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November 12, 2019
Mr. Ed Shoenbach
Yakima Police Activities League
602 N. 4fh Street
Yakima, WA 98901
Dear Mr. Shoenbach,
The Yakima City Council wholeheartedly supports the application by the Yakima Police
Activities League (YPAL) for funding from the Washington Gang Repression, Intervention, and
Prevention Project (WA-GRIP).
Even though the violent crime rate in Yakima is considerably lower now than it was at its
height in the late 1980s, gun-related violence has spiked over that last year-and-a-half. Law
enforcement officials attribute much of the increased level of gun violence to gang activity,
specifically retaliatory gang activity.
Breaking the cycle of gun violence and gang-related crime currently being experienced in
Yakima will take long-term, sustained, intensive efforts. Public safety is the City of Yakima's
highest priority. In 2019, nearly 45% of the General Fund budget, was dedicated to criminal
justice.
However, the City clearly recognizes that it alone cannot cure the crisis of violence being
experienced in Yakima. The City is proactively engaging in strategic partnerships with faith-
based, non-profit, and educational organizations, such as YPAL, to enhance existing and
develop additional gang prevention and intervention strategies designed to offer at-risk youth
an alternative to involvement in gun violence and gang-related crime.
Since it was founded in 2003, YPAL has been at the forefront of providing innovative,
evidenced-based, successful programs and services that have proven to be effective at
keeping at-risk kids out of gangs. YPAL is currently leading the efforts of a broad coalition of
non-profit, governmental, and other partners that is dedicated to offering positive youth
development opportunities aimed at significantly reducing the negative effects of gang violence
and gang-related crime in our community.
Limited resources have so far prevented YPAL, the City, and our partners from expanding gang
prevention and intervention'programs and services throughout the community. Securing
funding through WA-GRIP will ensure these programs and services are more widely available
and accessible to our community's high-risk, high-need youth.
The Yakima City Council endorses YPAL as the primary bidder for this funding opportunity
and stands ready to support YPAL in any way possible as it seeks to enhance gang
prevention and intervention programs and services in our community.
Sincerely,
Mayor Kathy Coffey