Expert Witness
Contact
Shop Street Gangs
Chaz Williams the Bank Robber
Download Gang Articles
Trace Tupac's Murder
Some Gangs Get Sued
Home > All News > 2009 News
Three-prong strategy on gangs detailed to SLO County supervisorsCommunity participation is vital to the effort to quell a growing danger in the county, district attorney saysThursday, Jun. 04, 2009Some parents of gang members are shocked to learn that their children are in gangs, others are intimidated by their gang-member kids, and yet others are reluctant to “narc” on their offspring, Chief Probation Officer Kim Barrett told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Barrett was not trying to vilify parents, or accuse all parents of falling into these categories — far from it. Rather, she was underscoring the importance of family and community involvement in pushing back against the swelling gang problem in San Luis Obispo County. Barrett joined District Attorney Gerald Shea and Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Martin Basti in giving a progress report on the county’s anti-gang coordinating commission to a receptive board. The report was just that, not a budget hearing, and no money was expended. Supervisors, who have declared public safety their number one concern, listened enthusiastically as the trio explained the work the commission has completed or planned since the county formed it in November of 2007. Shea described a continuing increase in gang activity, graffiti, and parolees joining gangs over the past two years, as well as efforts by gangs from outside San Luis Obispo County to recruit local youngsters. Those problems helped lead to the commission, which Shea said has a goal of reducing the magnitude, frequency and violence of gang activity. The commission is operating on three fronts, he said: prevention, detection and rehabilitation. A central theme holding together these fronts is community participation, and Shea said 27 organizations have shown up at the commission’s meetings. Parental involvement is another leitmotif, and the commission has already reached out to parents in various ways and will continue to do so. In addition, the commission has involved or will involve schools, churches, youth organizations, and other community groups through forums and other approaches. Among other points that came out during the discussion: • The commission is developing an anti-graffiti ordinance, although, as Supervisor Frank Mecham noted, not all graffiti is gang-related. • Global Positioning System tracking, currently used with sex offenders, might be used on some gang members, Barrett said. • Tattoo removal should be “here to stay,” Supervisor Katcho Achadjian said, despite what he called negative input from nationally known radio personalities. The controversial removal process gives a boost to those who want to move away from gang involvement. • The county should consider an employment coordinator to help parolees back into society. • The number of prosecuted local gang cases has increased from 18 in 2006 to 51 in 2008. • The county is shooting for a 35 percent recidivism rate; the state’s is 70 percent. • It is also aiming for a 50 percent participation rate in training for imprisoned gang members who will be paroled to San Luis Obispo County. Training in prison and a productive transition to the community are high on the commission’s list of goals. Supervisors praised the commission for its work in the past year and a half. “We will continue to meet regularly and report out on each piece of the strategic plan and our progress,” Barrett wrote in an e-mail to The Tribune. “We are committed to this process and reducing the incidence of gang violence in our county. This subject is too vital to our communities’ safety to go on a back burner,” she wrote. News Topics | Surenos | Home | Research | History | Blood Gangs | Crip Gangs | People | Gallery | Blog | |