to speakers at a community forum Wednesday night at the Jim Durrell Recreation Complex on Walkley Road. "The criminal justice system doesn't have the answers to gang problems," said Walter Devenz, an assistant Crown attorney who regularly prosecutes gang crime.
† 10-15-08 : Britain learns Chicago gang plan
ENGLAND - Experts on gang culture in the United States are offering advice on how to tackle the issue in Britain. Two officials from Chicago are speaking at a conference in Glasgow organised by the Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit. They will describe how gang violence can be tackled through counselling, mediation and the use of role models.
† 07-18-08 : Do more to stop gangs LOS ANGELES - By Curtis Sliwa : L.A. needs to stop trumpeting rosy statistics and get tougher on crime and illegal immigrants. I applaud The Times for running the editorial "L.A.'s gang emergency." The first step on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem -- the second step is actually taking action to correct it. For the last three decades, I have headed the largest civilian anti-crime patrol in the world, the Guardian Angels. In that capacity, my fellow angels and I have spent many nights on the streets of Los Angeles and personally battled the criminals who stalk the streets. Over the last 20 years, I have advocated for a larger and stronger Los Angeles Police Department. Those calls still need to be answered.
The City of Angels is being overrun by the devils, and it is afraid to take the action needed to make the streets safer. Even Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is in denial, declaring during his State of the City address that "L.A. is the safest it has been since the 1950s." I know he said it because I play it every chance I get while hosting a radio show at KABC.
† 04-16-08 : No real evidence for gang prevention OXFORD, England - There is no evidence after-school clubs or cognitive-behavioral interventions can prevent youth age 7 to 16 from joining a gang, a British review said. It's estimated there are some 24,000 U.S. gangs with 760,000 members and internationally street gangs have been identified in developed and developing countries in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Lead researcher, Dr. Paul Montgomery of the Centre for Evidence-based Intervention at the University of Oxford, in England, and colleagues reviewed 2,696 publications relating to youth gangs, but they were unable to find any randomized-controlled trials or quasi-randomized controlled trials on the two main theories to prevent gang membership.
One review examined whether providing opportunities such as after-school clubs prevented gang membership and the other review examined if cognitive-behavioral interventions can keep young people from joining gangs. The findings, published in the Cochrane Library, said there was no real evidence to back either of these two theories. "This lack of research is surprising given the scale of the problem," Montgomery said in a statement. "There is an urgent need to rigorously evaluate the various gang prevention strategies that people suggest and try to implement."
† 03-08-08 : Surefire cure for L.A.'s gang plague LOS ANGELES - TEN years and $100million later, Los Angeles is more in danger than ever of being overrun by its growing gang scourge. Countless politicians "experts," "czars," plans, reports and committees have failed to solve the problem for one reason: They fail to deal with the real issues connected with gang prevention and eradication. The following seven-point plan has never been attempted by our city government. It would cost taxpayers virtually nothing and have Los Angeles gang-free in less than three years.
† 02-24-08 : Is L.A.'s anti-gang program working ? LOS ANGELES - A year after Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William Bratton declared gangs public enemy No.1, crime has plummeted, homicides are at 30-year lows, and for the first time cops are working with hard-core gang interventionists to quell rivalries. "One year later, gang homicides are down 30 percent. That is an unequivocal measure of success," said Matt Szabo, spokesman for Villaraigosa, who now wants to place all the city's anti-gang programs under his office. "We are doing as much as we can with the resources and the authority that we have."
† 02-14-08 : Anti-gang guidelines approved LOS ANGELES - Saying it will help measure the effectiveness of the city's anti-gang programs, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved guidelines to redefine expectations for the programs. Using a model developed by Councilman Tony Cárdenas and his ad hoc Committee on Gang Violence, anti-gang program officials will have to demonstrate they have successfully kept young people from joining gangs or have persuaded gang members to give up their life of violence.
