Spring Break
Gang activity triggers program funding
Osvaldo Castillo, Ekene Ikeme
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: News
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One million dollars will be put into the City of San Jose's Gang Prevention Task Force program in the upcoming year, said Michelle McGurk, public information officer for San Jose mayor Chuck Reed's office.
"This is in response to the rise in gang activity in San Jose," she said.
Jermaine Thomas, San Jose Police Department press information officer, said San Jose's homicide count is at 31 murder victims in 29 separate cases.
Thomas also said that throughout the month of November, 13 of those cases were gang related, which matches 2006's gang-related murder count in San Jose.
"I think it's sad that the violence has gone up in the city," said Brenda Walker, a graduate student in kinesiology, "especially since the most of the victims seem to be really young people."
McGurk said the task force will use the extra finances to employ more officers.
"The city will also be hiring 15 new police officers," McGurk said. "Some of these officers will be deployed into burglary and auto theft units."
According to Mayor Reed's Web site, the gang task force was created in 1991, and the mayor believes it played a key role in making San Jose the "Safest Big City in America" for the past six years until 2007, when San Jose dropped to No. 3.
The task force works with various organizations, such as religious groups and law enforcement, to prevent San Jose's youth from getting involved in gang activity, according to the Web site.
Students from the SJSU College of Social Work are working as mentors with California Youth Outreach, an organization that works with San Jose's youth to prevent gang-related activity, said Katie Galvin, field education director for the department.
Roberto Martinez, an SJSU graduate who is working on a master's degree in social work, is an intern at the community organization.
The organization is part of the Gang Prevention Task Force.
"The organization works with students whose lives are directly impacted by gangs," he said, "whether the gangs affect their lives at the family level or at the community level."
"This is in response to the rise in gang activity in San Jose," she said.
Jermaine Thomas, San Jose Police Department press information officer, said San Jose's homicide count is at 31 murder victims in 29 separate cases.
Thomas also said that throughout the month of November, 13 of those cases were gang related, which matches 2006's gang-related murder count in San Jose.
"I think it's sad that the violence has gone up in the city," said Brenda Walker, a graduate student in kinesiology, "especially since the most of the victims seem to be really young people."
McGurk said the task force will use the extra finances to employ more officers.
"The city will also be hiring 15 new police officers," McGurk said. "Some of these officers will be deployed into burglary and auto theft units."
According to Mayor Reed's Web site, the gang task force was created in 1991, and the mayor believes it played a key role in making San Jose the "Safest Big City in America" for the past six years until 2007, when San Jose dropped to No. 3.
The task force works with various organizations, such as religious groups and law enforcement, to prevent San Jose's youth from getting involved in gang activity, according to the Web site.
Students from the SJSU College of Social Work are working as mentors with California Youth Outreach, an organization that works with San Jose's youth to prevent gang-related activity, said Katie Galvin, field education director for the department.
Roberto Martinez, an SJSU graduate who is working on a master's degree in social work, is an intern at the community organization.
The organization is part of the Gang Prevention Task Force.
"The organization works with students whose lives are directly impacted by gangs," he said, "whether the gangs affect their lives at the family level or at the community level."
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