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Countywide : State to Keep Closer Tabs on Gang Members

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The county’s chief probation officer on Thursday announced the start of a state-funded program to supervise gang members on probation.

Michael Schumacher, head of the county Probation Department, said the $198,000 program would be funded with a grant from the state Office of Criminal Justice Planning. He said initially 120 gang members from Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Westminster would be involved.

Three probation officers will work with the gang members, who will be required to meet with the officers once a week, Schumacher said.

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Probation officer Tom Wright will supervise the program. He said the three probation officers working with the gang members will be assigned no more than 50 cases. Most probation officers now monitor more than 90 cases each.

The probation officers will ride with police officers to check places gangs frequent and will have periodic visits with the youths’ parents and teachers, Wright said.

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