SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : City Joins 2 Others on Gang Prevention
The City Council has unanimously agreed to join the neighboring cities of Dana Point and San Clemente in a tri-cities gang prevention counseling program.
To kick off the program, the council last week appropriated $39,000 for the first year, of which $8,000 will go to leasing office space for its headquarters.
The program is being sponsored by Irvine-based Community Services Programs Inc. Its activities include counseling, educational presentations to students and faculty at school sites and outreach programs.
Councilman Gil Jones said the program can “take away the hopelessness these people have.”
The program “gets right to the core of things,” Jones said. “They set up things like boxing programs, things kids can relate to that will get them out of the back alleys to a place where they can be disciplined. We need to reach these young people and get them going in the right direction.”
City Manager Stephen B. Julian called it a “worthwhile program.”
“We look forward to working with our neighboring cities on this,” Julian said.
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