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S.J.R. 21

             1     

JOINT RESOLUTION ON COMBATING AND

             2     
REDUCING GANG ACTIVITY

             3     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Luz Robles

             6     
House Sponsor: Ryan D. Wilcox

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This joint resolution of the Legislature urges state and local governments to work
             11      together to reduce gang activity.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This resolution:
             14          .    urges state and local governments to take a comprehensive, collaborative, and
             15      communitywide approach to combat and reduce gang activity.
             16      Special Clauses:
             17          None
             18     
             19      Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             20          WHEREAS, the limitless potential of children, youth, and adults is jeopardized when
             21      they fall prey to gang recruitment and intimidation;
             22          WHEREAS, gang activity jeopardizes the civil rights, safety, and well-being of all
             23      members of the community, whether individuals are associated with gangs or not;
             24          WHEREAS, gangs become chronic and serious problems in communities where key
             25      organizations are inadequately integrated and sufficient resources are not available to target
             26      gang-involved youth;
             27          WHEREAS, gang activity should be understood as a complex socioeconomic


             28      phenomena that requires political and educational approaches as well as cultural awareness,
             29      appropriate prevention and intervention, family and community wellness, and gang specialist
             30      and police intervention strategies;
             31          WHEREAS, the most effective way to address gang violence is through a
             32      comprehensive, collaborative, and communitywide approach;
             33          WHEREAS, gang activity can be reduced in targeted neighborhoods by incorporating a
             34      broad spectrum of research-based interventions to address the range of personal, family, and
             35      community factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency and gang activity;
             36          WHEREAS, four key concepts for gang prevention and intervention are identifying the
             37      needs at the individual, family, and community level and address those needs with a
             38      coordinated, comprehensive response; conducting an inventory of human and financial
             39      resources in the community and creating plans to fill in gaps in services and leverage existing
             40      resources to support effective gang reduction strategies; applying research-based programs
             41      across appropriate age ranges, risk factor categories, and agency boundaries; and encouraging
             42      coordination and integration of resources at the local, state, and federal levels;
             43          WHEREAS, the goal of primary prevention is to focus on the entire population in
             44      high-crime, high-risk communities;
             45          WHEREAS, the goal of intervention is to focus on active gang members and their close
             46      associates to provide a combination of services and opportunities, while holding these groups
             47      accountable for their actions;
             48          WHEREAS, the goal of suppression is to focus on gang leaders by undertaking
             49      aggressive prosecution efforts; and
             50          WHEREAS, local, state, and federal resources should be integrated to incorporate
             51      state-of-the-art practices in prevention, intervention, and suppression to enhance pro-social
             52      influences in the community:
             53          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
             54      strongly urges state and local government agencies, through a comprehensive, collaborative,
             55      and communitywide approach, work to reduce gang activity in targeted neighborhoods by
             56      incorporating a broad spectrum of research-based interventions to address the range of
             57      personal, family, cultural, and community factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency and
             58      gang activity.


             59          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges communities, civil rights
             60      groups, media, elected officials, gang prevention specialists, educational, cultural, and law
             61      enforcement organizations, the community, and active gang members to work toward
             62      mediating conflict and suppressing gang violence.
             63          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature expresses support for sports, arts,
             64      academic, targeted counseling, and employment programs as a means to enhance the future of
             65      the community and counter gang recruitment.
             66          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah League
             67      of Cities and Towns, the Utah Association of Counties, the Utah Department of Public Safety,
             68      the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, the Utah State Office of Education,
             69      and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-12-09 9:07 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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