SLC Police Department Seeking Grant for Gang Diversion Program

None by KCPW

Community Partners Key to 'Project 180'

(KCPW News) The Salt Lake City Police Department is applying for grant money to implement a gang diversion program called Project 180.

"Either the courts, the schools or the individual themselves refer themselves to the program to try to turn their life around - hence the 180-degree [reference] - to try to get out of the gang culture, out of the gang lifestyle," says Lt. Rick Findlay, the Assistant Division Commander who supervises the department's gang unit.

West Valley City launched its own Project 180 in 2006 targeting gang members and at-risk youth, although adults are eligible. Findlay says launching the gang diversion program in Salt Lake will require cooperation from school districts, community programs like the Boys & Girls Club and other after-school youth programs, and churches:

"And we're going to need to bring all those resources together to focus on the fact that gang culture is not a law enforcement problem alone, it's a community problem and we need to all attack it together."

Findlay also says the department will continue to push Utah lawmakers to adopt the Street Terrorism Enforcement Program, which would further criminalize gang involvement, increase penalties and give prosecutors more tools to go after violent gang members. To hear more about gang activity in Salt Lake City, listen to the podcast interview from Midday Metro.

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