IRVINE : Violence Prevention Programs Planned

It’s been a month since the Safe Community Task Force unveiled its ideas for preventing youth violence, and city and school district officials have wasted little time in considering ways of implementing the recommendations.

The city last week earmarked $100,000 to increase the number of youth sports and after-school activities.

And Irvine Unified School District Board of Education members have expressed interest in possibly spending as much as $300,000 in contingency funds to pay for other ideas outlined in the report.

This rapid response is all the more notable because it comes at a time of lean budgets for both the city and school district that have forced millions of dollars in cutbacks.

Task force members attributed the positive reception to the report’s focus on improving school safety and keeping children out of gangs and other “antisocial peer groups.” Both issues have been the subject of much discussion since the city was rocked by an afternoon shooting involving teen-agers late last year.

School board member Greg Smith also credits the swift response to the task force’s decision to keep school board and City Council members informed about its progress throughout the fact-finding process.

“So, as a result, there were no surprises at the end,” said Smith, chairman of the task force. “That allowed us to move quickly on the recommendations. . . . I think we are off to a good start.”

The next step in the process comes July 20, when the school board will examine the report and question task force members.

The report, which was released May 27 during a joint session of the City Council and school board, looks at the factors that might cause youth violence, from an unstable family life and a lack of after-school activities to television and the availability of guns.

Among the more than 50 recommendations is a call for increased campus security at middle schools and high schools. The adoption of conflict-resolution, ethics and multicultural curriculum is also suggested.

“I am looking forward to having an opportunity to ask some questions,” said board member Mary Ellen Hadley. “We have to put a price tag on some of these things. (The meeting) gives us a chance to prioritize” the recommendations.