Pomona community group targets pulling youths away from gangs, drugs

POMONA - A community group has begun preparing to focus their efforts on drawing young people away from unhealthy lifestyles and putting them on a path leading to productive lives.

The first step to carrying out their mission involved an all-day training session with a member of the National Gang Center to learn about an approach to working with teens and young adults who are already involved in things such as gangs and drugs.

City residents, educators, law enforcement, clergy, representatives of social service agencies, non-profits and members of the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan Community Board were among those who gathered at the Pomona Valley Mining Company late last week to learn about the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Comprehensive Gang Model.

"Gang violence is a complex issue and requires a comprehensive solution," said Community Board member Bernardo Rosa.

Rosa said he's been following how cities have used the federal model since 1994 and has observed the impact it can have on a neighborhood, he said.

"I've been watching it galvanize a community," Rosa said.

Among the components of the model is creating teams made up of educators, law enforcement, parole, social services, and outreach workers who together concentrate on providing services ranging from job training to substance abuse counseling to young people.

Before the model can be implemented crime data must be collected to identify crime problems connected to gang activity, said Michelle Arciaga, senior research associate with the National Gang Center, which works with the federal government to teach communities to use the model.

Gathering the data is critical because it will show where the greatest need within the city exists providing a starting point for the model's implementation, she said.

Arciaga said Pomona is better prepared tha some who seek to use this model.

"They are way ahead of some cities" that trained under this model, Arciaga said. "That's huge because (the city) is much more organized."

What has given Pomona that head start is the work leading up to and following the creation of the Youth and Family Master Plan, Arciaga and others said.

The master plan is a strategy designed to create a healthier environment for youth and families where young people can reach their potential.

"The Youth and Family Master Plan is the foundation...It irrigated the field," Rosa said.

After listening to Arciaga's presentation some attendees said the federal model can have a significant impact in Pomona.

Pomona Police Chief Dave Keetle said such a model can work as a piece in a three part approach to addressing some of the city's crime problems.

Prevention and suppression are the two other elements that complete the picture and must not be forgotten, he said.

"This can work but it can be one of the three pillars of an overall plan," Keetle said. "We need to work on all three pieces together to have a long term effect."

Community board member Nancy Matarrita said Pomona must start collecting data to use in identifying a part of the city where efforts can begin. Once that's done grants can be sought and written agreements developed with those who will be part of the teams working with future clients.

Pomona Unified School District's Interim Superintendent Richard Martinez also believes this is an approach that can help teens and young adult who are taking part in risky behavior.

Martinez said such approaches have been used and worked in other parts of Los Angeles County.

One important ingredient is the use of outreach workers who have direct contact with young people they work with and makes sure the youths are using the services they need.

Jobs are another critical piece of the formula that requires working with businesses to make sure young people pulled away for gangs and violence don't go back to that life, Martinez said.

A concern Martinez has about implementing the model is funding.

City Manager Linda Lowry said during the training session the city can serve as the lead agency if the decision to move forward with the model is made. As the lead agency it would seek grants and help from county and federal elected officials to secure funds for some parts of the model.

Using the federal model would fill a gap that is not being addressed now in dealing with certain types of negative behavior such as gangs, Martinez said.

"We have a lot of programs that deal with prevention but this fills the gap in intervention," he said.