ANAHEIM : Anti-Gang Service Will Be Continued
The city has agreed to continue paying for gang-suppression services from the county Probation Department.
The program combines efforts by the county, the Anaheim Police Department and local schools to supervise known gang members who are on probation, steer at-risk youths away from joining gangs and raise community awareness about the dangers of gang activity.
Anaheim has been receiving gang-suppression services from the Probation Department since 1992. An agreement approved by the City Council last week extends the program through June, 1996, at a cost of $81,650. The money will come from the city’s narcotics asset forfeiture fund.
Police Chief Randall Gaston credits the program with helping to bring about a “dramatic decrease” in the city’s gang-related crimes, which he said are down 23% from last year.
Gaston also attributed the drop to coordination between the city and the district attorney’s office and the city’s decision in mid-1994 to increase the number of police officers in the gang detail from eight to 12.
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