Washington Legislators Target Gangs

Lawmakers in Washington are hoping the state will adopt a number of measures to target gangs and prevent their growth.

“This is a very high priority,” said state Rep. Christopher Hurst.

Group Makes Recommendations

Hurst and several other legislators worked for the better part of a year developing bills that would help curb gang-related crimes, among other things. The group came up with a number of recommendations, some of which they hope their colleagues will adopt:

• To create a statewide database of gangs
• To develop programs that would prevent young people from joining gangs
• To create a witness protection program for those who witness gang crimes
• To ban gangs from gathering in certain areas

It has yet to be seen whether the state legislature will adopt any of the group’s recommendations, which come after a push last year by law enforcement agencies to crack down on gang-related crimes.

(Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

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