New study shows Monterey County leads California in youth murder rate

.02 cents Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:25 pm

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The same year Salinas broke its homicide record in 2009, Monterey County led the state in recording the highest youth murder rate, according to a new study released Monday.

The study, "Lost Youth: A County-by-County Analysis of 2009 California Homicide Victims Ages 10 to 24," was issued by the Violence Policy Center, a national educational organization trying to put a stop to gun-related death and injury.

"No. 1 in the State of California ... It's pretty disheartening," said Brian Contreras, executive director of the Salinas-based Second Chance Family & Youth Services.

Contreras lamented that with just under 90,000 young people ages 10 to 24 (as of 2009), Monterey County directly competes with much larger, more urban counties in the state.

"Los Angeles had 2 million [18-to-24-year-olds] and our rate is two times [more] than theirs," he said.

At a murder rate of 31.24 per 100,000 residents ages 10 to 24, Monterey County ranked first among 35 counties. The study's authors only looked at counties with a population of at least 25,000 aged 10 to 24 to ensure steadier rates.

According to the study, Alameda County came in second at 20.69 per 100,000 residents in the age group while Kern County followed closely behind at a rate of 19.98 per 100,000. The study showed Monterey County's rate was nearly three times the state's overall rate.

Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center and a co-author of the study, said the goal is to draw attention to the seriousness of the issue and provide local leaders and stakeholders with tools needed to help shape policy.

It's about supplying information, Sugarmann said, but also "creating greater awareness county-by-county across the state."

Perhaps the most important part of the study, Contreras said, is it outlines the psychological stress youth violence has on family members and others. He said a vital aspect of the study is its message of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among children exposed to violence of this magnitude.

Salinas broke its record in homicides in 2009, accumulating 29 deaths — all of which were blamed on gangs.

While there is progress in the area, Contreras said, more outreach and community involvement from residents is needed.

"We've lost touch with our kids," he said. "We don't spend the quality time; there's a tough economy — there's so much going on that's impacting our kids that a lot of the kids have lost hope ... . It's a norm, and it shouldn't be a norm."

One of the top issues to address from the study, he said, is the ease of which guns are accessed by youth.

Salinas police Officer Lalo Villegas said most guns seized from arrested gang members are either stolen or not registered.

"As far as the means of acquiring a handgun, anybody with a little bit of money can get a handgun and it's definitely not done through legal channels," Villegas said.

While the study is sobering, Contreras said, there is hope.

Efforts such as Community Alliance for Safety and Peace and the Building Healthy Communities initiative have been making great strides toward targeting youth at an earlier age to put a stop to the cycle of violence.

Contreras said he is also part of a small group working on helping address the trauma experienced by community members affected by homicides. He said the effort, which includes groups such as schools and behavioral health specialists, is designed to provide grief counseling to the community as a whole — from parents and siblings to students who may only have known of the victim.

Contreras acknowledged the challenges, however, in addressing the issue completely as many groups are strapped for cash right now.

"There's a lot of healing that needs to go on, and it's something we need to work on," he said. "It's going to take a while."

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20110201/NEWS01/102010305/County-leads-in-youth-murder-rate

American Zombie Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:50 pm

strange how murders have gone way down in socal but are still up in other parts of the state.

.02 cents Tue Feb 01, 2011 7:29 pm

i said it once and I'll say it again, Salinas is cracking, especially the East Side. It's unfortunate the amount of violence and murders that have been going on lately... Kids are getting killed, I'm talking about young youngsters and consistently too... Kids getting walked up on and smoked on campus grounds in the morning before school type shit...