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District attorney-led South County Youth Task Force reports progress; committee requests protocol for critical incidents
Summary
The District Attorney’s Office and South County Youth Task Force reported that nearly 90% of planned activities are on track or complete, described restorative diversion and outreach work, and the committee asked staff to add a protocol for county response to critical incidents into the task force’s strategic planning process.
The District Attorney’s Office and the South County Youth Task Force presented a semi‑annual update Oct. 7, reporting progress on implementation of the task force strategic plan, partnerships with promotoras and schools, and two pending competitive state grant applications for violence‑interruption and hospital‑based intervention services.
Staff said nearly 90% of the task force’s work‑plan activities were completed or on track as of September 2025. The presentation highlighted the restorative diversion program (in year three), deeper partnerships with local promotoras, school‑based violence interruption planning in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, and the development of a community government academy. Staff also described plans to begin strategic‑plan development for 2027–2029, including focus groups with youth and community stakeholders.
Casey Helkin, deputy county executive, introduced the presentation and DA’s Office staff — including supervising deputy district attorneys Adam Flores and Adam Gloris and South County Task Force manager Bernice Aguilera Toney — described accomplishments and next steps. Staff noted two outstanding grant applications that could expand services in San Jose and South County; award notifications were expected in October or November.
Committee members raised an urgent service coordination concern after a recent shooting that impacted a school pickup area in Gilroy. Members said county behavioral‑health and rapid‑response resources must be organized with clear protocols for schools and districts that seek support during shootings or other mass incidents. The task force and DA’s Office said they had coordinated a local response for the recent incident, including victim support through local resiliency services, but committee members asked staff to formalize a protocol so the county’s role and lines of responsibility are clear in future critical incidents.
Committee members also asked about gaps in South County capacity and partnerships with probation, school districts and behavioral health. Staff described existing probation and social‑service support, noted community organizations working on engagement and diversion, and identified an asset‑mapping and grant‑seeking approach to secure more services. The committee asked staff to include a protocol for critical incidents as part of the task force’s strategic‑plan update.
The committee voted unanimously to receive the South County Youth Task Force report and to request that staff include development of a county‑task‑force protocol for responding to critical incidents in South County during the task force’s planning for the 2027–2029 strategic plan. The motion passed on a 2–0 roll call by committee members present.
Staff said they will continue to pursue grant opportunities, maintain partnerships with promotoras and school districts, and use focus groups — including youth voices — to shape the next strategic plan.
