(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA) sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of
Justice to place additional law enforcement resources in Yakima County. The
letter is being sent after the brutal daylight execution of 18-year-old Daniel
Rivera marked the ninth gang-related homicide in the City of Yakima this year.
“The
Yakima County Gang Initiative and the people of Yakima County understand how to
combat gang violence but they need support to succeed in their fight,” wrote Senator Murray. “I request that you deploy all
necessary Department of Justice resources, led possibly by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service, to aid the people of Yakima
County.”
Last
year, Senator Murray secured
$500,000 in federal support for the Yakima County Gang Initiative which
develops service programs to address the most pressing needs and problems
associated with youth gangs in Yakima County. The initiative brings together a
coalition of federal, tribal, and local law enforcement to work cooperatively
on this issue. The funding assists law enforcement in Yakima County put in
place a comprehensive gang-fighting initiative that focuses on prevention, suppression,
and intervention.
The full text of the letter appears below:
Eric H. Holder, Jr.
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
Dear
Attorney General Holder:
The
Department of Justice has provided invaluable assistance in fighting violent
gangs and drug-related violence through gang abatement programs. On many
occasions, the Department has brought additional resources and manpower, as
well as coordinated the abilities of local law enforcement, to address serious
crime issues in our communities. I have been working with Yakima Police
Chief Sam Granato and Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin for years on this issue
but due to increased gang violence in Yakima County, Washington, I am writing
to request the placement of additional Department of Justice resources within
that region to assist local law enforcement.
As
you may know, gang numbers and gang membership continue to escalate within
Yakima County. On May 30, 2010, the brutal, broad daylight execution of
18-year-old Daniel Rivera marked the ninth gang-related homicide in the City of
Yakima this year and the fourteenth overall.
I
have supported comprehensive law enforcement efforts in Yakima, and I have
fought for federal funding for the Yakima County Gang Initiative, a coalition
composed of federal, tribal and local law enforcement, teachers and community
leaders. These agencies have been cooperating in a program focused on
gang prevention, suppression, and intervention with the aim of eliminating gang
violence and reducing gang membership. Despite the efforts of the Yakima
County Gang Initiative, gang-related violence persists which is why I am making
this request.
The
Yakima County Gang Initiative and the people of Yakima County understand how to
combat gang violence but they need support to succeed in their fight. I
request that you deploy all necessary Department of Justice resources, led
possibly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals
Service, to aid the people of Yakima County. Thank you for your
consideration of this request.
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