New website aimed at gang awareness, prevention in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County law enforcement agencies have launched a new bilingual website for their BASTA program, a county-wide initiative aimed at gang awareness, prevention and intervention.
BASTA stands for “broad-based apprehension, suppression, treatment and alternatives,” and it also means “Enough!” in Spanish.
BASTA is a countywide collaborative formed for the purpose of keeping schools and the community safe by reducing and preventing youth gang violence, school truancy, suspensions, expulsions, and alcohol and drug abuse.
The new website provides tools for parents, teachers and community members to help them recognize early signs of gang involvement and provide strategies for prevention and intervention.
