SACRAMENTO - More than 100 community leaders, public safety officers, concerned citizens and Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckus attended a public safety symposium hosted by Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) last week. Paul Seave, the Governor's first appointed state director of Gang and Youth Violence Policy, spoke at the event, held in the Santa Ana Police Department's community room.

"It was good for Paul to learn of Orange County's successful anti-gang violence strategies," Assemblyman Solorio said after the event. "Now that we have a state-wide office to coordinate efforts, he can pass our experiences on to other communities, and we can learn from them."

Assemblyman Solorio and Paul Seave, state director of Gang and Youth Violence Policy, discuss gang prevention strategies in Santa Ana last week.

Assemblyman Solorio co-authored the legislation that established the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy. It confronts head on the recent dramatic increase in gang activity across the state and its proliferation in suburban and rural areas.

"Orange County and the rest of the state are facing serious challenges from violent gang offenders," Solorio said. "I'm just proud that I'm playing a small role in the solution."

Officials believe there are approximately 420,000 gang members statewide. Seave coordinates anti-gang programs and grants, coordinates with other state agencies, serves as the state contact for local governments and community organizations and collects, evaluates and promotes local best practices. He also tracks all federal anti-gang funding and grants. For more information, search CalGRIP at www.oes.ca.gov.

State Assemblyman Jose Solorio is the Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee and also serves on the Assembly Education, Transportation, and Appropriations Committees. He represents the Sixty-Ninth Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana. For more information about Assemblyman Solorio, visit www.assembly.ca.gov/solorio.