PRESS RELEASE
December 5, 2007

County to Establish North County Gang Commission
Slater-Price's District Included in Commission Focused on Highway 78 Cities

SAN DIEGO – Supervisor Pam Slater-Price joined Supervisor Bill Horn on Dec. 4 in directing the county of San Diego to establish the North County Gang Commission.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at the County Administrative Center to direct the Chief Administrative Officer to return to the board within 60 days with an ordinance to establish the commission.

The commission will have seven total members; two of which will be appointed by Slater-Price.

Commission members will include experts from education, law enforcement, business, social and health services, and even former gang members to bring positive change to the Highway 78 areas in and around Oceanside, San Marcos, Vista and Escondido.

Supervisor Slater-Price said this effort will continue the fight against gang violence led by Supervisor Horn.

“This commission will be in charge of forming a regional plan to fight gang violence in North County,” Slater-Price said. “The crime free-for-all is over and we want to send a clear message to gang members that we aim to break up their networks.”

According to the latest figures from the North County Regional Gang Task Force, police departments and the Sheriff’s department, North County has more than 1,500 gang members in 21 gangs. The areas those gangs claim are Oceanside, Escondido, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Vista, Encinitas and Solana Beach.

The greatest criminal problem among gangs is drugs and drug trafficking.

“These criminal enterprises must be disassembled,” Slater-Price said. “And we cannot expect our law enforcement to handle this problem alone – the time has come to step up with a more regional, multi-faceted approach.”