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To the editor:
Congratulations to Sheriff Geoff Dean, the Sheriff’s Dept., District Attorney, Greg Totten and all of the law enforcement agencies involved in the successful indictment of Ventura County gang members being led by Mexican Mafia prison gangs!
According to Sheriff Dean two of the hard-core gang members arrested were only 16 years old. He also stated that prevention needs to be started in the early stages of youth development. The five centers of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura plus the six other Ventura County Boys & Girls Clubs have dedicated their staffs and programs to year-round prevention with the goal of developing good citizens .
The Ventura Club has been honored for their gang prevention programs at the National Youth Gang Symposium by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Former Justice Steve Perren once commented, “The value of well-supervised facilities for kids and teens…has been firmly documented over the years. There is a very positive family-type atmosphere at the Boys & Girls Club…That’s a key to success in deterring kids from developing a pattern of delinquent behavior.”
The Club programs emphasize changing the lives of the community’s kids (6-18 years old) through: *
- Academic Success – 97% of Club members graduate from high school,
- Good Character & Citizenship emphasizing the development of responsible leadership skills and giving back to the community in positive ways.
- Healthy Lifestyles – 0% Teen Pregnancies.
The above statistics were revealed in an independent California Lutheran University study. It also stated the cost-effectiveness of Club programming: for every $1 of expenditure the Club generates over $16 of positive economic impacts in the community (a 1600% ROI).
Again, applause and appreciation for the dedication of our law enforcement agencies in helping make a safer place to live for Ventura County families and community members. For additional information call: 805-641-5585 or check the website at www.bgclub@gmail.org.
Thank you from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura’s five centers in Ventura, Oak View and Saticoy).
Diane Koranda, CEO,
Board of Directors, Staff and Youth Members