Yakima- another front in the war on gangs

YAKIMA -- The focus on Yakima's gang problem so far, has been on suppression... Fighting fire with fire. You create havok, we create another emphasis patrol. And while a heavy police presence is a piece of the solution, even they know it will take much more.

This rundown building is one of a half a dozen faith based or non-profit organizations also fighting the gang problem in Yakima. But instead of battling for the high ground. They are battling for the hearts and minds.

Inside, Alex Santillanes is searching for another grant to support his efforts. He has run the local chapter of Neighborhoods United... "Barrios Unitos" for ten years.
He cringes at the thought of the city giving Yakima police $80,000 to run a new emphasis patrol for just thirty days.

"What could you do with $80,000? Well, with $80,000 I have ran my program and I have worked with over 2-300 young people."

And run it for an entire year.

Santillanes knows better than to think there is a quick fix to a 40-year old problem here.

...And so do those he's guided away from gang violence.

Marcelo Alvarado is a former gangbanger. "I was doing the shootings. I was doing the drugs. I was beating up people, stabbing you know."

Alvarado knows how to play the system only half as well as gang members do today.

"A cop can only do so much because he works his shift and he thinks like a gang member for that shift. And when he goes home, he has to be a family man. These gang members are 24 hours a day. They only think about making money, getting their prestige and their clout and making a name for themselves."

When city councils and cops think about making a difference in gang violence, Santillanes and Alvarado know first hand how effective prevention can be. The question they have for Yakima is, who's willing to invest it that piece of the puzzle?