Oceanside Receives Funds To Combat Gangs

SAN DIEGO — The city of Oceanside will receive $400,000 in grant funding to combat gang violence, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office announced Thursday.

The money is among $9.2 million awarded to 17 cities and 13-community-based organizations in areas with heavy concentrations of gangs, according to the governor’s office.

Oceanside was the only recipient in San Diego County

“Public safety is my highest priority, and these grants are an important part of our efforts to protect our communities by providing them with the resources they need to help reduce gang violence at the local level,” Schwarzenegger said.

“To combat gang violence, we need effective suppression, intervention and prevention tactics — so that we are driving down violence in a smart and focused way,” he said.

The Los Angeles region is slated to get $1.6 million in grants to combat gangs. The city of Los Angeles will receive $962,000, while four community organizations in the region were awarded $160,000 each.