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CalEMA 07/08 Funded Projects
The CalEMA CalGRIP Grant Program supports prevention, intervention or suppression strategies to reduce gang and youth violence. The following projects are listed alphabetically.
CITIES
Grantee |
County |
Award |
| City of Anaheim | Orange | $400,000 |
| City of Bakersfield | Kern | $154,052 |
| City of Chula Vista | San Diego | $335,070 |
| City of Fresno | Fresno | $400,000 |
| City of Garden Grove | Los Angeles | $240,000 |
| City of Hawthorne | Los Angeles | $400,000 |
| City of Long Beach | Los Angeles | $400,000 |
| City of Los Angeles | Los Angeles | $962,000 |
| City of Madera | Madera | $400,000 |
| City of Mountain View | Santa Clara | $162,000 |
| City of Oakland | Alameda | $400,000 |
| City of Richmond | Contra Costa | $400,000 |
| City of Sacramento | Sacramento | $281,583 |
| City of Salinas | Monterey | $400,000 |
| City of San Diego | San Diego | $400,000 |
| City and County of San Francisco | San Francisco | $400,000 |
| City of Sanger | Fresno | $400,000 |
| City of Victorville | San Bernardino | $399,878 |
| City of Visalia | Tulare | $280,417 |
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Grantee |
County |
Award |
| African American Unity Center | Los Angeles | $160,000 |
| Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission | Fresno | $160,000 |
| Horn of Africa Community | San Diego | $160,000 |
| Merced Boys and Girls Club | Merced | $94,996 |
| Neighborhood House of North Richmond | Contra Costa | $160,000 |
| North County Lifeline, Inc. | San Diego | $159,030 |
| Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance | Santa Cruz | $159,800 |
| Para Los Niños | Los Angeles | $160,000 |
| Stop the Violence Increase Peace Foundation | Los Angeles | $160,000 |
| Turning the Hearts Center, Inc. | San Diego | $160,000 |
| Westside Tule Enterprise Community | Fresno | $150,880 |
| WomanHaven, Inc. | Imperial | $155,294 |
| Youth Alive! | Los Angeles | $160,000 |
CITIES
City of Anaheim
County: Orange
Implementing Agency: Anaheim Police Department
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: Anaheim has identified more than 2,449 gang members representing 37 gangs and nearly 500 young gang "wannabes," while Stanton has documented approximately 245 gang members. In 2007, there were six gang-related homicides and 55 gang-related aggravated assaults. This program will be implemented by the Anaheim Police Department in cooperation with the Orange County Department of Education, Anaheim School District and Magnolia School District. It will fund a case manager to develop and implement anti-gang violence curriculum and train students, parents, teachers, and staff on violence prevention and gang awareness. The program will also fund a school resource police officer to provide presentations to students, parents and school personnel to promote gang awareness and prevent violent and delinquent behavior in students.
Contact Information: Lieutenant Ben Hittesdorf - (714) 765-1402 - bhittesdorf@anaheim.net
City of Bakersfield
County: Kern
Implementing Agency: Bakersfield Police Department
Grant Award: $154,052
Project Summary: Bakersfield estimates that there are more than 6,343 documented gang members and associates within its boundaries. Criminal street gangs in Bakersfield are responsible for a large portion of its crime. In 2005 and 2006, over 49 percent of the city's homicides were committed by gang members. In 2006, over 64 percent of the total number of assaults with firearms were committed by gang members. In 2007, 43 percent of the murders in Bakersfield were gang-related. Targeting a metropolitan portion of Kern County traditionally claimed by gangs, the Bakersfield Regional Intelligence Data on Gangs Exchange will work to reduce the ability of local and outside gangs to use Bakersfield as a crossroads for criminal activity and gang recruitment. The Kern County Regional Data Exchange Project will implement a computer system to link the records of up to 13 Kern County law enforcement agencies and, ultimately, make information available to agencies throughout California and neighboring states. The Bakersfield Police Department will purchase specialized surveillance and investigative equipment and implement corresponding training, which will allow regional law enforcement agencies to safely carry out surveillance and enforcement operations on known, violent gang members.
