Senate advances SJR2 urging coordinated community response to gang activity

The Utah Senate adopted an amendment to Senate Joint Resolution 2 (SJR2) and advanced the joint resolution to third reading, directing attention to prevention and community responses to gang activity.

Senator Robles, the sponsor, proposed Amendment No. 2 to refine language so the resolution acknowledges, rather than commits to funding, community programs such as sports, arts, academic and counseling efforts as countermeasures to gang recruitment. "We want to make sure this the bill talks about having all communities and local state and federal governments working together in reducing gang activity," Robles said while presenting the amendment. Senators supporting the amendment emphasized that the change removes any implication the Legislature is committing financial resources.

Senator Madsen and others praised the amendment for preventing the language from being misread as creating future fiscal obligations. The Judiciary Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee, the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and the Governor's Task Force on Gang Activity were reported as having engaged with the resolution in prior work during the interim. After debate and the adoption of Amendment No. 2, the Senate advanced SJR2; the clerk recorded 27 yea votes, no nays and two absences and the resolution will be forwarded to the House.

Sponsor Robles described SJR2 as a statewide call for a comprehensive approach that includes suppression, prevention and intervention efforts and invited colleagues to continue work on complementary measures addressing violent criminal aspects of gangs.