The City of Tacoma has published an assessment of the city’s gang problem and programs available for youths.
The assessment is posted online at www.cityoftacoma.org/tacomagangproject. The City Council authorized the review in 2010 and paid $50,000 to a Missouri-based firm to do the work.
The assessment looked at how many gang members live in the city, the crimes they commit, the programs that might get them out of gangs and the attractions of the lifestyle.
City Council members were briefed on the assessment in March but the final report wasn’t made available to the public until last week.
It found gangs are most active in five of the city’s eight major geographic areas, that members are armed and involved in drug crimes and the youngest often are lured into the lifestyle while in middle school. City leaders have said the assessment will help them decide what programs to fund in the future and which federal grants to pursue.
Stacey Mulick, stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com
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