WATSONVILLE, CITY OF
Grant: $1,080,468 - Department of Justice - Jul. 4, 2009
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Award Description: The COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire career law enforcement officers in an effort to create and preserve jobs, and to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
Project Description: Community/Law Enforcement Partnerships The department participated with the community at the National Night Out annual event held on August 4, 2009. Eighteen neighborhoods in the 6-square mile City of Watsonville participated. School Resource Officers, gang enforcement officers, and police administrators attended the neighborhood sponsored events. Hamburgers, fresh fruit salad in watermelon baskets, children's games, music blaring from a booth manned by Radio Jose, 107.1 and long tables filled with families enjoying a warm evening. Tuesday's National Night Out celebration showcased a different side of the River Park neighborhood, which has gained notoriety for gang violence in recent months. 'I've been noticing a lot more gang members hanging around these parts, and they seem younger and younger, when my husband told me this event was going to be here, I was surprised.' But she said the celebration was sending a message that the community would do whatever is necessary to keep their families safe. 'It's a way to fight back with family, music and celebration,' she said. The department has joined forces with the South Bay Gang Alliance that is a consortium of agencies representing the four county areas. Networking, training, information exchange and discussions regarding criminal street gang trends are some of the outcomes of this group. Problem-Solving The department is working on a number of neighborhood identified problems. One is a problematic family causing neighborhood disturbances. Issues include overcrowding, truant children, children expelled from school and violence. The department is working with neighbors, school district and City code enforcement. The department is also focused on another problematic residential location that is of concern to the neighborhood. In this case the department is seeking assistance from the Housing Authority and the City’s Neighborhood Services Department.
Jobs Summary: The City of Watsonville was awarded three (3) full time new hire police officers. The first officer was hired on 9/8/2009. (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Jul. 4, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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