Presenter Carrie, a representative of the Children's Emergency Resource Center, told the Lawton City Council that the local gang-prevention program funded through the city's Youth and Family Committee is now in its fourth year and is 100% supported by city funds.

Carrie said the program focuses on outreach, school re-engagement and job-readiness for youth at risk of gang involvement. "Our gang prevention specialist, Brian Pack, goes in there and works with the kids," she said, describing individualized mentoring, school advocacy and activities such as the Peace Fest that drew more than 285 attendees.

The presentation emphasized measurable outcomes: since the program restarted in 2022, staff provided job-readiness training to about 75 youth, 33 youth gained employment and eight completed graduation benchmarks. Carrie told council the program currently carries about 49 active clients and has discharged 12, yielding a recorded recidivism rate of 22.45 percent for clients tracked in the county juvenile tracking system.

Carrie asked the council to consider expanding staffing, saying one outreach worker's caseload has grown and that adding at least a part-time advocate is a priority for fiscal year 2026. She also described ancillary needs the program addresses, including food insecurity and short-term housing assistance that help stabilize families and reduce the risk of reoffending.

Council members praised the program and its staff. Councilwoman Williams and others thanked Carrie and staff and encouraged continued reporting on outcomes; one council member asked that staff release detailed juvenile-crime trend data to the public.

The presentation traced the program's funding history: the initiative was initially supported by federal grant dollars the city later replaced after grant funds ended, and the current local funding originates from the Propel 2019 allocation. Carrie said the program uses referrals from the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the juvenile bureau and schools and partners with local mentors and counselors to provide wraparound services.

Council did not take formal action on the presentation but discussed staff capacity and asked for follow-up materials. Carrie said staff could provide a press release with the juvenile-crime data and additional details about outcomes.

The council's discussion placed the program as part of the city's broader prevention and youth-service investments funded through Propel.