OLYMPIA—During the 2011 interim, Rep. Luis Moscoso (D-Mountlake Terrace) met with families, law enforcement officers, representatives from cities and counties throughout the state, educators, behavioral-health professionals, and fellow legislators to address the issue of criminal street gangs and how to prevent youth from falling into their traps.
As a result of those meetings, Moscoso and other lawmakers have introduced measures this year to curtail the criminal gangs’ growing problem in Washington state.
Moscoso’s House Bill 2432, would promote local intervention and prevention programs to reducing gang violence through the creation of the Criminal Street Gang Prevention and Intervention Grant Program Account. The legislation is scheduled for a public hearing this Thursday, January 19 at 8:00 a.m.
“This problem will not go away on its own. We need to start putting effort, money and the collective resources of communities and local law enforcement into strategies that actually work,” Moscoso said. “I can’t stress enough how important it is that we focus on preventing our kids from getting into violent gang activity in the first place. My bill will do just that by creating and increasing opportunities available to youth to keep them off the streets.”
WHAT: House Bill 2432 public hearing
WHEN: Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 8:00 a.m.
WHERE: House Committee on Early Learning & Human Services, House Hearing Room D, John L. O’Brien Building, Olympia, WA.