THE YAKIMA VALLEY --- More than a half of a million dollars are heading to the Yakima Valley. Now various departments can already look at ideas to keep kids out of crime.

From programs to keep kids clean, to programs to catch bad kids in the act, nearly the entire area will now have more money to work with. A 530 thousand dollar grant will be split between several cities and the county.

The city of Yakima will get the biggest chunk, at more than 331 thousand. Yakima county will get almost 83 thousand and Toppenish nearly 39. Sunnyside will get 27 thousand, and Wapato about 26. Union Gap will get about 19 thousand and 10 thousand will go to Grandview. "It's just nice to still be able to receive the federal funding that this area needs," Yakima police Deputy Chief, Kelly Rosenow said.

You've seen some of the vandals caught on camera. Now the city of Yakima plans to use the money to buy a different system that focuses more on the graffiti and will compare the names, colors, and even the style of writing in a system.

"Then they can basically give us all that information so we can taken it to court with us for multiple charges," Rosenow reasoned.

They also plan to use money on school and community education, paying for a teen staff that will clean up graffiti, and new technology like radios, computers, digital cameras, and a new hostage negotiation phone. Money will also go to the Yakima Police Athletic League. Those leaders say plans are very preliminary but they might use money on computers to fill one of their rooms, or for projects for their P.A.L. achievers group, which is their target group.

"Having our P.A.L. achievers group actually create a message to deliver to middle school students using music, possibly a rap theme and props and things like that," Y.P.A.L. Coordinator, Linda Watts smiled.

It's new money for an old problem: keeping kids throughout the area from getting in trouble.

The city of Yakima is already negotiating some of the items on their list, including that graffiti tracker.