Montebello : Gang Diversion Task Force Lists Its Recommendations
After seven months of meetings, a group of parents, school, police and city officials has come up with a plan to try to keep Montebello children out of gangs.
The plan includes the creation of support groups for students and their families, a job bank for youths who are at risk of becoming gang members, a hot line for available youth and parenting programs, new youth programs such as boxing, and a more comprehensive graffiti removal program.
The city, together with the Montebello Unified School District, local churches and the Police Department, now offers more than 50 recreational programs for children, and several job training classes. But, said Councilman William Molinari, most of the programs do not target the special needs of children who educators consider susceptible to the lure of gangs.
“What we are looking at here are youngsters who don’t get involved with traditional programs, youngsters who may come from low-income families or broken homes,” Molinari said. “We need to reach out and find ways to draw them in.”
There are five known gangs in Montebello, Police Chief Steve Simonian said.
Molinari said the Gang Diversion Task Force will now begin working on ways to put its recommendations to work.
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