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Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces $9.2 Million in Grants to Combat Gang Violence in California Communities
March 5, 2010 - Continuing his commitment to combat gang violence in California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced over $9.2 million in competitive grants have been awarded to 24 cities throughout the state under the Governor’s California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) initiative.
“My highest priority is the safety of Californians, and these grants will help reduce gang violence, improve public safety and assist anti-gang efforts in many of our communities,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “My Administration is committed to reducing gang violence throughout our state with a comprehensive and coordinated approach to make our streets safer and keep our youth on the right track. These grants will help strengthen our statewide anti-gang efforts by giving our local communities greater resources to fight and prevent gang activity.”
The Governor’s Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy (OGYVP) received proposals from 36 cities and selected the 24 recipients through a competitive grant process. Applications were rated by expert panels on the basis of more than 20 objective factors, including the number of gang-related homicides and other crimes, demographic information and use of evidence-based practices. The expert panels were made up of representatives from sheriff, police and probation departments, local government, California Department of Education, Department of Social Services, and schools and community-based organizations. In accordance with state budget language, the city of Los Angeles received $1 million through a non-competitive grant.
“The gang problem in California has become statewide, and part of the Governor’s anti-gang initiative is to bring additional resources to our local communities to help combat gang violence and prevent at-risk youth from joining gangs,” said Paul Seave, director of the Governor's OGYVP. “These grants will assist local anti-gang efforts, particularly those implementing strategies that have been proven to be effective.”
Governor Schwarzenegger introduced the CalGRIP initiative in May 2007 to confront the dramatic increase in gangs across the state and their proliferation in suburban and rural areas. Gangs are responsible for many crimes in California including more than 15,000 homicides since 1981 and other crimes like extortion, narcotic sales and identity theft. In spite of an overall decrease in crime in most California cities since the 1990s, rates of gang-related violent crime have remained steady or increased in many California communities.
The grants awarded today are part of the Governor’s initiative to address gang violence in a smart way at the local level. Cities are responsible for defining problems and solutions including prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies, and they must match the state’s grant. Through the Governor’s OGYVP, the state will work with cities to implement proven evidence-based practices. Several grantees will implement the Safe Community Partnership model that has been proven to save lives showing a 25 to over 60 percent reduction in homicides in cities around the nation such as Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis and Stockton.Many other cities will implement programs proven to reduce recidivism among high-risk youth. In order to implement these programs, cities are encouraged to partner with county agencies, educational agencies and community-based organizations.
Earlier today, the Governor announced $3 million in federal stimulus money for the Bridges to Success program, designed to open career paths for youths most likely to drop out of school and end up in dead end jobs. The goal of the program is to help link at-risk youths with real-world jobs that offer a taste of the career opportunities available to them if they complete their education.
Below is the list of grants:
BAY AREA $1,721,873
Alameda County
Oakland - $382,639
Contra Costa County
Richmond (including San Pablo) - $382,639
Santa Clara County
Mountain View - $382,639
San Francisco County
San Francisco - $382,639
San Mateo
East Palo Alto - $191,317
CENTRAL COAST $1,530,556
Monterey County
Gonzales (including Greenfield, King City & Soledad) - $382,639
Salinas - $382,639
Santa Cruz County
Watsonville - $382,639
San Benito County
Hollister - $382,639
CENTRAL VALLEY $ 1,721,722
Fresno County
Fresno - $382,639
Kern County
Bakersfield - $382,488
Wasco - $382,639
Sacramento County
Sacramento - $382,639
Stanislaus County
Modesto - $191,317
LOS ANGELES COUNTY $1,573,951
Los Angeles County
Duarte - $191,312
Los Angeles - $1,000,000
Long Beach - $382,639
SOUTHERN COUNTIES $2,666,898
Orange County
Anaheim - $382,639
San Juan Capistrano - $382,639
Riverside County
Indio - $371,064
San Bernardino County
San Bernardino - $382,639
San Diego County
Escondido - $382,639
Vista - $382,639
Ventura County
Oxnard - $382,639
TOTAL $9.215 MILLION