$250,000 To Be Used To Fight Gang Crime | News

WATSONVILLE, Calif. -- $250,000 To Be Used To Fight Gang Crime. The grant came from the California Emergency Management Agency. Watsonville Police received the grant to fight gang activity in neighborhoods.

Police are going to be focusing on neighborhoods like Carey and Landis Avenue because police say those areas see more crime. Central Coast News talked with neighbors who say it's not the neighborhood that's dangerous, but the gang members that frequently drive through. Now the 2 year $250,000 Valor Gang Prevention Program will have more patrols and intervention programs on the streets.

Police are also partnering up with the Pajaro Unified School District and Santa Cruz Gang Task Force to create more gang intervention programs to keep kids away from gangs. Neighbors we spoke with said they were surprised their area was targeted. "From what I see I don't think that its very dangerous. We just have a lot of kids running around and playing and cops patrolling," said a Landis Avenue neighbor.  

The grant money shared with the Santa Cruz Gang Task Force is also focusing on areas in Watsonville that have seen crime recently and have known gang members.