OXNARD : Police Get Grant for Anti-Gang Program
The Oxnard Police Department has received a $99,000 federal grant to implement a gang prevention program that serves as a model for other programs throughout the country.
Oxnard has participated in the program since 1983. The grant would fund program costs from February to Sept. 30.
Under the program, the Police Department would design and test procedures for improving information-sharing on gangs between police and the county corrections department.
It would also establish procedures to help convicts return to their communities, and develop manuals and training procedures for other police departments.
The grant will also enable the Police Department to study patterns of gang activity, develop a database to study gangs, and come up with precise definitions of what is a gang, a gang member and a gang-related crime, said Oxnard Police Chief Robert P. Owens.
“For us, it’s a source of pride that our department has been chosen as a model for the entire country,” said department crime analyst David Keith.
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