Van Hollen Joins With Others to Secure Funding for Anti-Gang Initiatives in the Washington-Metropolitan Area

Van Hollen Joins With Others to Secure Funding for Anti-Gang Initiatives in the Washington-Metropolitan Area

Washington, D.C. - In an ongoing effort to help law enforcement officials deal with the growing level of gang violence in the Washington metropolitan region, United States Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced today that the federal government will provide $2,375,000 for the Montgomery and Prince George's Counties Joint Gang Suppression and Prevention Initiative (also known as the Maryland Regional Gang Initiative). The funding was included in the FY 2006 Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations bill (H.R. 2862), which passed the House yesterday on a vote of 397 to 19. Van Hollen worked with Congressman Frank R. Wolf (R-VA), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and others in the regional Congressional delegation to ensure that this important funding was included in the legislation.

Earlier this year, Van Hollen organized a meeting with Congressman Frank Wolf's office and key officials from Montgomery and Prince George's Counties to discuss federal support for Maryland's Regional Gang Initiative. The meeting was attended by senior officials from both counties including Tom Manger, Montgomery County Police Chief; Carolyn Colvin, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services; James Dula, Director of the Prince George's County Department of Health and Human Services; and Michael Herman, Chief of Staff to Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson.

"This is great news for our area," said Van Hollen. "I am proud to have fought for this funding, which will help the people of Montgomery and Prince George's Counties fight the growing problem of gang violence and teach young people that gang life is not the road to success, but rather the path to prison. It is important that we provide our law enforcement officials, our teachers, and our community leaders with the support they need as they work to keep our youth safe from gangs and teach them the long-term consequences of joining a gang. I thank Senator Mikulski, Congressman Wolf, and others in the regional delegation for their leadership on confronting the issue of gang violence throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region."

This anti-gang violence initiative is the product of a Joint County Gang Prevention Task Force established last year. Centralized anti-gang units will be established within each county's police force, pursuing a zero-tolerance policy for gang violence. A cross jurisdictional community-based program, serving youth and families, would be created to provide gang prevention education, mentoring, outreach services, as well as a full placement. Critical after-school programs would be funded for areas where there is a high incidence of gang activity.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/md08_vanhollen/Anti_Gang_Initiative.html