SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Georgina Mendoza, Director of Community Safety for Salinas, Calif., performed a key role on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence and contributed significantly to the recently released task force report, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

“I am very appreciative of Ms. Mendoza contributing her expertise to the task force,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. “Her participation ensured that the final report and policy recommendations incorporate a local perspective from an area grappling with serious youth violence issues.” On Dec. 12, 2012, Mendoza, alongside task force co-chair Joe Torre, was one of four presenters to Attorney General Holder on the findings and recommendations in the report.

The report emphasizes prevention and intervention and underscores the importance of trauma-informed care and victim-tailored services. To view the task force’s report, visit: www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/cev-rpt-full.pdf. The task force report is a key component of Attorney General Holder’s Defending Childhood initiative to address children’s exposure to violence. For more information about the task force and Attorney General Holder’s Defending Childhood Initiative, visit: www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood.

The task force is comprised of 13 leading experts, including practitioners, child and family advocates, academicians and licensed clinicians. The task force presented its recommendations during a meeting of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The council, whose membership includes the cabinet officials and heads of 12 federal agencies and nine practitioners, coordinates federal programs for delinquency prevention, detention or care for unaccompanied juveniles and missing and exploited children.

The Attorney General referred to the task force report as a blueprint for strengthening the Administration’s robust efforts to protect young people from exposure to violence.

Salinas’ participation in the task force continues its leadership in the area of addressing youth violence. Just prior to the task force’s presentation, Salinas was a key contributor to the National Forum for Youth Violence Prevention which met in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 10 and 11. The forum, launched in 2010, is a White House initiative with the Department of Justice and the Department of Education. Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue, Police Chief Kelly McMillin, Community Safety Director Georgina Mendoza, and other Salinas representatives participated alongside U.S. Attorney Haag in the forum meetings. For more information on the forum, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/newsroom/youthviolenceforum.htm.

“In order to have meaningful change in the youth violence issue, we need to focus on the root causes of violence and provide opportunities for young people to choose a better path away from violence and gangs,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. “I want to thank and recognize Salinas’ leaders in the public and private sector for their continuing partnership and collaborative spirit in coming together to craft innovative and thoughtful plans, programs and strategies in addressing this challenging topic.” For more on the Salinas plan developed as part of the forum, see: http://findyouthinfo.gov/docs/Salinas%20SWP_03-16_rev2.pdf.

 

 

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