† 02-13-08 : Guardian Angels founder to speak at anti-gang forum SAN JOSE - Here's a message for the "Uzi-toting, dope-sucking, psychopathic killing machines" in San Jose: Curtis Sliwa's comin' back to town. The fire-breathing founder of the Guardian Angels, the red-beret, grass-roots patrols that watch over crime-plagued neighborhoods, is bringing his Brooklyn-forged, no-nonsense take on rising South Bay gang violence. "This whole North versus South gang thing, we gotta talk to the community and see what we can do out here," said Sliwa, in a tough-guy
† 02-11-08 : Schools trying to save gang members one by one PITTSBURGH - With a $1.1 million federal grant, the Pittsburgh Public Schools and a handful of partners are trying to save East End gang members -- one at a time. Outreach worker Anthony "Tone" Walls may start his work day at a school, the county courthouse, a juvenile detention center, or on the streets of Homewood or Garfield, wherever gang members need him. He keeps a bead on gang activity and counsels gang members about a better life. He said one high school dropout took the message to heart, returned to school and graduated on time. He recalled guiding other lost men into welding school, so they'd have a chance at decent jobs.
† 02-10-08 : CANADA : Ontario to get $7.7M in crime-prevention funding HAMILTON - Breakfast programs, conflict resolution groups and anti-gang interventions in communities across Ontario are getting a $7.7-million boost from the federal government to help at-risk teens before they turn to crime, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said Thursday. The cash will fund some 15 crime-prevention projects in Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton and a research project at Queen's University in Kingston, Day said.
† 02-08-08 : CALIFORNIA : Operation Phoenix goes big time SAN BERNARDINO - Officials are moving forward on plans to expand Mayor Pat Morris' crime-fighting Operation Phoenix in three neighborhoods across the city, with literacy, English fluency, vocational training and gang interventions set to start by early next month. Meanwhile, the nonprofit Operation Phoenix Foundation is taking the program's community-building message to a broader audience with a show of song, dance and poetry to be presented today.
† 02-06-08 : CAROLINA : Mentoring vital for gang prevention NO CAROLINA - Homeboy Goes to Harvard, the sponsor of Victor Rios' Tuesday night speech at N.C. State University, is an organization that tells the kind of unlikely story that belongs in a heartwarming Hollywood movie. "I'm not supposed to be here," Rios said. "I'm supposed to be in a prison cell in San Quentin." Rios, who joined a gang in Oakland, Calif., at age 13, spoke about how teachers can influence at-risk youth to stay in school and avoid gangs. He said his impoverished upbringing, combined with society's negative perceptions of Latinos, led him to identify with a gang in order to gain self-confidence.
† 01-28-08 : CALIFORNIA : Anti-Gang Summit Focused on Community Collaborations SAN DIEGO - More than 200 people attended a community summit at SDSU last week aimed at eliminating gang violence. Attendees of the Jan. 25 event held in Montezuma Hall included officials from local law enforcement, government agencies, faith-based groups and other community organizations. One of the more notable attendees was Jack Calhoun, the founding president and CEO of the National Crime Prevention Council who Jimmy Carter appointed during his presidency as commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families.
† 01-25-08 : CALIFORNIA : Meeting highlights ways to combat gang violence SAN DIEGO - Drug czar Paul Seave will give the keynote address Friday at a meeting at San Diego State University, where law enforcement officials will discuss ways to combat gang violence in San Diego County. “The alarming increase in gang-related crime this past year in San Diego has refocused our efforts to reduce gang violence,” said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. “Prosecuting gang members is just one piece of the puzzle,” she said. “We also need new initiatives for gang prevention and intervention that connect with kids before they become gang members. This summit brings together key groups working to do that.”
† 01-25-08 : ILLINOIS : Intervention Program at 6 High Schools Reduced Disruptions By 25% SPRINGFIELD - Fighting, gang activity and classroom disruptions are down about a quarter in the six Milwaukee Public Schools where a Violence-Free Zone initiative was launched in the fall, according to new data from a Washington-based organization working with MPS. "We believe this program is a myth-buster," Robert Woodson, president of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, said Thursday. The first quarterly report shows that sustained interventions with the most disruptive 10% of a high school's student population can shift that school's overall culture, said Woodson, whose organization runs similar school-based programs in Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas and the D.C. area.
