City Gets Grant To Fight Gangs

The city of Spokane will receive nearly $500,000 in federal taxpayer money aimed at programs that help children and teenagers stay away from drugs and gangs.

Money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be used to help students and families in three neighborhoods - East Central, Hillyard and West Central.

Steven Magallan, director of Spokane’s Youth Gang Drug Prevention Program Office, said the money is intended for activities that “emphasize the need for family stability, increase neighborhood and school attachment, and provide safe, fun, supervised activities for youth.”

This includes literacy and after-school programs, and the hiring of a youth gang prevention officer, Magallan said.

The money also will be used to study 75 Spokane families, and then help the families develop long-term plans to keep their children away from drugs and gangs.

Just how all the money will be used isn’t known, said Magallan, adding that “We haven’t reached that part of the planning stage.”

Magallan plans to present a detailed report on the city’s youth gang prevention programs to the City Council on Monday.

, DataTimes