Contact Information: Captain L.D. Martin - (661) 852-7851 - lmartin@bakersfieldpd.us
City of Chula Vista
County: San Diego
Implementing Agency: Chula Vista Police Department
Grant Award: $335,070
Project Summary: Located seven miles from the busiest international border crossing in the world, Chula Vista is the crossroads of the San Diego/Baja, Mexico region and, as such, experiences a heavy pass-through of gang members traveling between Los Angeles or San Diego and Tijuana. Gang-related calls for service to the Chula Vista Police Department increased by 29 percent between 2005 and 2006, and 94 percent of all gang-related calls were in the proposed target area – a western portion of the city that contains 49 percent of the city's population. This project will allow the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) and South Bay Community Services (SBCS) to create a Gang Prevention Team. The Gang Prevention Team will partner with the Sweetwater Union High School District and the San Diego County Probation Department to identify gang members, and youths at risk of becoming gang members, and direct them to appropriate programs provided by SBCS. Programs include street outreach, family violence support services, a teen center, teen recovery services, after-school activities, mentoring and mental health services. The Gang Suppression Unit of the CVPD will focus specialized efforts (sweeps, surveillance, patrols, checkpoints, etc.) on locations within the target area with high rates of gang and narcotics activity.
Contact Information: Captain Leonard Miranda - (619) 691-5230 - lmiranda@chulavistapd.org
City of Fresno
County: Fresno
Implementing Agency: Fresno Police Department
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: Fresno County is home to 3 percent of the nation's total gang membership. There are over 24,000 validated gang members residing in Fresno County. Violent crimes committed by these gangs include: aggravated assaults, take-over style robbery, gang rapes, kidnapping, murders and targeting of other gang members. In an attempt to reduce the gang-related crime in Fresno, the Fresno Police Department has created a process for assisting gang-affiliated individuals in leaving the gang lifestyle, including clinical assessment and tattoo removal. The clinical assessment includes six components: client referral, screening, assessment, program placement, case management, follow-up and job/education placement. The clinical assessment will be conducted by case managers funded through this program. The case managers will monitor and track each participant and work closely with mentors, service providers, and other staff and participants to ensure that the needs of the participant are being met. A tattoo removal machine will also be funded by this program.
Contact Information: Deputy Chief Keith Foster - (559) 621-2301 - keith.foster@fresno.gov
City of Garden Grove
County: Los Angeles
Implementing Agency: Garden Grove Police Department
Grant Award: $240,000
Project Summary: According to the Garden Grove Police Department, there are 1,772 gang members in Garden Grove belonging to over 50 different gangs. In 2005 and 2006, two high school students were killed in gang-related incidents and a third gang member was shot within the target areas for this project. The target areas were selected for their high crime rates, intense rival gang activity, generational gang involvement and large number of school-age children targeted for gang recruitment. The Garden Grove Police Department's Juvenile Justice Center, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, will provide anger management, drug and alcohol education, runaway intervention, individual and family counseling and other support services to families in the target areas. This project will also expand services offered through the city's Truancy Reduction Center, operated in partnership with the Garden Grove Unified School District, since law enforcement has identified truant students as prime targets for recruitment by gang members.
Contact Information: Lieutenant Dave Kivler - (714) 741-5871 - davidk@ci.garden-grove.ca.us
City of Hawthorne
County: Los Angeles
Implementing Agency: South Bay Workforce Investment Board
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: The County of Los Angeles has identified 400,000 gang members in 2006, which is 5 percent of the entire county population. The county had between 55 and 75 gang-related homicides each year since 2004. In Hawthorne, since 2004, gang membership increased from 801 to 1,264. The South Bay Workforce Investment Board will implement this project which creates a "Bridge to Work" program to address the problems of poverty and unemployment, low academic achievement and high involvement in the justice system. The program will use methods of employment and vocational preparation, conflict resolution, mentoring, anger management training, mental health counseling and family mediation services. The program also focuses on gang prevention, intervention and reentry by implementing employment, education, life skills development services and family services. Suppression activities by a gang task force will work with regional police and sheriffs departments and the L.A. County Probation Department to increase arrests and provide more effective referrals for justice system diversion.
