NCJ Number
136973
Date Published
1992
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The Portland, Oregon area has seen a dramatic increase in gang membership and gang-related incidents. Several local organizations have pulled together to develop strategies that will reduce gang recruitment and violence.
Abstract
Law enforcement efforts have centered on the development of police interdiction teams, including the Oregon State Police's State Gang Strike Force, the Portland Police Bureau's Gang Enforcement Team, and the Portland Public School Police's Rapid Action Team. Prosecution efforts of the State Attorney General's office and the Multnomah County District Attorney's office have resulted in a gang prosecution unit that targets high-profile drug and street gang members for Federal prosecution. Portland's public schools have developed a core curriculum that focuses on gang awareness, and a school violence prevention program that focuses on youth in danger of suspension and expulsion from the school system. In addition, there has been an increase in the efforts of several community-based organizations to meet youth needs. Multnomah County's Juvenile Justice Division has initiated a balanced approach case management process that focuses on providing skills development to juveniles, holding youth accountable, and ensuring community protection. The county's Gang Resource and Intervention Team (GRIT) consists of a Juvenile Court counselor/supervisor, nine Juvenile Court counselors, two intervention specialists, and one program coordinator. The county also operates the Assessment Intervention Transition Program, a 20-bed detention-based treatment program. Other programs dealing with gang problems and issues include GRIT expansion, the House of Umoja program of residential programming for high-risk males between 15 and 18 years, the Street Law educational program, the Early Service and Intervention program, the Detention Alternative program, the Genesis program, and the Gang Influenced Female Team program.