A new Santa Barbara County Grand jury report says efforts to deal with a spike in gang activity on parts of the Central Coast aren’t taking a regional approach to the issue.
The report commends the City of Santa Maria for establishing a task force on youth safety, but says its effectiveness could be limited by its stated intention to limit its support to youth oriented agencies in the city limits. The Grand Jury says a successful effort needs to reach out to surrounding communities, and agencies. It also calls on the city to cooperate with Santa Barbara County.
There’s been a spike in gang activity in the Santa Maria Valley in recent years, but the report charges that the city has been slow in moving to address the issue. Santa Maria Police have said the problem is one the city can’t solve by arrests alone, and needs to tackle concerns like helping at-risk youth.
The report says the effort needs to do a better job of involving at-risk families in the planning efforts.
