Yakima County awarded grant to help keep kids out of gangs

YAKIMA COUNTY, Wash. -- A grant worth 105,000 dollars is the second this year for the Gang Resistance and Intervention Project.

It's a partnership among the cities of Yakima, Toppenish and Sunnyside along with the county.

The service concentrates on community resource centers and gang intervention specialists.

Two former gang members work as intervention specialists work for Yakima County right now. The grant will pay for a third.

"It's to essentially provide a place in each one of these three cities where kids and families can come to get services to get out of gangs," said Yakima County Courts Administrator Harold Delia.

Yakima County thinks the grant money is coming because of the cooperation among local governments.