Contact Information: Cyd Spikes, Program Manager - (310) 970-7702 - cspikes@sbwib.org
City of Long Beach
County: Los Angeles
Implementing Agency: City of Long Beach, Human Dignity Office
Grant Award: S400,000
Project Summary: The Long Beach Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Project targets an area of two square miles within the City of Long Beach where the juvenile arrest rate is more than double that of the city as a whole (9.5 arrests per 1,000 population vs. 4.1 arrests per 1,000). There are approximately 7,000 gang members and 65 active gangs within the two-square-mile target area. More than half of all homicides in the city are gang- related (57 percent). This project aims to reduce the number of violent crimes and gang-related offenses in the target area by providing alternatives to gang participation by youth and community awareness services for the entire project area. Programs for youth will include: workforce preparation, work experience, job training, recreational and sports activities, and conflict resolution. Activities impacting the community will include: a Gang Crisis Response Team, media campaign, parent support network and a program designed to reduce racial tensions. The project will be implemented by the Office of the City Manager, Long Beach Police Department and Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.
Contact Information: Patricia Barnard - (562) 570-6958 - patricia_barnard@longbeach.gov
City of Los Angeles
County: Los Angeles
Implementing Agency: Mayor's Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development
Grant Award: $962,000
Project Summary: Los Angeles is home to the largest and most established gang population in the country, with over 400 separate gangs and an estimated 39,000 gang members. In 2007, 216 people lost their lives to gang violence, while over 1,300 people were victims of gang-related shootings. Gang-related homicides represented 55 percent of all homicides in the city. In April 2007, the City of Los Angeles rolled out a seven-site comprehensive Gang Reduction Strategy based on the successful "Gang Reduction Program (GRP)" in the Boyle Heights area. GRP, a multi-year pilot project funded by the Department of Justice, incorporates a collaborative approach to reducing gang crime and violence starting with the inventory and integration of existing community services and then the application of best-practices and evidence-based prevention, intervention, re-entry and suppression programs. Since the program began in 2003, the Boyle Heights neighborhood has experienced a 44 percent reduction in crime. The funding for this project expired August 31, 2008, hence, CalGRIP funds will be used to sustain this effort for an additional year so as to draw upon its successes and expand city-wide Gang Reduction Zone efforts.
Contact Information: Rev. Jeff Carr, Mayor's Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development - (213) 473-7796 - jeff.carr@lacity.org
City of Madera
County: Madera
Implementing Agency: Madera Police Department
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: Madera is experiencing gang problems from an estimated 5,000 gang members, representing over 50 separate gangs that are involved in a high rate of violent crime. This program will address the gang problems through a focus on prevention, intervention and suppression, reentry through employment, education, job training and development, and youth recreation and mentoring programs in the City of Madera and rural portions of Madera County. This program will be implemented by the multi-disciplinary Madera County Gang Enforcement Team and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central California.
Contact Information: David R. Tooley, City Administrator - (559) 661-5400 - dtooley@cityofmadera.com
City of Mountain View
County: Santa Clara
Implementing Agency: Mountain View Police Department
Grant Award: $162,000
Project Summary: Mountain View and surrounding communities have noted a 168% increase in violent gang crimes since 2002, including a school shooting and violent, sometimes deadly, confrontations between gang members. The program will focus on prevention, intervention and suppression strategies, using a task force including school districts, police departments, the Santa Clara County Probation Department, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and several community-based organizations. Mountain View Police Department will create a youth services unit, which will conduct high-profile patrol, parole and probation searches, assist with gang prosecutions, educate parents on gang risk factors, mentor at-risk youth, and provide community outreach and referrals.
Contact Information: Kevin C. Duggan, City Manager - (650) 903-6301 - kevin.duggan@mountainview.gov
City of Oakland
County: Alameda
Implementing Agency: City of Oakland, Office of Public Safety
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: The Oakland Police Department (OPD) gang enforcement team estimates there are at least 65 gangs with approximately 2,000 active gang members operating in Oakland. In 2006, 33 of the 148 homicides were gang-related. This program will fund an additional police officer for OPD's Gang Unit. The officer will be used to conduct investigative and intelligence-gathering activities (tracking gang activities and detecting trends and patterns of crime in Oakland). This program will also fund a probation officer from Alameda County who will focus on monitoring and supervising Oakland's gang-involved juvenile probationers. This officer will work in close contact with the daily and weekly movements of probationers and work side by side with police officers as a liaison between juvenile probation and all city agencies engaging with gang-involved youth.
