Countywide : Anti-Gang Alliance to Hold 1st Meeting

The first meeting of the Orange County Gang Prevention Alliance, which will educate grass-roots anti-gang organizations countywide, is scheduled Monday at the Garden Grove Community Center.

More than 100 community groups have been invited to attend the workshop that county organizers hope will bring together citizen efforts to curb the rise of Orange County gangs, Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder said.

“This is a call to action, a way to empower the community and set a climate,” Wieder said. “It’s about leadership and assuring the residents of this county that we are people who care enough to address this problem and seek their help too.”

Presentations by police and education officials will tell the citizen groups about government anti-gang efforts, and there will be group discussions about what strategies work to combat drugs, organizers said.

Another priority will be canvassing participants for opinions and suggestions about the format and content of the upcoming Gang Alliance Summit, tentatively scheduled for Nov. 30 in Anaheim.

Elected officials, police, educators, clergy, civic leaders, the business community and all interested citizens will be invited to the summit.

Groups participating in the workshop Monday can be included in future editions of the Orange County Anti-Gang Resource Directory and on the resource list referred by the countywide gang activity hot line, (800) NO-GANGS, or (800) 664-2647.

Citizen-led anti-gang groups interested in attending Monday’s 11 a.m. workshop at the community center, 11300 Stanford Ave. in Garden Grove, should register with the Orange County Probation Department, (714) 569-2049.

To get more detailed information about the event, call Pamela St. Pierre in Wieder’s office at (714) 834-3220.