Do we really "reduce" gangs by giving them money? Do we give them more money as a reward for the behavior? Or has our country gone down the tubes and we are being laughed at as our tax money goes to law breakers?

http://www.urban.org/publications/411692.html

"This report presents interim findings of the Urban Institute's evaluation of the Gang Reduction Program (GRP), a $10 million, multi-year, federal initiative to reduce gang crime in Los Angeles, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; North Miami Beach, Florida; and Richmond, Virginia. The evaluation found substantial variation in collaboration levels among partners in each site, but each site achieved significant implementation successes. The effects of GRP in each site were mixed, and only one site, Los Angeles, showed a significant reduction in crime levels. By late 2007, however, three sites had undertaken significant steps towards sustaining GRP beyond the federal funding period."

The findings on the effects of GRP in each site were mixed. The results revealed that only one site, Los Angeles, showed a significant reduction in crime levels, with serious violence, gang related incidents, gang-related serious violence, and citizen reports of shots fired all decreasing after the implementation of GRP there.

While very little strategic planning for sustainability had taken place at any of the four sites at the time of the previous report in 2006, by late 2007, three of the four sites had undertaken significant steps towards sustaining at least portions of the initiative beyond the federal funding period. In Los Angeles, the GRP model was implemented city-wide with local funding and termed the "Gang Reduction Zone Program." In North Miami Beach, after struggling to find a government-based fiscal agent to sustain the partnership, the initiative was incorporated as a non-profit organization in late 2007. In Richmond, the close relationship that developed between the Virginia Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Richmond Police Department (RPD) through the GRP effort had ensured that a significant portion of the efforts undertaken by the RPD would be sustained, and the OAG was also planning an expansion of the model into other parts of the city.

Sounds like the Bush whitehouse is getting ready to spread this crap to other parts of the country!!!