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Opinion Preventing Youth Gang Activity “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now” B ernie F oster Founder/Publisher B oBBie D ore F oster Executive Editor J erry F oster Advertising Manager C hristen M C C urDy News Editor P atriCia i rvin Graphic Designer a rashi y oung D onovan M. s Mith Reporters M oniCa J. F oster Seattle Office Coordinator J ulie K eeFe s usan F rieD Photographers 2015 MERIT AWARDS WINNER The Skanner has received 20 NNPA awards since 1998 The Skanner Newspaper, es- tablished in October 1975, is a weekly publication, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc. 415 N. Killingsworth St. P.O. Box 5455 Portland, OR 97228 Telephone (503) 285-5555 Fax: (503) 285-2900 By Representative Eric Pettigrew and Senator Joe Fain C riminal street gangs are a serious burden in Central and South King County. Gang violence is not a new phe- nomenon and needs to be ad- dressed. The most fertile ground for the spread of gangs is the hearts and minds of our youth. At a young age, our most vulnerable children are making decisions that could lead them to a lifetime of violence and criminal behavior. In order to address the problem, we must look to prevention and early interventions. Gangs recruit using the need for belonging and guidance, thriving on a lack of social structure and support in children’s lives. They give young men and women a sense of identity and a feeling of power, however false it may be. Research shows the most vul- nerable children are from com- munities of color, in high poverty areas, and surrounded by violence or substance abuse. The symptoms of gang activity are crime, but the illness is social and must be cured as a community. A diverse coalition of state, city, law enforcement and local lead- ers came together around a plan of action to make prevention and early intervention a priority in this year’s budget. With their support and guidance we secured $1 mil- lion for gang intervention targeted at vulnerable youth, garnering the backing needed in the House and Senate to make it a reality. This investment builds on work that started in 2012 to provide gang intervention grant funding to organizations with a success- ful and proven record of strik- ing at the roots of gang activity. Street outreach workers who do the difficult work of intervention need reliable funding to maintain a sustained effort to combat the growth in gang activity. Grant ap- plications for these services have soared across the state, exceeding the amount of available funding and leaving some communities without any meaningful support. There are more than 12,000 documented gang members in King County alone with ongoing gang activity in Yakima, Tacoma/ Pierce County, Spokane, Sno- homish County, and southwest Washington. The continuing in- vestments we make this year are targeted to cut off the supply of young people being drawn into the gangs through proven intervention and outreach. Research by the Washington Institute for Public Policy shows Washington Representative Eric Pettigrew Washington Senator Joe Fain caped from gangs themselves, the program meets youth where they are at and builds a positive social structure for them to find their way to success. With the support of South King County police agencies, including Kent and Renton, and a $200,000 Those are the kind of results we need. Once a child is absorbed into gang culture there is a huge social cost that extends well beyond that individual: lost instructional time, medical care, and incarceration costs add up quickly. A dollar spent keeping a child out of a gang is many dollars gained in reduced crime, healthier families and more successful stu- dents. More important than cost sav- ings is the immeasurable benefit that both society and the individ- ual receives from ending violence and strengthening families. The end of gangs begins with the rescue and protection of vul- nerable youth. By focusing on curing the illness of gang activity we have a chance to stop its spread and give youth the hope and future they deserve. And that is worth ev- ery penny. Once a child is absorbed into gang culture, there is a huge social cost that extends well beyond that individual that “youth who spend their free- time in pro-social and constructive activities are at lesser risk of vio- lence.” The model for success in these efforts is the Alive and Free pro- gram operated by the YMCA of Greater Seattle. Based on a suc- cessful program transported from Los Angeles by Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Alive and Free pur- sues the hearts and minds of youth and empowers them to take con- trol of their individual destinies. By employing street outreach workers, many of whom have es- investment from the state, Alive and Free has been working with as many as 85 youth a month to steer them towards positive social experiences and away from gangs. In South King County they serve children as young as 12 and up to 18 years old, three-quarters of which already have gang affilia- tion. Over half are failing one or more classes at school and have prior involvement in the juvenile justice system. Alive and Free boasts a 92 per- cent graduation rate among the young people they have served. Representative Eric Pettigrew represents Seattle and serves as the House Democratic Caucus Chair. Senator Joe Fain rep- resents South King County and serves on the board for Auburn Youth Resources. E-mail: info@theskanner.com www.TheSkanner.com The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Association and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicit- ed. © 2015 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE- SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. To view The Skanner website on your mobile device, scan this QR code • Local news • Opinions • Jobs, Bids • Sports • Entertainment • Music reviews • Bulletin board • RSS feeds Oregon Secretary of State Honors 50th Anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act O regon Secretary of State Jeanne P. Atkins invites Oregonians to join her in commemorating today as the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965. The Act outlawed discriminato- ry voting practices, such as litera- cy tests and poll taxes, which were adopted after the Civil War to pre- vent African-Americans from reg- istering and exercising their right to vote. It also established new legal pro- tections for minority voters at the polls. “At a time when politicians in many states around the country are acting to suppress the voting rights of minorities, youth and the disadvantaged, Oregon stands out as a beacon of inclusiveness and fairness,” Atkins said. “We are working to make it even easier for Oregonians to become voters and cast their ballots.” Oregon has a long-standing tradition of ensuring voting is ac- Page 2 August 12, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner cessible, convenient, and secure. In 1998, Oregon led the nation with Vote-by-Mail system for all elections and became the national model for making voting as acces- sible as possible. “Once again we are leading the nation with the Oregon Motor Vot- er Act” Atkins said. “This program will make it eas- ier for every eligible Oregon citi- zen to be registered to vote As it was 50 years ago, and as it firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess my- self. I cannot make up my mind— it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact—I can only submit to the edict of oth- ers.” To learn more about registering to vote and casting a ballot in Ore- gon, visit OregonVotes.gov. The Secretary is Oregon’s chief ‘The fate of our democracy depends on preserving and upholding access to the ballot’ has been since the founding of our nation, “the fate of our democ- racy depends on preserving and upholding access to the ballot,” Atkins said. In the words of Dr. Martin Lu- ther King, “So long as I do not elections officer, auditor and ar- chivist. Additionally, the Secretary of State promotes job growth by streamlinin g the creation and ex- pansion of business, authenticates documents for travel or study Jeanne P. Atkins, Oregon Secretary of State abroad, and offers notary training and listings. Oregon is the only state where the secretary of state is responsi- ble for auditing public spending. In addition, the secretary serves with the governor and treasurer on the Land Board and manages and oversees Oregon’s Common School Fund.