Contact Information: Captain Edward Tracey - (510) 867-7317 - etracey@oaklandnet.com
City of Richmond
County: Contra Costa
Implementing Agency: City of Richmond, Office of Neighborhood Safety
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: In 2006, the City of Richmond had 42 homicides and 1,124 violent crimes. It currently has 45 documented gangs, and is ranked as the ninth most dangerous city in the country. In 2007, Richmond experienced a surge in gang-related gun violence and reported 22 gang-related homicides. This program will confront the gang issue at multiple levels, addressing both the needs of those who are involved in the gangs as well as those who are vulnerable to becoming gang members. It will be implemented by Richmond's Office of Neighborhood Safety and will consist of a number of carefully integrated program activities: street outreach, training, crisis response, life management skills training, case management, service referral for program participants, education, career assessment and preparation, mental health and substance abuse treatment, health and wellness, and transitional housing.
Contact Information: Deborah Dias - deborah_dias@ci.richmond.ca.us
City of Sacramento
County: Sacramento
Implementing Agency: City of Sacramento, Mayor's Office of Youth Development
Grant Award: $281,583
Project Summary: In 2007, five teenagers were murdered by gang members and, most recently, a sheriff's officer was killed by a gang affiliate. Since 2003, there has been almost a 400% growth in gang members; there are currently about 2,000 known gang members in Sacramento. Sacramento's newly created Office of Youth Development will coordinate with the Police Department, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Health and Human Services, three school districts and a community-based organization (Skills for Alternative Independent Living [SAIL]), in an attempt to help at-risk youth leave gangs in three target areas: Del Paso Heights, Oak Park and Meadowview, selected for their rates of violent crime and abundance of drug activity and gangs. The city will focus on intervention programs, modeling an effective program in Riverside, California. The goals of the program are to identify youth who are gang affiliated, have them evaluated by social workers to assess the problems, and refer them to SAIL, which will provide services such as tutoring/mentoring, mental health, literacy, sports and recreation, job development, and substance abuse treatment.
Contact Information: Lyn Corbett, Director, Mayor's Office of Youth Development - (916) 808-8050 - lcorbett@cityofsacramento.org
City of Salinas
County: Monterey
Implementing Agency: Salinas Police Department
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: Salinas is second only to Los Angeles in the percentage of homicides that are gang-related, and had 13 gang-related homicides in 2007. Robberies with the use of weapons have risen from 335 in 2005 to 411 in 2007. This program will be implemented by the Community Safety Alliance, which will provide primary prevention activities and services to 50 at-risk youth who are referred by the City At Peace Project (CAPP) at the East Salinas Family Center. It will provide life skills training to improve youth resiliency against drug and alcohol use and will implement an evidence-based curriculum for 50 gang-involved youth in either an institutional or community setting to reduce and deter gang activity and violence. It will link 40 youth to local employment agencies to provide work experience and job development skills. It will stabilize families exposed to violence by increasing the numbers of developmental assets related to parenting and family, and it will conduct at least eight community circles in the target area and engage 150 residents in community dialogue about potential solutions to problems, such as gang activity, affecting their neighborhood.
Contact Information: Commander Kelly McMillin - (831) 758-7999 - kellym@ci.salinas.ca.us
City of San Diego
County: San Diego
Implementing Agency: San Diego Police Department
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) estimates that there are approximately 90 street gangs, with 3,697 documented gang members – including 198 under the age of 18 – within the city limits of San Diego. In the first ten months of 2007, gang-related crimes totaled 807, including 24 homicides, 15 attempted homicides, and 222 assaults. During that same period, there were 91 gang-related shootings and 2,809 arrests of known gang members. This project will target 20 low-income neighborhoods with high rates of gang-related and criminal activity. The SDPD, in conjunction with the city's Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention, will coordinate a three-pronged prevention, intervention and suppression approach. Law enforcement will work with community and recreation specialists to identify at-risk youth and refer them to available resources. The project will make available expanded recreational opportunities and peace-building activities through the city's Parks and Recreation Department and the community-based Tariq Khamisa Foundation. The San Diego Workforce Partnership will provide career education and work experience opportunities. The SDPD will expand gang intelligence analysis services to target gang members for increased surveillance and other enforcement activities.
