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Arlington County: County gets money to fight gangs
Issue date: 11/1/09 Section: Neighborhood
A grant for $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice will go to the Arlington County Gang Task Force, County Board Chairman Barbara Favola said recently.
Favola spoke after the Board approved receipt of the funding secured by Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th District) for Arlington in the Fiscal Year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
"Prevention, not just gang suppression and law enforcement, is a crucial element of our strategy to combat gangs," Favola said. "Keeping kids from joining gangs in the first place is the right thing to do for our children and reduces the need for future crime prevention and intervention programs."
The grant will help provide mentoring and counseling services to youth and young adults in the County. The funding also will be used to train and educate parents, adults, teachers and others working with children and youth about the indicators of gang involvement to enable early intervention and prevention.
The Task Force includes Arlington County Public Schools, the County departments of Parks and Recreation and Human Services, the Police Department and Sheriff's Office the Commonwealth's Attorney and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
"Through soccer tournaments, tattoo removal, curfew checks, presentations to the community and other efforts, our task force is changing kids' lives for the better," said Board Member Walter Tejada.
The initiative supports and complements the regional work of the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force and uses a comprehensive model and strategies that have proven effective in combating the growth and influence of gangs.
Favola spoke after the Board approved receipt of the funding secured by Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th District) for Arlington in the Fiscal Year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
"Prevention, not just gang suppression and law enforcement, is a crucial element of our strategy to combat gangs," Favola said. "Keeping kids from joining gangs in the first place is the right thing to do for our children and reduces the need for future crime prevention and intervention programs."
The grant will help provide mentoring and counseling services to youth and young adults in the County. The funding also will be used to train and educate parents, adults, teachers and others working with children and youth about the indicators of gang involvement to enable early intervention and prevention.
The Task Force includes Arlington County Public Schools, the County departments of Parks and Recreation and Human Services, the Police Department and Sheriff's Office the Commonwealth's Attorney and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
"Through soccer tournaments, tattoo removal, curfew checks, presentations to the community and other efforts, our task force is changing kids' lives for the better," said Board Member Walter Tejada.
The initiative supports and complements the regional work of the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force and uses a comprehensive model and strategies that have proven effective in combating the growth and influence of gangs.
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