The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About1991-11-26 - AGENDA REPORTS - GANG PREVENTION (2)UNFINISHED_BUSINESS AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented'by: Ken Pulskamo e DATE:- - November 26, 1991 SUBJECT: Gang Prevention U DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Offic4,,, /7 0 BACKGROUND: V - On January 15, 1991, Sheriff Sherman Block hosted a Community Gang Workshop in Carson, California. Several Santa Clarita community members attended, including Councilmember Heidt, Captain Spierer, school representatives and City staff. It was a two day conference that provided regional assessment of gang activity and described the various stages of gang involvement. It also described the responses made by several communities and agencies to gangs. It concluded with each community developing an action plan. As a method of following up on this conference, members of the Santa Clarita contingent created a local task force to deal with gang presence in Santa Clarita. It was generally agreed that the gang situation in Santa Clarita is now minimal, but that it is wise to act at this point.to have gang prevention, rather than wait until the problem is of the magnitude experienced by other communities in the County. One of the sub -committees of the task force was created to deal with Parks and Recreation and employment activities. This sub -committee developed- an. eleven point program: 1. Develop a summer sports program with programs, such as boxing, designed to serve at -risk youth ($80,000). 2. Encourage a private recreation facility to be located in Santa Clarita. 3. Use's reformed gang -member to make presentations at various schools. 4. Establish an employment workshop in conjunction with the Chambers of Commerce ($23,000). 0 5. Participate in the summer youth employment program. 6. Develop a program to teach youth about different types of jobs. 7. Orchestrate a community walk with the theme of "Just Say No to Gangs .and Drugs" ($20,000). 8. Provide inexpensive trips to the beach on the parkmobile for at -risk youth ($3,500). — — - — -- 1 9. Conduct a running camp for ah%j;outh.. �1�11g�U�n Ageralfem�=� - - -- �3 U Page 2 10. Provide advertising for the youth employment program through the service center. 11. Have a football clinic established in the East Newhall area in October. ' The budget to accomplish all of these activities would be in excess of $130,000. This is a relatively minor amount of money when compared to the amounts that communities have to spend once gangs have been established in their areas. Certainly Ben Franklin's line "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" comes to mind. Most of the action .items could be accomplished this year. The one exception, however, is the boxing program, which would cost approximately $80,000. This money would be considered with next year's budget, along with other competing recreation programs. It is thought that the balance of this program could be accomplished this fiscal year with $50,000. Most of this money would go to two specific areas: 1. A program to employ youth would start in June. It, would take an intern approximately $10,000 worth of wages to establish and administer a program whereby 18 at -risk youth would have jobs found for them in the private sector. They would receive $5.00 an hour, of which the .City would pay $3.00, and the employer would pay $2.00, for 12 weeks at 20 hours/week. This would cost $13,000. 2. The other item that would require additional appropriations would be a community walk. This would be held sometime in late May and would cost approximately $20,000. This would be used as a means of educating the community and rallying the citizenry at this point to ensure that gangs never come to Santa Clarita. The parenting sub -committee of the task force, chaired by Jan Heidt, has also developed an action plan which includes the following: - Hold Public Forums - Participate in Santa Clarita Valley Child Care Symposium -.Participate in Women's Conference - Conduct a Parenting Fair - Conduct Parenting Workshop The Parenting Fair and the Parenting Workshop (described in Attachment 1 and 2) are the two components that could realistically be completed this fiscal year. These two functions and part-time staff to orchestrate these activities would cost.$27,000. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that City Council direct staff to: 1) Transfer $77,000 from the. Council contingency to the Parks and Recreation department for gang prevention: 2) Look for financing from outside sources as away to offset the General Fund amount of this program. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Description of Parenting Fair and Parenting Workshop 2. Council Contingency Update KRP:jjm 645 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA I N T E R O F F I C E M E M O R A N D U M TO: Sheriff's Gang Task Force FROM: Parenting Sub -committee - Chair: Jan Heidt . DATE: September 10, 1991 SUBJECT: Parenting Sub -committee -Report Goals and Objectives a Coal The goal of the parenting sub -committee is to assess and identify current parenting concerns and needs in the Santa Clarita Valley, and to facilitate and implement programs and solutions designed to address the common, shares needs of the community. Obiectives After careful. consideration, the Parenting Committee recommends the following programs designed to initiate a pro -active approach to development of parenting skills and gang prevention in the Santa Clarita Valley. 1) Parenting Forums and Workshop - (See Attachment 1 - Time Line) 2) Parenting Fair - (See Attachment 2) 3) Data Base Information Center Current Research Projects include: 1) A collaborative effort between the City, and the library to establish a data base system for parents to access information regarding available educational materials, literature, and programs in the Santa Clarita Valley on parenting skills. ($20,000) 2) Inquiry is being made into the possibility of using a consultant specializing in parenting skill -building, to facilitate targeted programs. 3) Development of a comprehensive list of current and projected parenting programs, classes, and workshops offered community -vide in the Santa Clarita Valley. Attachment 1 Parenting Forums and Workshops Through the use of the consulting firm, the committee will hold 2-3 public forums designed to. hear the concerns, needs, and fears of parents regarding gangs, family dynamics, education, and parenting skills. The consultant will use .the compiled information to plan corresponding :workshops. addressing those expressed issues, and share practical tools to achieve solutions ($10,000.00). DRAFT TIME LINE November - January Public Forums February Participation in Santa Clarita Valley Child Care Symposium (City of Santa Clarita) March Participation in Women's Conference (COC) April Parenting Fair - ($5,000) May - June Parenting Workshops - ($3,000 Consultants) (Part Time Staff or Intern $9,000) Attachment 2 Parenting Fair The Parenting Fair would be open to all parents, families, and care givers in the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities.. The Fair will be designed to incorporate all aspects of parenting skills, for all ages ofchildren, with an aggressive approach to parenting, prenatal preparation, education, and gang awareness. Suggested participants include: Head Start Foster Care Adoption United Way CCRC Migrant Education School District Representation Special Children's Center County Service Center Library WIC Program Learning Post Golden Oak School Family Day Care Association ChildCareCoalition Child Development Association Church Day Care Association Boys and Girls Club YMCA American Red Cross City Child Care Coordinator Parkmobile City Teen Program Probation Department Sheriff's Department S.A.N.E. Fire Department Tough Love Alanon-Alateen, etc. The Fair would include a vendor area with children's. book stores, Lakeshore Company, various play equipment companies. (COC) local educational supply businesses, and Childcraft,Company, as well as Food would be provided by local service groups such as the Rotary, Kiwanis, in addition to certain special groups such as high school -teams, PTAs, church youth groups, etc. Entertainment would lend a "family atmosphere" to the event and would be provided by various children's performing groups. Well-known TV, radio, or sports personalities would also be invited to enhance the "draw" of the activity. REPRESENTATION OF 1991-92 . CONTINGENCY ACCOUNT REMAINING . DEPARTMENT DATE ITEM AMOUNT TO ACCOUNT, CONTINGENCY - $1,500,000 Public Works 6/26 Pride Week 20,000 01-6600-101 $1,480,000 City Manager 6/26 Water Study 60,000 01-4100-230 $1,420,000 City Council 6/26 Film Liaison 30,000 01-4000-232 $1,390,000 Comm. Dev. 10/8 Soledad Cyn 350,000 25- *$1;040,000 Road Parks Admin. 11/12 Gang 77,000 01-9000-227 963,000 Prevention TOTAL CONTINGENCY REMAINING 11/12/91 $ 963,000 * Soledad Cyn at S.0 Bridge account will reimburse contingency.vith .. - proceeds of bonds.