Contact Information: Lieutenant Jorge Duran - (619) 531-2359 - jduran@pd.sandiego.gov
City and County of San Francisco
County: San Francisco
Implementing Agency: City of San Francisco, Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: In 2006, San Francisco experienced a total of 799 violent crimes, including 88 homicides. In 2007, homicides increased by 3 percent in the City of San Francisco, and the city experienced its highest homicide rate in a decade. These crime rates are largely motivated by gangs. San Francisco will reduce gang activity by the Call-In Program, aimed at automated messaging to individuals to stop engaging in violence. The program will also enhance community supervision and intensive case management services for gang-affiliated probationers, support targeted reentry services for juvenile offenders, expand city-wide public and community education, conduct street-based outreach and establish civil gang injunctions.
Contact Information: Lauren Bell, Mayor's Office - (415) 701-5573 - lauren.bell@sfgov.org
City of Sanger
County: Fresno
Implementing Agency: Sanger Police Department
Grant Award: $400,000
Project Summary: Fresno County has more than 2,360 gang members in over 20 gangs. According to the 2006-2007 grand jury report comparing Fresno County with national gang statistics, approximately 1.5 percent of the nation's gang members reside in Fresno County – five times the national average per capita. During 2005, more than 3,500 gang members were booked into the Fresno County jail for identity thefts, domestic violence, sex crimes, drugs and homicides. The program will conduct interviews for at-risk kids and implement the following services and programs: Too Good for Violence Program, a gang prevention curriculum; Boys and Girls Club of America; Promoting Education through Social Responsibility Program; and, mentoring from the Big Brothers and Sisters. These programs will also provide after-school activities for kindergartners through eighth graders.
Contact Information: Thomas Klose, Chief of Police - (559) 875-8521 - thomas.klose@fcle.org
City of Victorville
County: San Bernardino
Implementing Agency: City of Victorville, Public Works Department
Grant Award: $399,878
Project Summary: There are 170 gangs and 2,000 identified gang members in this high desert region. In 2007, there were 431 documented gang incidents and 694 gang arrests. While Victorville currently has a gang task force, there is a personnel shortage. This project will fund two additional probation officers to assist in prevention and education programs that are already in place. One officer will help to create a support team to enable young people displaying pre-delinquent behavior to thrive and become productive members of society. The second officer will be assigned to assist in gang intervention services. The programs will empower participants to be self-determined, improve their educational performance and opportunities, and diminish ties to gangs by offering employment and social opportunities. The City of Victorville will cooperate with the following agencies: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Victorville Gang Unit, San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, San Bernardino County Probation Department, and the San Bernardino County court system.
Contact Information: Amer Jakher - (760) 955-5028 - ajakher@ci.victorville.ca.us
City of Visalia
County: Tulare
Implementing Agency: Visalia Police Department
Grant Award: $280,417
Project Summary: In 2007, Visalia identified 3,500 gang members in the city and surrounding communities, of which 930 were validated gang members. This program will recruit seven additional Neighborhood Youth Counselors (NYC) to work in community youth centers and schools. The NYCs will provide mentorship and positive alternatives to gangs to at-risk youth. Two full-time youth services officers will be placed in the middle and high schools. And, although they are hired for suppression, they also will work on prevention and outreach programs involving home visits and promote parental awareness of gang behavior. The program will also target special locations, particularly selected schools, for special patrols. It will provide training in gang recognition to program staff in criminal justice and community-based agencies. The following programs will be utilized: the Local Organizational Outreach Program, Step It Up Gang Summits, job training, the Gang Related Education and Training Program, Police Athletic Leagues and others.
