Deadly drive-by claims another young victim in Stockton

Stockton- A 19-year-old man was killed in a drive-by in south Stockton just before 11 p.m. on Tuesday Sept. 28, 2011 . It marks Stockton's 39th homicide of the year and makes the month of September 2011 one of the deadliest. Since Aug. 31st there has been numerous homicides within a three mile radius and police have categorized those homicides as gang-related. The spot of last night's drive-by shooting, 8th St. & Port Trinity Circle, is within that three mile radius.

 Is there an end in sight? With Stockton's financial outlook it is very unlikely that gang violence will end on the streets of Stockton. What is the answer? Although we're in some hard financial times we need to find a way to put gang members and ex-felons to work. We need a serious jobs program in the San Joaquin valley. We need community and business leaders to come together and create a job training program and to encourage local businesses to hire ex-felons and gang members. It will keep them off the streets and give them a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

The San Joaquin county also needs to develop a juvenile gang prevention program and make it mandatory for juveniles on probation who are documented gang members or at-risk teens to attend. The program should educate teens on the pitfalls of gang participation and set up mentors to point these teens in the right direction. Will this abolish gang violence all together? No, but it will put a huge dent in crime committed in Stockton. Otherwise we will have the same old revolving door of crime and violence that Stockton has been plagued with over the past 30 years.