The program was piloted at South Division and Marshall Montessori high schools last school year, and expanded this fall into Bay View, Custer, North Division and Washington. Funding for the project is $1.8 million, with MPS putting $1.2 million toward the effort and $600,000 coming from local donors, including the Bradley Foundation and the Elizabeth Brinn Foundation. A $300,000 Department of Education grant will allow the program to expand into Madison High School in the spring semester, said Phil Harris, a spokesman for the district.
† 01-11-08 : ILLINOIS : Legislators aim to restore anti-violence funding SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House approved a proposal Thursday to reinstate and double the funding of CeaseFire, an anti-gang violence program eliminated in a round of budget cuts in 2007. The bill, which provides $12 million for interventions aimed at preventing gang violence and retaliatory shootings, passed the House 108-1 and now moves to the Senate for consideration. It includes $500,000 each for programs in Decatur and East St. Louis, as well as money for other communities. State Rep. Susana Mendoza, D-Chicago, the chief sponsor of the proposal, is urging the Senate to act on the measure.
† 01-08-08 : CAROLINA : City considers hiring 'gang czar' CHARLOTTE - For more than a year, city officials have looked into creating a position strictly to suppress gang activity. And with the number of gang members growing fast, many say now it's time. "Our gang members are a little different from other cities because they're very mobile,” former assistant city manager Keith Parker said. “They go throughout the entire county. There's no one particular area. There's no real turf as defined by other cities." On Monday, the Charlotte City Council discussed an idea to create a gang prevention coordinator -- or gang czar -- to try and identify problems and come up with solutions. A heavy hand alone, according to Parker, is not the answer.
† 01-03-08 : CALIFORNIA : Gang initiative resumes on Jan. 14 SONOMA — Ten weeks after the murder of Luis Miranda, after five communitywide forums, countless neighborhood meetings, and a stepped-up presence by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, an ad hoc citizens' group calling itself the Collaborative of Sonoma Nonprofits is preparing to launch an initiative for a long-term strategy to address youth gangs. A meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 14, to have a "community conversation" to propose solutions to the issue of gangs. The Miranda murder, in Maxwell Farms Regional Park on Oct. 17, has been labeled by police as gang-related, and it revealed a reality about which many Valley residents were either ignorant or in denial.
Gang tagging, drug dealing and petty violence had long-since become established in the Valley, but according to Sonoma police Chief Bret Sackett, the percentage of Valley crimes that are gang-related is only 3 percent, and within the City of Sonoma the figure is 1 percent. "We're still ahead of the curve," said Sackett, although he made it clear that proactive efforts are needed to keep gang violence from growing and to intervene positively in the lives of at-risk youth.
† 12-31-07 : MASS : New Year's resolution: Peace on Brockton streets BROCKTON — Ollie Jay Spears wants one thing in 2008: Peace on city streets. The founder of the Brockton Peace Crusaders is gearing up to take his message of anti-violence to city youth throughout the year to prevent more deaths from gun and other violence. “We're trying to put all the right pieces together. We want to try and talk to these kids,” Spears said Monday. Of the 11 people murdered in the city in 2007, eight were shot to death. Three city teens died from gun violence in Brockton. An 18-year-old was critically wounded in a brazen daytime shooting near the James Edgar Playground on Winthrop Street July 25. Spears doesn't want that record to repeat this year.
† 12-31-07 : DELAWARE : Street-corner soldiers train for battle WILMINGTON — Wilmington's street soldiers soon will begin basic training to prepare them before they hit the city's most violent corners to connect with gun-wielding drug dealers. The program is designed to address hard-to-reach young men who are mired in lives of drug dealing and other crimes -- before they get arrested or have a moment of clarity to change their ways. Waiting for either of those scenarios to try to help them hasn't worked. Officially, the project is known as "the HOPE outreach worker initiative," but its organizers felt that a street nickname for the effort was a must. Many of the front-line street workers will be former criminal offenders.