Contact Information: Lieutenant Jason Salazar - (559) 713-4102 - jasons@ci.visalia.ca.us
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
African American Unity Center
County: Los Angeles
Location of Services: Los Angeles
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: The Mentoring Project, a project of the Regional Prevention Coalition, will implement its prevention work in South Los Angeles, one of the poorest parts of the city. Of the 38,974 gang members identified in Los Angeles in 2005, approximately 30,000 reside in South Los Angeles. The homicide rate in South Los Angeles is 276% higher than the Los Angeles County average. The Mentoring Project will work with children 10-15 years of age who are at risk of delinquency; in need of positive role models; in danger of dropping out of school or failing; routinely truant; or in danger of being sentenced to the juvenile correction system or joining a gang. The program builds upon the success of other similar programs previously offered in South Los Angeles. Youth who have participated in such programs over the last five years are performing better academically, truancy and delinquency have decreased by 92%, and 90% of participants who were gang members have since quit their gang. The program will enroll 60 at-risk youth and provide one-on-one mentoring for 40 youth over the course of the next two years.
Contact Information: Khalid Shah, Project Director - (213) 236-3616 - ieviolenceprev@yahoo.com
Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission
County: Fresno
Location of Services: Cities of Fresno, Orange Cove, and Parlier, and the unincorporated communities of Malaga, Easton, and Calwa
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: Approximately 32.1 percent of Fresno County's population is under the age of 18. The Fresno County Workforce Investment Board 2004-2005 Annual Report indicates that this is the largest population of youth under the age of 18 in the state. According to the 2005 Fresno Police Department Annual Crime Report, more than 300 youth and adult gang members are arrested each month for gang-related criminal activities, with the highest rate of gang crimes per capita occurring in the rural cities and communities. These communities are home to more than 55 known gangs comprised of approximately 12,000 documented youth and adult gang members. Taking a collaborative approach, the Economic Opportunities Project combats gang violence by providing intervention activities for the more "hard core" parolees and probationers to reduce recidivism and foster positive change. The AmeriCorps and Conservation Corps are a few of the local agencies committed to this program. Prevention efforts will target the "at-risk" students living or attending school in the targeted locations. Educational forums, field trips and job training programs designed to heighten learning and awareness will be utilized.
Contact Information: Paul McLain-Lugowski, Director - (559) 264-1048 - paul.mclain-lugowski@fresnoeoc.org
Horn of Africa Community
County: San Diego
Location of Services: City of San Diego
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: The violent crime rate in the mid-city neighborhoods of San Diego is nearly three times higher than the citywide average. From January through August 2007, there were 16 gang-related homicides and 172 assaults with deadly weapons, and from January through March of 2007, 821 gang members were arrested. A gang sweep in the target area was conducted in October 2007, and resulted in 23 arrests, the recovery of $11,514 in cash and eight firearms. This program, in conjunction with the San Diego Refugee Youth Program, the Somali Family Service of San Diego, and the City of San Diego Police Department, will target youth at-risk factors for gang involvement. The focus will be to suppress gang membership by providing intervention, life skills training, education, youth recreation, leadership and mentoring programs.
Contact Information: Abdi Mohamoud, Executive Director - (619) 583-0532 - ahornofafrica@aol.com
Merced Boys and Girls Club
County: Merced
Location of Services: City of Merced
Grant Award: $94,996
Project Summary: Merced identified 2,500 documented gang members and another 2,000 undocumented members. Between 2003 and 2006 there were 17 gang-related homicides within the City of Merced. In 2004, a 21 year-old gang member shot and killed a seven-year veteran of the Merced Police Department. The cost of the murder trial to convict the gang member was over $1 million. This program will focus efforts on the city as a target area by addressing the unmet needs of the youth over a two-year period. The program's overall purpose is the prevention of gang involvement through integrated outreach; career development; health and life skills; character and leadership development; sports, fitness and recreation; and arts. This program will be implemented in conjunction with the University of California, Merced; Merced County Probation Department; Merced County Human Services Agency; and, City of Merced Police Department.
