[Archived] Alexandria City Council Approves City Participation in Regional Gang Task Force Prevention and Intervention Activities

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2005
PIO 053-05/bg

Alexandria City Council Approves City Participation
In Regional Gang Task Force Prevention and Intervention Activities

The Alexandria City Council authorized the City Manager to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will enable the Alexandria Juvenile Court Services Unit to participate in Northern Virginia gang prevention and intervention activities. The agreement, approved at the Feb. 22 Council meeting, will also enable the City to receive more than $50,000 in federal funds in FY 2006 to help pay for the first year of program activities and a City Gang Intervention Coordinator position. The new position will be responsible for coordinating gang intervention, prevention and education efforts of City agencies and community groups, helping to assess the extent of gang activity in the City, evaluating existing programs, and developing an effective way to share gang information among the local youth agencies, schools and the police.

“City of Alexandria Police, Courts and other departments have been working on gang issues and this agreement, and the funding, will enable the City to join forces with other local governments in additional gang intervention and prevention efforts,” said Mayor William D.Euille.

In addition to Alexandria, other jurisdictions participating in the Regional Gang Task Force Prevention and Intervention Coordinating Committee are the City of Falls Church and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun. Court Services Directors in the participating localities will be members of the newly-formed coordinating committee.

Congressman Frank Wolf obtained $3 million in federal funds to assist in comprehensive gang resistance efforts in Northern Virginia. Of the funds earmarked for gang resistence, $500,000 was designated for first year funding of intervention/prevention/education efforts. The funds will be administered by the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force which consists of the chiefs of police from the participating jurisdictions. Alexandria, Arlington and Prince William County will receive federal funds for a Gang Intervention Coordinator position. Fairfax and Loudoun County already have locally funded coordinator positions.