fresno elections 2008

For the most part, I support the efforts of the Fresno Police Department to fight the gang problem. Their aggressive round ups of Bulldog and other gang members not only keeps our streets safe but it saves lives. It also gives some gang member a chance to get out of the gang. With approximately 7,000 known gang members in Fresno we must be vigilant in our efforts to contain these gangs. We also have a major population of ex-felons that continues to grow as a state prison system sends them back into our community. I also support the angle bracelet tracking of gang members and other criminals.

As a firm supporter of law enforcement efforts to tackle gang problems I also realize that there is another approach to resolving the gang problem. Successful intervention at an early age can prevent some youth from ever getting into gangs. It is estimated that it costs about $1 million to process a young offender through our criminal justice system. From a pure economic viewpoint, a successful youth program that costs $100,000 would certainly be a bargain if it successfully keeps kids out of gangs.

There is a clear a nexus between the problems at Fresno Unified and problems of crime and unemployment in Fresno. The city recreation department has implemented some innovative after school programs in collaboration with Fresno Unified. I have seen a presentation of these programs and I am very impressed. The city must support and collaborate with Fresno Unified to try to keep kids in school and out of gangs. I am a strong advocate of vocational training in our primary school systems. There are many kids who could have successful careers in trades such as plumbing, auto mechanics, carpentry and other trades but they have no formal training in their schools. We need to offer incentives to keep kids in school. I am also a strong advocate of mentoring programs for our youth as exemplified by the program developed by the Fresno Business Council.