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EDITORIAL: State now recognizing extent of gang issue

Yakima Herald-Republic - 10/15/2017

Oct. 15--Historically, the Yakima Valley has struggled to get officials at the state level to recognize that gang violence is not just localized to Central Washington hot spots and is a statewide problem. So it is welcome news that a number of state-level entities are collaborating to put on a summit on the issue, with the Yakima Valley's concerns at the forefront.

Gov. Jay Inslee came to town late on Oct. 5 to meet with a range of people who are working to stem the gang-violence scourge. Among them were more than 100 government and law-enforcement officials, along with representatives of local nonprofits and area schools. The meeting was part of a run-up to a Nov. 1 Tacoma summit that will focus on the issue; the governor's office says experts from around the country will bring information about best practices for confronting the problem.

What they heard from Yakima is that more resources are needed -- not just for suppression, but also for prevention and intervention. There also needs to be cooperation among police, schools and those nonprofits that offer youth activities.

State officials heard about past effective efforts that have been suspended or discontinued. Yakima Police Chief Dominic Rizzi pointed to a Washington State Patrol task force that at one time helped local law enforcement but does so no longer. Yakima City Councilwoman Dulce Gutierrez talked of a $50,000 city outlay for summer youth programs, but she added that funding for such efforts is not reliable.

A senior policy adviser for Inslee noted the problem of consistent funding, along with a lack of data about which strategies work; she said the Tacoma summit will address how to collect gang-violence statistics when resources are scarce. Joining the governor's office in hosting the summit will be the state attorney general's office, the Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice, the state Department of Commerce, the Washington State Association of Counties, the Association of Washington Cities and the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs -- a solid indication that several levels of government are taking the problem seriously.

The governor's visit wasn't the only activity on the issue earlier this month. Two days after Inslee's stop, the Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, founder of nationally renowned Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, spoke to a group that included elected and law enforcement officials, along with area residents. Boyle's Homeboy Industries is a gang intervention and rehabilitation program; in his address, he spoke of the importance of prevention along with intervention and suppression.

After a streak of gang-related shootings earlier this year, the Yakima Police Department ramped up enforcement that has cooled the violence for now. But the problem still simmers, and the suppression efforts must come with intervention and prevention in order to turn down the heat and reach a long-term solution. It's promising that the Yakima Valley can look to the state for some guidance on reaching that end.

--Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Bob Crider and Frank Purdy.

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