Contact Information: Tony Slaton, Executive Director - (209) 722-9922 - ts6165@aol.com
Neighborhood House of North Richmond
County: Contra Costa
Location of Services: Richmond
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: In 2006, the City of Richmond experienced 42 homicides, the highest number in 12 years. Gang-related violence plays a major role. The police department counts 46 documented gangs, with an estimated membership of 1,100 members. Fifty-percent of the city's homicides are gang related. This program, the Richmond Community Wellness Collaborative (RCWC), targets both Central and North Richmond, areas of intense poverty, gang violence and rivalry. The RCWC program will address the needs of current gang members and those at risk of gang involvement. Strategies will include the use of outreach staff to develop relationships with gang members and at-risk youth in the targeted areas, providing them with positive role models and directing them to support services, such as job training, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, health care and transitional housing.
Contact Information: Barbara Becnel - (510) 235-9780 - barbara.becnel@nhnr.org
North County Lifeline, Inc.
County: San Diego County
Location of Services: Oceanside
Grant Award: $159,030
Project Summary: Local police data shows that violent gang-related activities in north coastal San Diego County are particularly prevalent in the neighborhoods of Mesa Margarita and Crown Heights. Those neighborhoods have a higher percentage of youth, minority populations, unemployment, and poor academic achievement. Shootings, robberies, physical assaults, and thefts are common in these neighborhoods. Lifeline's Critical Hours After-School Program provides North County youth with a safe alternative to gang involvement by providing prevention, intervention, and job training programs during the critical after-school hours. Services provided by Lifeline's Targeted Outreach Program include homework assistance, educational activities, gang prevention activities, and outdoor sports and recreation services.
Contact Information: Kirby Wohlander, Director of Youth Services - (760) 757-0118 - kirby@nclifeline.org
Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance
County: Santa Cruz
Location of Services: Watsonville
Grant Award: $159,800
Project Summary: The target area has a total of about 2,500 gang members. Adults 18 to 25 years old comprise approximately 72 percent of the gang population, with juveniles representing an additional 8 percent. Violent crime has increased 178 percent in the past 10 years. The crimes include homicides, assaults, and witness intimidation. In 2007, a survey of students, conducted by the school district, showed that a total of 12 percent of students considered themselves gang members, with 20 percent admitting to having carried a gun onto a school campus, and another 45 percent admitting to have carried other types of weapons onto school property to protect themselves from other gang members. The goal of this program is to provide gang prevention services to school-aged youth over a period of three years, including in-school group sessions, linkages to recreation and employment development services, comprehensive gang prevention training for school-based counselors, and presentations to school staff, parents and community members. This agency will work in collaboration with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, Santa Cruz County Probation Department and Watsonville Police Department.
Contact Information: Jenny Sarmiento, Director of Agency Programs - (831) 728-6445 - jenny.sarmiento@pvpsa.org
Para Los Niños
County: Los Angeles
Location of Services: Los Angeles
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: Los Angeles is home to the largest and most entrenched gang population in the country. In 2006, the city was home to more than 700 gangs with 39,000 members. Fifty-six percent of all homicides were gang-related and 70 percent of all shootings involved gangs. Para Los Niños will focus on the poorest regions of Los Angeles, including downtown, Pico Union, Watts, Compton and South Los Angeles, where 60 percent of the gangs are concentrated. Para Los Niños will implement a gang prevention program modeled on a program it successfully operated for five years, combining prevention activities for youth and their families, positive after-school activities that help children to avoid gangs and the juvenile justice system, and other services to families and communities of participating children. Participants will be identified by school staff or other referring agencies as youth at high risk for gang involvement. The program offers a safe environment, academic support, job development, positive recreational activities, leadership training and other risk-reduction strategies.
Contact Information: Natalia Flores, Director of School Age and Youth Services - (213) 250-4800 - nflores@paralosninos.org
Stop the Violence Increase Peace Foundation
County: Los Angeles
Location of Services: City of Los Angeles
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: This program is a regional approach, which will target at-risk youth in the areas of Eastside Riverside, Pomona, South Los Angeles and Ontario. As of May 2007, there were 11,877 gang members and 474 documented gangs in Riverside County. There are over 2,700 gang members in 15 gangs distributed throughout the City of Pomona. Approximately 30,000 gang members reside in South Los Angeles. Consequently, the area is home to nearly 750 gang members per square mile. The homicide rate in South Los Angeles is 276 percent higher than the Los Angeles County average. The regional strategy of this program will coordinate prevention, intervention, re-entry and suppression that targets at-risk youth and emancipated young adults. The program will meet these goals through education, personal and social skills development, financial literacy and vocational literacy, including job training, preparedness and placement. The lead agency will collaborate over a two-year period with the Pomona Inland Empire Cluster, Project Fresh Start, African American Unity Center, Wood Craft Rangers, Path of Life Ministries and the Community Youth and Sports Foundation.
