Gang Crime Drops, but Task Force Lives On

While the number of reported gang incidents taking place in the City of Santa Barbara has dropped five-fold in the past five years ​— ​and the incidence of tagging has plunged similarly ​— ​the City Council approved spending $67,000 to help fund the South Coast Task Force on Youth Gangs for another year. The Task Force, run out of the Community Action Commission, focuses on juveniles serving probation with gang terms and conditions, pushing to get them to attend class and get the job skills and services needed to stay out of gang life. Those numbers have plummeted, as well. In 2010, there were 737 juveniles with gang terms and conditions, and 223 on the South Coast. In 2014 those numbers were down to 313 and 118, respectively.