Mayor Kevin Johnson convened a meeting of his gang task force this morning to discuss the committee's plan to tackle gang violence.
The task force conducted a training series of gang intervention workers from local schools, faith leaders and other community leaders today at the George Sim Community Center.
Johnson's task force released its strategic plan earlier this month. That plan - the result of 18 months worth of research and community input - calls for an emphasis on gang prevention above enforcement.
The task force has coordinated many programs that were already in place in the region. It is focusing on school-based prevention programs, fostering connections between neighborhoods and police officers, job programs and coordination among regional law enforcement agencies.
The mayor launched the task force after two people, including a young mother, were shot to death outside a south Sacramento barbershop in December 2010.
"Youth and gang violence impacts us all," the mayor said in a statement. "It threatens the safety in our neighborhoods, in our schools, and in our homes. It is vital that we collectively join together as a community to address the underlying causes of this issue."
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