† 12-13-07 : CALIFORNIA : Parents' watchful eyes the best deterrent of street gangs DUBLIN — A PARENT SEMINAR was held the other evening in Dublin to raise awareness about gangs in the city. Gangs in Dublin? Our little corner of suburbia isn't some gang hotbed, is it? "There are no organized gangs in Dublin, but we do have gang wannabes," said Alameda County sheriff's Deputy Floyd Gill, the school resource officer for the Dublin school district. Earlier this year, there was a stabbing at Valley High that had some gang-related undertones, he said. That, in and of itself, should raise some red flags. The seminar, sponsored by Dublin Adult Education, was designed to raise awareness among parents to watch what their children wear and what Web sites they visit. Apparently, gangs now have their own Web sites.
† 12-13-07 : CALIFORNIA : State 'gang czar' pays a visit SALINAS — Speaking at a roundtable discussion today in Salinas, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new gang czar called the city’s gang problem “daunting” but praised local efforts to fight it. Paul Seave, who in September became the state’s first director of gang- and youth-violence policy, said the intelligence and dedication of community members and local elected officials bodes well for the city’s long-term crusade against youth crime.
† 12-12-07 : MARYLAND : Town sets forum to discuss gangs CAPE CHARLES - Law enforcement officials here are certain that well organized, national gangs have come not only to the Shore, but also to this bayside resort town in particular. Police Chief David Eder said that until recently he and others thought the problem was limited to "wannabe" gangs and to local groups they've known about for years as the more loosely formed "up the road" and "down the road" gangs. "Unfortunately, I'm convinced they've graduated now," Eder said last week. The chief and others want to share that recognition, as well as knowledge tools, with the town and on Jan. 17 will hold a gang summit presented by the Virginia Beach Police Department. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the Cape Charles Volunteer Fire Department.
† 12-01-07 : DENVER : Schools begin to see younger kids using hand signs CHERRY CREEK — As shocking as the photos were of 10-year-old Auralia Cisneros flashing hand signs like a gang member, Denver Public School officials say they are beginning to spot gang activity in younger and younger children. Weeks ago, Bob Anderson, DPS' director of intervention, took a call from an elementary school principal who was worried about two students in fourth and fifth grades. They were flashing signs and claiming gang affiliation. "The experts tell us that we're now entering a time when gangsters are being released from prisons," Anderson said. "There's a push on recruiting not just middle and high school kids. They're starting to get down to fourth- and fifth-graders.
† 11-29-07 : OREGON : Gang forum puts focus on parents SALEM — One by one, they filed into an auditorium at McKay High School Wednesday night, but they weren't students. They were parents, school administrators, city leaders, law enforcement officials and action groups coming together to discuss youth gang problems. "Gang lifestyle is dangerous," Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore told a group of about 80 people in attendance. Moore was among a group of six panelists at the first of two community forums being hosted by leading Hispanic action groups Mano a Mano, Latinos Unidos Siempre and the Salem/ Keizer Coalition for Equality.
† 11-20-07 : FLORIDA : Prevention is key to combating gang violence in long term PALM BEACH COUNTY — The warnings that we were chucking our troubled kids into the trash heap, to our peril, came more than seven years ago. It was May 2000. The state was coming off some marked successes in reducing juvenile crime, largely through prevention efforts, and the rate of youth violence had finally begun to stabilize. Just in time, too, because the population of 10- to 17-year-olds was about to spike across the state. That's when Gov. Jeb Bush announced his "tough-love approach" to driving the nail even further into the juvenile delinquency problem, introducing some of the nation's toughest juvenile crime laws.
† 11-18-07 : CALIFORNIA : Opinion divided on need for new 'gang czar' SACRAMENTO — With a new gang czar on the job, the state is focusing more attention on gang violence that has killed as many as 15,000 people statewide in the past 25 years. Paul Seave, the new state director of gang and youth violence policy, comes on board as the state enacts new laws and ramps up spending to at least $31 million a year for a range of programs from law enforcement to job training to combat gangs. “This is the first time that we have had a statewide effort,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in September in appointing Seave.
