Title
A MOTION related to the establishment of a juvenile gang court in King County, requesting the executive to prepare and submit, for council review and acceptance, a report that evaluates the feasibility and implementation of a juvenile gang court in King County.
Body
WHEREAS, gang activity and gang violence are major public safety concerns for the residents of King County, and
WHEREAS, King County has seen a disturbing recent growth in gang related activity in recent years, with crime related to gang activity increasing more than 165 percent since 2005, and
WHEREAS, the metropolitan King County council appropriated $1.4 million last year for a gang violence intervention and prevention initiative to address the growing gang problem in King County, and
WHEREAS, in addition to suppression of gang violence through policing and prosecution, prevention and intervention are key components to addressing gang activity, and
WHEREAS, in 2011, Yakima county started a juvenile gang court in superior court for juvenile offenders at risk for becoming further involved in gang activity, and
WHEREAS, inspired by the success of Yakima county's juvenile gang court, the state Legislature recently passed Chapter 146, Laws of Washington 2012 (House Bill 2535), which provides that counties may establish and operate juvenile gang courts, and
WHEREAS, juvenile gang courts are designed to reduce gang-related offenses among juvenile offenders through early, continuous, and judicially-supervised services which have been proven to reduce juvenile recidivism and gang involvement, and
WHEREAS, King County operates other specialty courts, including mental health court, drug court, and veterans treatment court, to address the unique issues of specific classes of offenders, reduce recidivism, and increase rehabilitation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The office of performance, strategy and budget, working with representatives from superior court, di...

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