Broadcast date: 10/9/2014
Is gang violence a problem on the Central Coast? When residents where asked what their main public safety issues were in the recent ACTION survey, 63% reported gang violence as a top concern. The rate of concern varied drastically based on where people lived, with San Luis Obispo and North Coast residents responding as low as 46%, and North and South County residents as high as 73%. Are these levels of concern valid?
The San Luis Obispo County Anti-Gang Coordinating Commission is leading various efforts to fight gang violence using prevention, intervention, suppression and successful re-entry strategies and was formed in response to growing concerns as a way to avert threats. One of its main priorities is to reduce the obstacles former gang members may face when re-entrying their communities. Although the California state recidivism rate is 68%, local programs have a success rate as low as 1%.
What is being done locally to keep our communities safe from gang and teen violence? And, what can we do as a community to help reduce the magnitude, frequency and violence of gang activity on the Central Coast?
Host Fred Munroe is joined by guests Marci Powers, Coordinator of the San Luis Obispo County Anti-Gang Coordinating Commission and Janet Allenspach, Program Coordinator with CAPSLO’s Liberty Tattoo Removal Program to discuss gang prevention and the 4th Annual SLO Gang Conference.
Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX.