† 11-16-07 : WISCONSIN : What impact does it have on Milwaukee? What must we do ? Editor's note: Of all the problems facing the city of Milwaukee, crime is one of the most damaging, because of the obvious harm it causes to victims and their families but also to the city's reputation with its neighbors in nearby suburbs and across the state. Last week, eight local experts on crime and justice met with the Editorial Board to discuss the problem. Here are excerpts from that discussion:
† 11-06-07 : AMERICA : Three Keys To Youth Crime Prevention By James W Miller : As we move towards an age of mobility and cyber relationships we're loosing further touch with the solid foundations of our family units and sense of community. Look at most communities’ world wide and you will find the same issues at the heart of topical discussions. Regardless of the language, youth crime and violence is a concern of communities around the globe. The Three Key Theory to Youth Crime Prevention is based on the principals of a child’s life. There are Three Keys to a child’s life regardless as to the geographic location, socio-economic status of the family or community and regardless of lifestyle or religion.
These Three Keys simplified are a child’s home environment, school environment and the community interaction of the child and or youth.
† 11-06-07 : NO CAROLINA : Charlotte tackling gang problem CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte has 1,200 hardened gang members, but most are not in jail, they’re on the street. Now city leaders are stepping up efforts to deal with the problem, and they’re learning lessons from cities that have successfully reduced gang-related crime.
"We want to make sure if we do set something up and try and move forward on this that it’s not simply duplication, not some new bureaucratic position that's out there,” Parker said. City officials have not made up their minds on the proposal. They stress if the program comes to Charlotte it will be more than locking up gang bangers, it will also emphasize efforts to save them.
† 11-03-07 : FLORIDA : Youth gangs growing concern in state The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported last week that crimes attributed to gangs have increased by 61 percent in Florida over the past three years ... Everyone seems to understand that school systems, law enforcement, state agencies, community and faith-based organizations and individual volunteers will all need to work together to turn this tide of devastation. What remains to be determined is how.
† 10-30-07 : VIRGINIA : Rep. Scott's blueprint can save young people SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN chose to promote her anti-gang bill earlier this month by visiting a youth community center, not a prison. So it's too bad her plan would invest most of its money into putting kids behind bars rather than helping them improve their grades or find jobs. The California Democrat should consider throwing her support behind a competing measure authored by Rep. Bobby Scott. The congressman from Virginia's 3rd District has introduced legislation that would commit $2.6 billion in an array of gang-prevention programs, including mentoring, mental health counseling, Boys & Girls Clubs, after-school programs, summer jobs, college scholarships and early childhood education.
† 10-28-07 : CALIFORNIA : Former gang member helps youths learn from his mistakes RICHMOND - High school intervention worker speaks teens' language to steer them away from violence. On a Friday afternoon, Gonzalo Rucobo walks the halls of Richmond High School, talking with students and keeping an eye out for trouble. Rucobo, whose work brings him to schools and San Quentin state prison, is a gang-intervention worker and the Northern California regional manager for the Amer-I-Can Program, a life-skills and development curriculum. Richmond High officials acknowledge that some students at the school belong to gangs, which can lead to violence, but things are improving, thanks in part to the work of Rucobo and his team, who first came to the school last year, Principal Orlando Ramos said.
† 10-27-07 : NEW JERSEY : Cops say it takes a community to thwart gangs PATERSON - Street gangs may not always shake down shopkeepers for protection money, but they can affect a business' bottom line. That was the topic, if not entirely the conversation, of a breakfast seminar held Friday morning at The Brownstone. While a crowd of business owners, police officers and college students noshed on quiche, coffee and sausages, law enforcement officials and a legislator shared their perspectives on street gangs. Yet the speakers said professionals alone can not end gang culture in New Jersey. "It will take the entire community to {intervene} and fix this problem," Dun said.
But most street gangs, he continued, are so-called "wannabes," or loosely structured groups.