Contact Information: Khalid Shah, Project Director - (213) 236-3616 - ieviolenceprev@yahoo.com
Turning the Hearts Center, Inc.
County: San Diego
Location of Services: Cities and communities of National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, San Ysidro, Nestro, Del Sol, Paradise Hills, Eastlake, Otay Ranch, Otay Mesa, and Bonita
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: Located among the communities of South San Diego are over 3,550 documented gang members representing some 88 different gangs. Reported gang-related activities include robbery and aggravated assaults. The Chula Vista Police Department reports that gang-related crime cases increased 27 percent over 2005, that gang-related field interview contacts increased by 75 percent in 2006, and 2007 was showing a steady climb in gang-related activities. The Turning the Hearts (THC) Gang Awareness through Mentoring and Education project provides a comprehensive approach to gang reduction by providing leadership, work-readiness/work-based learning opportunities, educational services, life skills and youth development activities to youth and their families. The THC mission is to "turn the hearts" of the gang-affiliated youth away from high-risk gang affiliation to new paths that lead to education, work and a stable family life environment.
Contact Information: Douglas Luffborough, Executive Director - (619) 691-9643 - dougluff@yahoo.com
Westside Tule Enterprise Community
County: Fresno
Location of Services: Coalinga, Five Points, Huron, and Parlier
Grant Award: $150,880
Project Summary: Primarily a Hispanic farm working community with limited access to positive development opportunities, leadership and mentoring programs, many of Fresno County's youth turn to gang and violent activities in order to make a name for themselves and feel a part of something. Homicide rates from the Department of Justice show that Fresno County ranks as one of the top "high intensity gang areas" (HIGAs) in California. Fresno County's homicide rate of 8.1 per 100,000 population is higher than the state's rate of 6.9. However, Parlier's rate is 15.3 per 100,000, more than two times higher than the state rate. Huron Enterprise Community (a multi-city project) takes a collaborative approach to combating gang problems by providing intervention and prevention services such as education and job training through the Mural & Multimedia Art and Construction Training Project.
Contact Information: Becky Barabé - (559) 824-3730 - bbarabe@westsidetule.org
WomanHaven, Inc.
County: Imperial
Location of Services: City of El Centro
Grant Award: $155,294
Project Summary: There are 20 active gangs with 800 active gang members residing within the City of El Centro. Gang members in this target area are involved in alien and narcotics smuggling across the border of Mexico. Over a two-year period, the program will implement a project designed to provide alternatives to gangs through education, skills development, parent education, and case management for at-risk youth recruited from community schools, Imperial County Juvenile Detention Facility, youth on probation and known gang members. These objectives will be reached via coordinated efforts between WomanHaven Center for Family Solutions and its partners, the Imperial County Probation Department, City of El Centro Police Department, and the Imperial Regional Occupational Program.
Contact Information: Barbara M. Shaver, Ph.D., Executive Director - (760) 353-6922 - bshaver@womanhaven.org
Youth Alive!
County: Los Angeles
Location of Services: Los Angeles
Grant Award: $160,000
Project Summary: The low-income children of Los Angeles County are killing and injuring one another due to gang violence. Hospitalization for gang violence related injuries is recurrent. Youth Alive!, a community-based organization, implements Caught in the Crossfire, a collaborative intervention program designed to address the unique needs of injured youth immediately following a violent, gang-related incident. Caught in the Crossfire offers fast-track support services in order to mediate gang-related issues and prevent recidivism. (Youth Alive! is based in Oakland, CA, but this program, which will focus on gang problems in Los Angeles County, will be managed and staffed locally in LA.)
Contact Information: Gale Feldman, Director of Programs - (323) 225-0401 x.306 - gfeldman@youthalive.org