Santa Barbara has seen a recent spike in crimes as an unintended side effect of the stay-at-home order, mostly related to youth gangs and domestic violence. City and community leaders announced Monday that they are snuffing out the uptick through several trailblazing efforts.
“Even before the pandemic, we had seen an increase in street violence,” said Mayor Cathy Murillo. “But the situation was made worse by our teens losing the structure of their school schedule, being forced to stay at home with their families who are under financial pressure, and by being limited in recreational opportunities.”
The solution, Murillo said, is a new program called Youth Responders, which aims to give structure and purpose to youth ages 11 to 19. Participants can earn community service hours and gift card stipends by working in food packing and distribution in collaboration with the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and grocery stores that have surplus food.