Bay Area Mayors Focus on Gangs at Conference

Mayors from cities including Oakland, Salinas and San Francisco came together in the East Bay Monday to call for a unified front in the battle against gang activity.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee joined San Bernardino Mayor Patrick Morris in signing a "Mayors' Call for Action" at the California Cities Gang Prevention Network being held at the Oakland Marriott City Center on Broadway.

The call for action in part urges local, state and federal governments to develop a clear policy for comprehensive gang violence prevention.

The mayors are also committing to working toward strengthening anti-gang policies and maintaining funding for violence prevention efforts.

The conference, which will run through Tuesday, also included an address from California Attorney General Kamala Harris Monday morning. Harris discussed the state's role in preventing youth gang violence and the state's realignment plan.

Quan moderated a panel discussion with Santa Rosa Mayor Ernesto Olivares and Oxnard Mayor Thomas Holden on "What We're Pursuing, What's Promising and Current Challenges."

The California Cities Gang Prevention Network was created to reduce gang-related violence by sharing information between cities in order to promote best practices.

The network's participating cities are Oakland, Richmond, Salinas, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Fresno, Los Angeles, Oxnard, Sacramento, San Bernardino and San Diego.

- Bay City News

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