Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces $16.5 Million in Grants to Combat Gang Violence and Provide Job Training for Troubled, At-Risk Youths

As part of an overall strategy to combat gang violence, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the award of $9.2 million in competitive grants to cities and community-based organizations (CBOs) for gang prevention, intervention and enforcement; and $7.3 million in grants to provide job training and education programs targeting youth at risk of joining gangs or seeking to leave them. These grants are part of the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention initiative (CalGRIP). The grants to cities and CBOs are from the State Restitution Fund and the job training and education grants are federal workforce development monies.

"These grants will help reduce gang violence at the street level, improving public safety and assisting anti-gang efforts in many of our communities, while also aiding in efforts to keep our youth on the right track through education and job skill development," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "California's gang problem calls for a comprehensive and coordinated approach around the state, with a focus on intervention, suppression and prevention. We are continually looking at the most effective approaches to reduce the influence of gangs so today's children don't become tomorrow's criminals or victims."

Proposals were received from 46 individual cities and 94 CBOs that requested more than $36 million through a competitive grant process. In accordance with state budget language, the City of Los Angeles received $962,000 through a non-competitive grant.

"Today's announcement is a key step in our plans to support comprehensive local anti-gang efforts," said Paul Seave, director of the Governor's Gang and Youth Violence Policy Office. "I look forward to working with these communities and organizations and many more across the state as our statewide anti-gang efforts continue."

Nearly $6.3 million was made available to all cities (not including Los Angeles) throughout California; a total of 18 cities were selected through the competitive process. The majority of these cities were awarded 80 percent of the amount requested, up to the availability of funds, in order to fund as many cities as possible. Additionally, $2 million was made available to CBOs throughout California to test different approaches designed to reduce gang activities in communities and neighborhoods. Thirteen CBOs were selected and, similar to the award to cities, almost all were awarded 80 percent of the amount requested.

As part of the Governor's overall CalGRIP initiative, the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency's Employment Development Department (EDD) awarded grants to 19 agencies through a competitive solicitation process. Youth aged 14-24 will receive a broad range of services, including mental health services, gang counseling, educational skills for high school graduation or GED, occupational training in business services, biotech areas and green industry apprenticeships.

"These grants will give many at-risk youth alternatives to gang life by teaching them job skills and directing them on a path to financial self-sufficiency," said Victoria Bradshaw, Secretary of California's Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Training will be provided for high-growth occupations such as weatherization, construction, concrete and landscaping, e-waste collections and conservation and energy efficiency education. It's estimated that more than 1,600 clients will benefit from these coordinated services over a 24-month period.

Funding for these programs is drawn from the Governor's 15 percent Discretionary Workforce Investment Act funds under the administrative authority of EDD.

Governor Schwarzenegger introduced the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) initiative in May of 2007 to confront the recent dramatic increase in gangs across the state and their proliferation in suburban and rural areas. There are more than 420,000 gang members statewide. Gangs are responsible for crimes including money laundering, extortion, narcotic production and sales, prostitution, human trafficking, assassinations for hire, theft and counterfeiting. In spite of an overall decrease in crime in most California cities since the 1990s, rates of gang-related violent crime remain steady.

The CalGRIP strategy targets more than $31 million in state and federal funding toward local anti-gang efforts, including intervention, suppression and prevention. This includes $7 million to enhance CHP's support of local law enforcement, and a doubling of funding for witness protection to a total of $6 million.

The Governor's enacted 2007-08 budget invests a total of $547 million in after-school programs and another $208 million in school counselors to give at-risk kids alternatives to gang life.

Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger also signed SB 271 to give prosecutors more tools in the fight against gangs, AB 104 to give city attorneys the tools they need to pursue gang injunctions and two other anti-gang measures to assist cities in curbing the source of income that funds gang activity, SB 706 and AB 924.

Below is the list of grants:

CENTRAL VALLEY $4,321,928

Fresno County $1,510,880

City of Fresno - $400,000
City of Sanger - $400,000
CBO - Fresno County Economic Opportunities Project - $160,000
CBO - Huron Enterprise Community - $150,880
EDD - Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission - $400,000

Kern County

City of Bakersfield - $154,052

Madera County

City of Madera - $400,000

Merced County $494,996

CBO - Merced Boys and Girls Club -- $94,996
EDD - Merced County-- $400,000

Sacramento County $681,583

City of Sacramento -- $281,583
EDD - Sacramento Local Conservation Corp -- $400,000

San Joaquin County

EDD - San Joaquin (Stockton) -- $400,000

Tulare County - $680,417

City of Visalia - $280,417
EDD - Community Services and Employment Training - $400,000
BAY AREA $2,663,637

Alameda County $800,000

City of Oakland - $400,000
EDD - Associated Community Action Program of Alameda County-- $400,000

Contra Costa County $960,000

City of Richmond - $400,000
CBO - Neighborhood House of North Richmond - $160,000
EDD - Richmond City - $400,000

San Francisco

City of San Francisco - $400,000

Santa Clara County

City of Mountain View - $162,000

Sonoma County

EDD - Santa Rosa Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County - $341,637

LOS ANGELES COUNTY $4,699,668

City of Los Angeles - $962,000
City of Long Beach - $400,000
City of Hawthorne - $400,000
CBO - Para Los Ninos - $160,000
CBO - Regional Violence Prevention Coalition -$160,000
CBO- Stop the Violence, Increase the Peace Foundation -- $160,000
CBO - Youth Alive - $160,000
EDD - Centro Community Hispanic Association (Long Beach) - $398,146

EDD - Homeboy Industries -- $400,000

EDD - Jewish Vocational Services (City of Los Angeles) - $300,000
EDD - Los Angeles Works - $399,522
EDD - South Bay Center for Counseling - $400,000
EDD - South Bay Workforce Investment Board (Hawthorne) - $400,000

SOUTHERN COUNTIES

Imperial County $555,294

CBO - WomanHaven (El Centro) - $155,294
EDD - Imperial Valley Regional Occupation - $400,000

Orange County $640,000

City of Anaheim - $400,000
City of Garden Grove - $240,000

San Bernardino County $699,878

City of Victorville - $399,878
EDD - San Bernardino City- $300,000

San Diego County $1,609,788

City of Chula Vista - $335,070
City of San Diego - $400,000
CBO - Horn of Africa Community - $160,000
CBO - North County Lifeline (City of Vista) - $159,030
CBO - Turning the Hearts Center - $160,000
EDD - Metro United Methodist Urban Ministry (City of San Diego) - $395,688

NORTHERN COUNTIES

Monterey County $400,000

City of Salinas - $400,000

Santa Cruz County $530,029

CBO - Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance (Watsonville) - $159,800
EDD - Santa Cruz County - $370,229

Sutter County

EDD - North Central Counties Consortium (5 rural counties) - $400,000