† 10-27-07 : CALIFORNIA : Group to hold march VISALIA - Josh Huerta plans to make a statement, and it's going to be loud. The former gang member turned gang counselor and community advocate is spearheading a Nov. 10 Stop the Violence march and rally in Visalia. Huerta said the free event will feature a dramatization about gang life, Christian-themed rap performances and lots of prayer. "We want to make a statement as a community ... that we want to stop the violence, we want to keep the peace," he said. "We want to put a message that we care. We want to let them know there's better things to do, there's a better future out there. We just want to give them attention, man." Huerta will be one of the six rappers performing at the Giant Chevrolet-Cadillac Mineral King Bowl in Visalia.
A march preceding the event will begin at the Manuel F. Hernandez Community Center.
† 10-27-07 : SOUTH CAROLINA : Public key to fighting gangs Prevention is too often left just to law enforcement, speakers say -- What drives youths to drugs, alcohol and gangs? Often, it’s boredom, according to Randall Brown, founder of Fusion Warehouse Student Center, a teen facility that operates out of a vacant Wal-Mart in Anderson. “It’s all about getting rid of those idle hands,” Brown said after a gang summit Friday at Midlands Technical College Northeast Campus, where he was a speaker. About 5,600 youths in Anderson County and the surrounding area have registered at the 70,000-square-foot center, which Wal-Mart rents to Brown’s nonprofit at a minimal price.
† 10-26-07 : CALIFORNIA : L.A. draws up a new {Intervention} gang plan LOS ANGELES - Taking another step in the fight against street gangs, Los Angeles city officials vowed Friday to redefine prevention versus intervention and spend more money on programs to quell the most serious gang crimes. Councilman Tony Cardenas, head of the city's Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence, said he and more than 30 groups that work with gangs came up with a new plan after months of frustration about how the city spends roughly $78 million a year on gang prevention, intervention and suppression. "At the core of what this comes down to ... is credibility," he said.
† 10-25-07 : CALIFORNIA : Gang forum offers hope SONOMA COUNTY - Just as an alleged gang-related killing was taking place in Maxwell Farms Regional Park Monday evening, a program on gang problems in Sonoma County was getting under way a half-mile away at the Sonoma Valley Regional Library. A panel of former sureño, sureña and norteño prison gang members sat down with moderator Bob Florez, of Kids in Community, to discuss how to avoid gangs and - failing that - how to get out of them. Florez, who eventually escaped his own gang connections, said panel members talked about the heartaches and the messes they created in their community and how they wanted to come back and clean them up. Each former gang member, ranging in age from 21 to 42, had spent up to 15 years in prison ...
† 10-25-07 : CALIFORNIA : Inaction blamed for some of Inland gang presence MORENO VALLEY - Before Los Angeles civil rights attorney Constance L. Rice launched into strategies for wiping out gangs, she apologized. "I'm sorry," she told the 285 participants at Thursday's Inland Empire Violence Prevention Resource Conference. "I'm sorry for exporting a festering 30-year-old problem LA didn't take care of. If there's any lesson, don't do what we did." What residents and community leaders in the city of Los Angeles did, she said, was to dump the problem on police and prosecutors as the first and only resort, then blame them when arrests, state youth camps and jail time didn't work.
† 10-20-07 : CALIFORNIA : New Directions program may rescue kids from gangs, drugs SFV — Bart Trevino knows the stare. He's seen it a thousand times working with at-risk teenage kids in the San Fernando Valley. The dead eyes looking through you like you don't exist. The body language that says, "Hey, man, you've got nothing to tell me so why don't you just walk on down the street and find someone else to preach to?" The cold, hard looks warning you not to mess with them. They've seen things, been places you can't even imagine.
† 10-20-07 : MINN : From the ground up Anti-crime program builds community MILWAUKEE — A new crime-fighting initiative in Milwaukee Police District 5 is expected to unite the three C's - community, clergy and cops - to help reduce gun violence and open-air drug markets on a large stretch of the north side. The plan, called the Common Ground approach, has produced results in such places as High Point, N.C., and Boston, where homicide rates have decreased. "The most powerful people are the people in the community," said Capt. Tony Smith of District 5. "It's not the city government. It's not the police department."
