A NEW STUDY ON YOUTH CRIME ON THE CENTRAL COAST SHOWS GANGS ARE INFLUENCING THE YOUNG AT AN EARLIER AGE. THE STUDY, BY THE LUCILLE PACKARD FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN’S HEALTH, FOUND THAT IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, 11.6-PERCENT OF SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS PROFESSED TO BEING GANG MEMBERS. WHILE 6-PERCENT OF MONTEREY COUNTY SEVENTH GRADERS SAY THEY BROUGHT WEAPONS, OTHER THAN GUNS, TO SCHOOL WITH NEARLY 3-PERCENT SAYING THEY BROUGHT GUNS ON CAMPUS. THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT 17-CHILDREN, BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5-TO-19 WERE KILLED IN 2010 IN MONTEREY COUNTY, WHILE TWO TEENS WERE KILLED DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
