Anaheim Names Coordinator of Citywide Project to Fight Gangs

Responding to community demands for leadership in the city’s defense against gangs and drugs, the City Council on Tuesday approved the appointment of a city parks executive to coordinate law enforcement and community efforts designed to combat gangs.

In a unanimous vote, the council named Steven E. Swaim to the newly created position in the city manager’s office.

“What people are demanding is participation,” Swaim said Tuesday. “We want to empower the people.”

Police Chief Joseph T. Molloy called Swaim’s appointment an “important position” in the city’s overall gang strategy. Molloy said the council’s action had evolved from a series of community meetings in which residents had asked for government leadership.

Swaim has worked in the city’s Parks and Recreation Department for 13 years and has been involved in outreach programs targeting gang members and drug abusers.

“Anaheim is now the only city in Orange County that has a comprehensive strategy in this area,” he said. “We have come a long way.”

There is at least $1 million available to Swaim for a strategy that at one time called for a $6-million allocation from the city. About $920,000 of the program’s annual budget will come from the city’s recently increased hotel tax.

The city’s anti-gang strategy includes identifying areas in which gangs are a problem and compiling a list of city services to deal with drug abusers and provide counseling for those who might be involved in gangs.

Swaim said that while there are limited city funds available for his program, he said he will depend on local churches and community groups to play an active role in reaching out to gang members.