† 10-15-07 : MARYLAND : Think prevention first BALTIMORE — The proliferation of gangs in American cities has led to calls for new fed laws and tougher penalties to stem gang violence. Locking up more gang members may deplete their ranks, but only until the next teenager becomes the newest recruit. It's the wrong approach to the real solution ... keeping youngsters from joining a gang in the first place. We question the need for new laws because there are few crimes unique to gangs. Their members - no matter their colors - murder, steal, sell drugs, extort money, beat up rivals and intimidate witnesses. Prosecutors in Maryland and elsewhere have successfully used federal laws to convict and imprison notorious gang members, but what's lacking is a sustained public effort to protect kids from the lure of gangs.
† 10-05-07 : TEXAS : District to add staff for gang intervention ARLINGTON — The Arlington school district unveiled a plan to enhance security and beef up staff at high school campuses Thursday, days after police announced that a recent off-campus shooting death of a student was gang-related. Sam Houston High School football player Quintarick Wilson was shot Sept. 15 at a house party.
† 10-03-07 : CALIFORNIA : Peace talks with gangs slash LA murder rate LOS ANGELES — Is now on track to see its lowest annual murder rate since 1970 – just before the rise of the Crips, Bloods and other notorious street gangs that have since spread across the United States and seeped into the popular culture. Gang intervention is not a new concept – civic leaders were particularly successful in negotiating a Crips-Bloods truce in the early 1990s – but what is new is the endorsement of the notoriously belligerent LA police, and the support of both the Mayor and police chief.
† 10-02-07 : CALIFORNIA : New czar asks if gang money is working SACRAMENTO — Money is flowing to California communities to combat youth violence and gangs, but no one knows how much or — more importantly — if it is doing any good, according to testimony Monday at a legislative hearing. Enter the state's new gang czar, Paul Seave, a former U.S. attorney who began work a week ago. He outlined his plans that include identification of all state and federal financing as part of his effort to help communities develop strategies to cut youth violence.
† 09-27-07 : CALIFORNIA : L.A.'s Gang Czar acknowledges he faces many challenges LOS ANGELES — Crimes committed by gang members affect all parts of the city and stopping that type of violence is a moral issue, the city’s new gang czar said last week. The Rev. Jeff Carr, appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to evaluate the city’s gang intervention and prevention efforts, made his comments during a panel discussion hosted by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Sept. 20.
† 09-25-07 : CALIFORNIA : L.A.'s Gang Czar appeals to religious for help PORTER RANCH - City leaders challenged the faith-based community Tuesday to spearhead efforts to turn young people away from gangs. Recently appointed Los Angeles gang czar Jeff Carr told about 200 people at Shepherd of the Hills Church that the presence of about 39,000 gang members in the city means political leaders have failed to resolve the gang problem. "We are failing, and we have been failing for almost 30 years," Carr said at the fourth annual San Fernando Valley Faith Coalitions Community Summit.
† 09-21-07 : CALIFORNIA : Schwarzenegger appoints San Jose official to anti-gang panel - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today appointed San Jose city official Angel Rios Jr. to the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Program Advisory Board. Schwarzenegger established the program in May in response to recent increases in gang violence throughout the state and the spread of gang activity to suburban and rural areas.
† 09-21-07 : CALIFORNIA : Governor approves money to fight gangs, violence - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approved a $31 million program to fight gang violence. And for the first time, federal, state, and local leaders met in Bakersfield to share ideas that could bring change. The summit was open to the community, and those in attendance were able to learn about local, state and federal efforts in helping our community become safe from gang and youth violence.
† 09-21-07 : CALIFORNIA : Chick, Hahn face off over gang measure - A plan to tax Los Angeles property owners $30 a year to fund gang programs drew new fire Thursday as City Controller Laura Chick vowed to fight its placement on the February ballot. Proposed earlier this year, the plan would generate about $30 million for gang-intervention and -prevention efforts. But Chick told a meeting of the city's business leaders that she will oppose the measure if it's placed on the ballot before she completes her audit of existing gang programs.
