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Feb. 25, 2005
Dear Summit Participants,
On behalf of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors,
I thank you for your participation in today’s gang prevention
summit. Your attendance today is a statement that you are standing
up with all of us to combat the one cloud on our the public
safety horizon – gang violence.
Fairfax County consistently ranks as one of
the nation’s best communities in which to live. We offer
world-class public schools, libraries, and parks and recreation,
and the economic development in our county helps power the region’s
economy.
Our community is one of the safest, too. Our
crime rate is the lowest of the 50 largest jurisdictions in
the country. At the same time, we have one of the lowest ratios
of police officers per capita. These facts reflect the outstanding
work of our men and women in the Police Department and Sheriff's
Office. It shows that the investments we are making –
in schools, recreation, human services – are working.
But the rise of gang activity in our region
looms. Gangs threaten the well-being of our children and our
community. We must prevent our children from getting involved
in a destructive, dangerous lifestyle.
While gangs are a law enforcement issue, they
are not just a law enforcement issue. And today we will be talking
about how we can work together to prevent our children from
becoming involved in gangs, and how we can provide a way out
for those who have become snared.
Many residents, community organizations, faith-based
groups, business leaders and county agencies have become involved
in anti-gang efforts, but the solution to the problem will not
be found in any single program. We must address the problem
with coordinated, community-based prevention, intervention and
suppression efforts. And we must work together to maximize resources.
Recently, the Board established the Fairfax
County Coordinating Council on Gang Prevention, which is sponsoring
this summit. We created this Council because we believe gang
prevention, intervention and suppression must be cross-agency,
community-wide project. The ideas generated today will be incorporated
into the recommendations the Council will make to the Board
of Supervisors in June.
We can and must protect our children. Our
community is already on the path to halting the further spread
of gang activity, and today’s summit allows us to continue
the journey together.
Sincerely,
Gerald E. Connolly
Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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