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recommends the City of Santa Ana conduct a comprehensive assessment, based on <br />the OJJDP model. <br />The Commission will prepare a recommended strategic plan based on the <br />results of the assessment. The final assessment report is intended to answer the <br />following questions: <br />• How do youth in Santa Ana become involved in gangs? <br />• What social, economic and cultural factors in Santa Ana contribute to an <br />environment conducive to youth gangs and youth gang violence? <br />• What research-based, proven solutions have been used in similar <br />communities to develop effective short, medium, and long-term strategies to <br />prevent gang recruitment and gang violence in Santa Ana? <br />INTERIM RECOMMENDATIONS <br />While the bulk of the Commission's recommendations will come after the <br />assessment is completed, the Commission felt it was imperative to make interim <br />recommendations to help facilitate its work in 2008 and beyond. These <br />recommendations are contained elsewhere in this report and they are summarized as <br />follows: <br />1. The Commission recommends that the City of Santa Ana conduct a <br />comprehensive community assessment. A comprehensive assessment will <br />allow the Commission, the community and its partners to make sound, practical <br />and achievable recommendations to the City Council. <br />2. The City should seek opportunities to improve communications and <br />coordination of all youth-related issues and grant applications. The size of <br />the city and the scope of youth-based delinquency warrant consideration for a <br />centralized point in the City organization to coordinate and direct youth-related <br />efforts citywide. The Commission would like to work with the City Council to <br />develop either a position or a clearly designated point of coordination within the <br />existing City structure to ensure it is properly defined and aligned with City <br />Council priorities. <br />3. The City Council should require that EPIC be informed of all new City at- <br />risk youth and gang-related initiatives and planned programs to ensure <br />consistency and alignment with EPIC focus, goals and objectives. EPIC <br />would merely review the initiative or program to ensure an opportunity to <br />comment, alert the City to any potential conflicts or redundancies, and provide <br />alternative views as appropriate. The review would be handled promptly so as <br />EPIC Progress Report to City Council - 2008 Page 7 <br />19D-8 <br />