† 09-20-07 : PITTSBURG : Guest brings street cred to gang summit - Johnny Rodriguez knows gangs. While earning championship honors in high school wrestling, the Brentwood native also garnered a tough reputation on the street. Gang members shot and killed his cousin just blocks from Rodriguez's home. Now Rodriguez, who works with at-risk youths, will lead a gang panel discussion in Saturday's inaugural East County Gang Summit.
† 09-14-07 : CANADA : Anxiety over Angels - Do we need an organization like the Guardian Angels to come to Halifax to help make our streets safer ? This question prompted a scorching debate this week, as the city struggles to deal with a rash of violent assaults, swarmings, muggings and robberies day and night. When a gang of teenage girls can beat up another group of teens mere yards from police headquarters - as was witnessed recently on Brunswick Street - there's little doubt something needs to be done.
† 09-10-07 : CANADA : $2.5 Million to Support Crime Prevention Projects in Saskatchewan - Canada's New Government is serious about keeping our communities safe, which is why we are focusing our crime prevention initiatives on those who are most at risk. Through the National Crime Prevention Centre, we are providing more than $2.5 million to support eight crime prevention projects in Saskatchewan.
† 09-07-07 : Calif. Bill Involves Parents if Kids Commit Gang Crimes : State lawmakers are taking steps to fight back against gang violence. A new bill passed Friday in the state Senate requires parents to be involved if their child commits a gang-related crime. The bill could be headed to the governor's desk next week.State lawmakers are taking steps to fight back against gang violence. A new bill passed Friday in the state Senate requires parents to be involved if their child commits a gang-related crime. The bill could be headed to the governor's desk next week.
† 09-05-07 : Governor appoints Salinas woman to anti-gang program : Deborah Aguilar, a ubiquitous presence in Salinas' struggle against gang violence, was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to his recently formed gang prevention program, an announcement Aguilar received almost with giddiness. On Tuesday, Schwarzenegger named former U.S. Attorney Paul Seave as state director of gang and youth violence policy, along with 10 advisory team members to help develop long-term strategies to fight gang violence.
† 09-04-07 : Former U.S. Attorney named as California's New Gand Czar : Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has named Paul Seave, a former U.S. Attorney in Sacramento, as the state's new anti-gang czar. Seave, whose appointment was announced Tuesday, will lead a new program to coordinate local anti-gang efforts throughout California. Seave, the U.S. Attorney in Sacramento from 1997 to 2001, was named director of gang and youth violence policy as part of the governor's California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Program (CalGRIP).
† 08-17-07 : Council Supports Statewide Gang Prevention Office : LOS ANGELES : A bill to create an Office of Statewide Violence and Gang Prevention won unanimous support Friday from the Los Angeles City Council. AB 1381 was introduced by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles. The office would collect data and research on gang violence, develop gang prevention strategies, and connect local agencies with state and federal grants.
† 08-10-07 : Guardian Angels: Anti-crime group move in ... cops not handling gangs : Either for a lack of resources or a lack of concern, Salt Lake City and Ogden have not been able to stem growing gang and drug problems. That's the position of Curtis Sliwa, leader of a controversial group of red-beret-wearing civilian security guards who came to town Thursday to announce help is on the way. Sliwa, leader of the Guardian Angels, plans to bring his community-watch-on-steroids operation to both cities permanently to curb crime in areas where police departments are failing, he said.
† 05-25-07 : Governor Announces Initiative to Combat Gang Violence : Governor Schwarzenegger today proposed an anti-gang initiative to fight gang violence in California. The California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Program (CalGRIP) will target more than $48 million in state and federal funding toward local anti-gang efforts, including job training, education and intervention programs, and will give law enforcement the tools to closely track gang leaders both inside state prisons and when they are released on parole. CalGRIP combines funding from different programs and directs them toward intervention, suppression and prevention.
