Chapter 2.18
GANG COMMISSION
Sections:
2.18.020 Yakima County Gang Commission Established – Membership.
2.18.030 Duties and Functions.
2.18.010 Purpose and Intent.
It is the purpose and intent of the Board of Yakima County Commissioners to establish a Gang Commission, which will be cited and known as the Yakima County Gang Commission. The mission of the Gang Commission is to assist in coordinating a county-wide strategic and collaborative approach to solving the problem of gangs. The Yakima County Gang Commission is a nonregulatory body, whose sole purpose is to provide support and technical assistance, coordination, consultation and other resources to encourage communities to reduce gang activity and promote healthy and safe environments. This will be accomplished by facilitating cooperation between local municipal and tribal governments, law enforcement agencies, social service providers, K through 12 and higher education, business and industry, faith-based organizations, families and the general public. Support will be provided relevant to the needs of each community based on best practice models and research. Prevention, intervention and suppression activities and strategies will be emphasized and utilized in a balanced approach.
(Ord. 4-2010 § 1, 2010).
2.18.020 Yakima County Gang Commission Established – Membership.
(1) There is hereby created the Yakima County Gang Commission to consist of nineteen members, who shall serve without compensation.
(2) Each of the fourteen cities and towns in Yakima County and the Yakama Indian Nation shall have a seat on the Commission. The legislative body of each city and town and the Yakama Nation Tribal Council shall appoint one member and an alternate to serve as its representative on the Commission. The city, town and tribal representatives shall serve at the pleasure of the body represented. The failure of any city, town or the Yakama Indian Nation to designate a commission member or to participate in the Commission shall not affect this chapter as it relates to the remaining parties.
(3) The following county officeholders shall also be members of the Commission:
(a) A member of the Board of Yakima County Commissioners to be designated by the Board.
(b) The Yakima County Sheriff.
(c) The Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney.
(d) A representative of the Yakima County Superior Court to be designated by the judges.
(4) Except for county office holders, members shall serve two-year terms, and each member shall serve until a successor is duly appointed and confirmed. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms. The Board of Yakima County Commissioners will designate the terms of the initial members such that the terms of not more than a majority of the members shall expire in any year so as to allow the Board to be staggered. Initial appointments which are less than the full term of two years will be allowed to serve two full terms. The expiration date of all terms shall be July 1. Any vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term. Any vacancy replacement will be eligible to serve the remaining term of the vacant position and two full terms.
(5) The county officeholder, not his or her designee, is expected to attend the Commission meetings, except for emergencies. In case of emergency, the officeholder is expected to send a representative. The representative shall not deliberate or vote on any matter before the Commission, and the representative does not count in determining whether a quorum is present.
(6) During July of each year, the Commission shall select a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among its members to serve for a period of one year. The Commission may appoint standing or special committees to which it may assign specific responsibilities and authority.
(7) The Commission may adopt rules consistent with law for the governing of its business and procedures.
(8) The position of Coordinator of the Yakima County Gang Commission is hereby established and shall be appointed by the Yakima County Gang Commission. The position of Coordinator shall be exclusively funded from Yakima County nongeneral fund sources. The Coordinator shall be directly responsible to the Gang Commission and shall serve at the Commission’s pleasure.
(Ord. 4-2010 § 2, 2010).
2.18.030 Duties and Functions.
It is the intent of the Commission to:
(1) Establish a directory of existing resources, agencies, and community initiatives currently underway in the county related to solving the problem of gangs.
(2) Create and maintain a clearinghouse of best practice models and resources. This clearinghouse will have information from federal, state and local sources.
(3) Establish a web page including an interactive data base and central collection point to help communities throughout the county and region to track current gang trends. This page will allow key people within the community to submit pictures of graffiti and other pertinent information.
(4) Maintain a website with resources for schools, agencies, families and business addressing the gang issue.
(5) Promote best and promising practices, and community initiatives occurring in the county using a variety of resources.
(6) Offer technical assistance and training to county residents and organizations. The training may include, but is not limited to: Basic gang awareness training; community mobilization to address gang issues; risk and protective factor training; crime prevention through environmental design; Block Watch organization; risk assessment; logic model development, and maintaining sustainability; and the role of poverty in relation to gang involvement.
(7) Provide support and coordination of gang grant applications in the public and private granting sources in Yakima County.
(8) Provide letters of support for community gang grant applications which meet research based standards.
(9) Work within existing resources to develop a marketing strategy and designate a Public Information Officer to work with the media, communities and other groups in technical assistance.
(10) Offer and coordinate guidance to communities, schools, agencies and other groups regarding policy development for gang reduction strategies.
(11) Assist entities who seek to sustain programs and maintain funding through community mobilization and community coalitions.
(12) Coordinate and assist communities, agencies, schools and other groups which conduct needs assessments to determine the level of gang activity and membership and provide appropriate evaluation services.
(Ord. 4-2010 § 3, 2010).
2.18.040 Financing.
The Yakima County Gang Commission shall incur no financial obligations nor authorize any financial expenditure except for such purposes as are expressly authorized in advance by the Board of Yakima County Commissioners in such manner as the law provides.
(Ord. 4-2010 § 4, 2010).